Category: NFL Football

The Steelers could have reinforcements on both sides of the ball as early as Week 18. The team announced on Tuesday that linebacker Cole Holcomb, along with receiver Roman Wilson and defensive lineman Logan Lee have returned to practice.

In the case of all three players, they now have up to 21 days to practice before being activated. Holcomb is on the physically unable to perform list, while the two rookies are on injured reserve. Bringing back Wilson and Lee would therefore use up Pittsburgh’s remaining regular season IR activations, although all playoff teams receive an additional two return slots.

Holcomb was a key figure in the Steelers’ efforts to reset at the linebacker spot last offseason, signing a three-year, $18MM pact in free agency. The 28-year-old had a strong start to his Pittsburgh tenure, serving as a full-time starter through eight games and recording 54 tackles along the way. A major knee injury brought his campaign to an abrupt end, though, and it threatened to linger well into the current season.

To no surprise, Holcomb was moved to the PUP list during roster cutdowns, allowing him to continue rehabbing. An adjustment was made to his contract during the offseason with an injury split being added to lower his base pay in the event of a PUP stint (although additional guarantees were brought in to compensate). If Holcomb can return to the lineup in time for Saturday’s game against the Bengals or the wild-card round, his presence will be welcomed by a LB unit now led by Patrick Queen.

Wilson was added in the third round of April’s draft, and he faced expectations of serving as a complementary option in the passing game early in his career. The Michigan product’s debut did not come until October, though, and he has been on IR since making his only appearance to date. Pittsburgh has leaned heavily on George Pickens at the receiver spot, and the team also has trade acquisition Mike Williams in the fold. Wilson could compete with Calvin Austin for playing time in the slot once he is activated.

Lee was selected in the sixth round of the draft as depth along the defensive interior. The Iowa alum could step into a rotational role upon activation, although given his missed time it would come as a surprise if he were to see a notable workload this year. In any case, the Steelers will likely welcome multiple players into the fold at least in time for their upcoming postseason game.

The Steelers’ push for the AFC North title will continue with today’s matchup against the Chiefs. A large part of Pittsburgh’s success this season has been improved play under center, and as a result Russell Wilson could turn out to be much more than a one-year rental.

Since the former Super Bowl winner took over from Justin Fields as the Steelers’ starter, Wilson has provided stability at the quarterback spot, something which had been lacking since Ben Roethlisberger retired. Given the nature of his Broncos release, Wilson has been a cost-effective starter this year, and signs have pointed since November to a new pact being worked out. For now, the 36-year-old is on track for free agency, and he would be one of the more intriguing names on the market if no deal was to take place.

A mutual interest exists in continuing this relationship, however, with Wilson recently issuing a public desire to remain in Pittsburgh beyond 2024. It would thus come as no surprise if a multi-year pact were to be worked out this offseason (even with Fields potentially still in the picture). In that event, Wilson would be in line for a notable raise compared to the veteran minimum he is playing for – in terms of Pittsburgh’s financial obligation – this year. With age as a complicating factor, however, the length of any potential contract could be a sticking point in addition to compensation.

On that note, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports there is a “very good chance” the Steelers work out a new pact with Wilson similar to other recent veteran QB deals (video link). Specifically, he names Baker Mayfield‘s Buccaneers pact as a comparable situation. Mayfield impressed in 2023, his debut Tampa Bay season. That landed him a three-year, $100MM contract – a major raise relative to his prior deal, but an AAV nowhere near the top of the position’s market.

Wilson securing a similar deal this winter would provide him with the opportunity to continue his Steelers tenure, while the structure of such a pact could give the team flexibility from a cap perspective. Keeping the nine-time Pro Bowler in the fold could prove to be beneficial on a medium-term commitment in particular, but Pittsburgh also has to sort out Fields’ future since he is a pending free agent. The same is true of left tackle Dan Moore Jr., cornerback Donte Jackson as well as both members of the Najee Harris–Jaylen Warren running back tandem.

Wideout George Pickens will also be eligible for an extension once this season ends, and keeping him in place long term will require a notable commitment. Plenty of key decisions will need to be made with respect to keeping the Steelers’ core in place on offense in particular, and Wilson’s situation will be central to that effort. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the campaign plays out, and whether or not his chances of working out a new Steelers accord will be affected down the stretch.

Aaron Rodgers‘ latest Pat McAfee Show appearance again made reference to (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini) potentially being a first-time free agent soon. Although the Jets should not be ruled out from reversing course on their rumored QB divorce and keeping their aging quarterback, a look for 2025 landing spots remains relevant.

The 20th-year veteran has stopped short of confirming he will be back next season, but as of mid-November he was pointing to a return for 2025. If nothing else, Rodgers may want a chance to provide a better conclusion to his decorated career compared to what is transpiring this season in New York. The Jets are 4-11, which will clinch their worst record since Zach Wilson‘s rookie year, and are expected to draft a quarterback.

It is worth wondering if the Jets could keep Rodgers as a bridge, considering he has expressed interest in staying. The 41-year-old passer said he would prefer to stay rather than relocate again, but reports in the wake of Joe Douglas‘ ouster place the team as being ready to move on. Rodgers and Woody Johnson also appeared to disagree on Nathaniel Hackett‘s employment this offseason, and the owner — perhaps on multiple occasions — called for the QB’s benching this year. Rodgers has played better as of late, however, and could be an option for a Jets team that is unlikely to earn a top-two pick. Barring a trade-up, the Jets would not then be in position for one of the top two arms in the 2025 class (Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders) and may then need to expand their options.

Ranking 23rd in QBR and averaging a career-low 6.6 yards per attempt, Rodgers should not be closely associated with his prime years or even the late-prime seasons that brought him his third and fourth MVPs. But he is certainly good enough to hold a starting job somewhere. A team would need to provide an opportunity, and Rodgers carries some baggage at this stage of his career some franchises may be fine avoiding. Though, it is not hard to see a few teams showing a degree of interest.

Sam Darnold will be the 2025 free agent class’ prize, should the Vikings not use their franchise tag on the surging starter. Russell Wilson wants to re-sign with the Steelers, who are expected to pursue a second contract with their starter. But his value is somewhat murky right now. Minnesota’s second-best QB, Daniel Jones, will be a lower-cost option. Justin Fields would be as well, with Jameis Winston an unstable bridge for teams who do not project to land one of the top rookie arms. A host of backup-level options will once again hit the market as well.

The Jets still have Tyrod Taylor under contract; if Rodgers is not brought back, he would be a midlevel stopgap option. But a new GM-HC duo is coming — one that will bring a new offense for Taylor to learn, if he in fact is retained. It would cost more for the Jets to drop Rodgers in 2026 — due to a roster bonus that reminds of his 2023 Packers situation — than it would in 2025, when he would bring a $49MM dead money hit. Like the Broncos and Wilson, the Jets cannot designated Rodgers a post-June 1 cut — which would split the dead money between 2025 and ’26 — until March 12, the start of the 2025 league year. If the team’s new regime would be onboard with absorbing all of that $49MM in 2025, it could cut the cord in mid-February like the Raiders did with Derek Carr in 2023.

Expanding the board for Rodgers beyond New York, the Titans seem like a place to start. A Trade Rumors Front Office piece explored a Rodgers-Tennessee fit last month, and Will Levis has since been benched. The Titans added a host of pieces on offense (Calvin Ridley, Tony Pollard, Lloyd Cushenberry, JC Latham) to improve Levis’ situation but did not see the additions matter much in that regard. With Brian Callahan and Ran Carthon not steering their ship into calm waters post-Mike Vrabel, a semi-desperate solution exists in Rodgers. Beyond Tennessee, some creativity may be necessary.

The Colts reside in a similar situation, having seen 2023 draftee Anthony Richardson display one of the modern NFL’s worst completion percentages. He is still carrying a 47.7% completion rate; only six passers have previously posted sub-50% accuracy numbers (minimum 200 attempts) in a season this century. The Colts have obviously tried the veteran route extensively post-Andrew Luck, with the Matt Ryan experiment potentially making Rodgers a non-starter. But Indianapolis probably will need to look into competition for Richardson in 2025. Its quartet of Day 2 wideout investments, all under contract next year, would benefit from a significant accuracy upgrade.

The Browns are believed to be interested in Darnold; would a regime that has moved onto hotter seats, then, be interested in Rodgers? The latter would not cost as much as Darnold soon will, though a QB contract beyond the rookie-scale level will be an issue for a Browns team stuck with Deshaun Watson. The team is planning to retain the wildly underwhelming starter in 2025, as it would cost $172MM to drop him. Even with Andrew Berry‘s penchant for void years that reduce cap charges in exchange for future hikes, a midlevel starter contract would be a complicated effort. But a veteran-laden Browns roster that observed Joe Flacco elevate Kevin Stefanski‘s offense would at least align with Rodgers’ shortened timeline.

If the Steelers cannot reach a deal with Wilson, their roster would also line up with a potential Rodgers one-off. On the surface, Rodgers’ antics probably do not mesh with this organization — as interesting as a fit with Mike Tomlin would be — though the team may still need to see how Wilson performs over the next few weeks to determine whether a substantial raise is called for. How different Wilson and Rodgers’ price points will be also checks in as an issue for what still seems like a poor fit in Pittsburgh, even though the team — which famously does not negotiate in-season — has both Wilson and Justin Fields due for free agency.

The Raiders dropped several spots in the draft order thanks to their Week 16 win over the Jaguars, and Rodgers did have them on his destination list during his 2021 offseason standoff with the Packers. That said, the Raiders are squarely in rebuilding mode and do not seem a likely landing spot. With the Giants now moving toward the No. 1 overall pick, neither do they.

We fired up a similar poll two years ago, as rumors circulated about Tom Brady being likely to leave the Buccaneers after 2022. The legendary passer was connected to teams but did not end up playing again, retiring for a second time. Rodgers, who classified himself as “90% retired” two offseasons ago before joining the Jets will have retirement squarely in play once again. Will the future first-ballot Hall of Famer take that route or end up with one of these teams? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.

DECEMBER 23: After struggling on offense without their No. 1 wide receiver, the Steelers are expected to have him back in Week 17, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac tweets. The Chiefs have managed to avoid several high-end wideouts during their march to 14-1 — Tee Higgins, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Ladd McConkey, with Tank Dell going down during the Texans’ Week 16 trip to Kansas City — but are on track to face the Steelers’ pass catchers at full strength.

The Steelers have slipped into a tie with the Ravens, at 10-5 apiece, and close the season with a Bengals team that may still be fighting for a wild-card spot. Baltimore will face the Texans and Browns to finish the year. With the Chiefs posing the biggest threat among that contingent, the Steelers having all hands on deck will be important to their hopes of winning the AFC North.

DECEMBER 22: George Pickens has missed the Steelers’ past three games, but he might be back in time for the team’s upcoming Christmas Day contest. Head coach Mike Tomlin noted the third-year receiver has a “real chance” to suit up for Pittsburgh’s game against Kansas City.

A Grade 2 hamstring strain has led to Pickens being sidelined for the first time in his NFL career, and his absence has been apparent on offense. The Steelers have averaged 248 yards per game without Pickens available, a sharp decline from their season average of 325. With the threat of explosive passing plays diminished, Pittsburgh’s rushing attack has understandably suffered as well.

Tomlin named Pickens, along with backup quarterback Justin Fields, defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi, safety DeShon Elliott and cornerback Donte Jackson as players who missed yesterday’s loss to the Ravens but could return on Wednesday (h/t ESPN’s Brooke Pryor). Getting healthier on defense would certainly be a welcomed development as the Steelers prepare to face the Chiefs and Bengals to close out the regular season. Seeing Pickens return would help provide the opportunity for a turnaround in the passing game, though.

The 23-year-old established himself as a key figure on offense during his rookie season, and his production took a step forward last year. Pickens’ 63-1,140-5 statline demonstrated his impact in the passing game, and his 18.1 yards per reception average led the league. Entering the 2024 season as not just a premier deep target but the undisputed No. 1 receiver for Pittsburgh, the Georgia product has delivered when healthy with a career-high 70.8 yards per game. The Steelers were linked to several notable WR pursuits before and during the campaign, but the team’s only move on that front was the rental addition of Mike Williams at the trade deadline.

By losing yesterday, the Steelers failed to clinch top spot in the AFC North. They still control their destiny in that regard, however, and winning their final two games would guarantee at least one home playoff contest. Getting Pickens back in the lineup in time for a matchup with the 14-1 Chiefs would boost Pittsburgh’s chances of reaching that goal.