To the surprise of most fans, the Pittsburgh Steelers declined the fifth-year option for starting running back Najee Harris at this year’s deadline.
Paul Zeise, a radio host for 93.7 The Fan and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist, offered an explanation for the decision on Thursday, alleging that a source indicated that Harris actually requested that the team decline his fifth-year option so that he could hit free agency in 2025 for the opportunity to play elsewhere. It wasn’t long before Harris’ agent, Doug Hendrickson, took to social media to refute the reports.
Hey @PaulZeise your “little birdie” source is a joke- next time do your homework and find a real source- not true- @PittsburghPG
This isn’t the first rumor to emerge regarding Harris since the Steelers declined his fifth-year option, either. Earlier this week, social media warriors were up in arms when it was suggested that the Dallas Cowboys could be in the mix to acquire Harris via trade. There’s no doubt they need a running back of Harris’ caliber, with scarce depth at the position beyond a soon-to-be 29-year-old Ezekiel Elliott. However, those reports have since been refuted.
Patrick Beverley has been suspended four games without pay by the NBA for multiple incidents during and after the Milwaukee Bucks‘ season-ending loss in a first-round elimination game against the Indiana Pacers.
The league said it was suspending Beverley for “forcefully throwing a basketball multiple times at spectators and having an inappropriate interaction with a reporter during media availability” in a statement Thursday.
Cameras showed Beverley sitting on the bench and tossing a ball into the stands, hitting a fan in the head with about two and half minutes left in Milwaukee’s 120-98 Game 6 loss at Indiana on May 2. After a different fan threw the ball back to Beverley, who was holding his arm out for it, the Bucks guard fired it back at that spectator.
Beverley spoke about his behavior on an episode of “The Pat Bev Podcast” that was released Wednesday. He said he was called a word that he’d never been called before, but added that his own actions were “still inexcusable.”
the playoffs.
“I ain’t bringing a basketball on the bench no more,” Beverley said. “That … threw my whole vibe off.”
On his podcast Wednesday, Beverley said he had asked that of reporters who interviewed him ever since he launched his podcast. Beverley said he told Adams that “it was never my intent to disrespect you.” Adams said she has received and accepted direct apologies from both Beverley and the Bucks.
A day after the loss, Bucks coach Doc Rivers said Beverley’s behavior was “not the Milwaukee way or the Bucks way.”
“We’re better than that,” Rivers said. “Pat feels awful about that. He also understands emotionally — this is an emotional game and things happen — unfortunately, you’re judged immediately, and he let the emotions get the better of him.”
The Pittsburgh Steelers shocked fans, and the NFL landscape when they decided to decline the fifth-year option of running back Najee Harris last week. Harris had shown the ability to stay on the field, not missing a game in three years, and rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons.
However, it may not have been the Steelers that were disinterested in Harris. Rather, it may be that the former first-round pick wants to explore other ventures after this season.
According to Paul Zeise of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Harris asked the Steelers to decline his fifth-year option, as he would like to play elsewhere once his contract is up.
“A little birdie said Najee Harris actually asked for the Steelers to decline his fifth-year option because he would like to play somewhere else,” Zeise said on The Joe Show on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh.
Zeise said that the person who gave him that bit of information was the same person who told him the Steelers would be trading for quarterback Justin Fields.
If Harris really wants to play elsewhere, you have to wonder if Pittsburgh would explore the possibility of trading him as part of a package for a receiver. However, that would only create a hole at running back, leaving Jaylen Warren as the only proven talent at the position. Regardless, this will be a situation to monitor for the next calendar year.
The former Steeler has spent time with the Titans and Falcons, as well
The Pittsburgh Steelers depth chart of edge rushers is thin. Pittsburgh currently has All-Pro T.J. Watt and rising star Alex Highsmith coming off the edge, and 2023 fourth-round pick Nick Herbig as the preliminary backup. However, Pittsburgh could be looking to bring in an old friend to play a reserve role.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Steelers have had talks with edge rusher Bud Dupree about a reunion.
Dupree just visited the Los Angeles Chargers, and has been in communication with the Steelers and Falcons.
Free-agent LB Bud Dupree concluded a visit with the Los Angeles Chargers, per source. Dupree also has been talking with the Falcons and Steelers, two of the three NFL teams for which he has played.
Dupree was a first-round draft pick of the Steelers in 2015 out of Kentucky. He spent six seasons with the Steelers from 2015-20, racking up 39.5 sacks, including a career high 11.5 sacks in 2019. Dupree signed with the Titans ahead of the 2021 season, but injuries limited his production. He signed with the Falcons ahead of 2023 where he had 6.5 sacks in 16 games.
The Steelers can take a play out of the Detroit Lions playbook
The Pittsburgh Steelers added another receiver to their roster, but not the caliber of receiver fans were hoping for.
Pittsburgh added former Falcons and Buccaneers receiver Scotty Miller to an already crowded room competing for depth spots on the roster.
While the Steelers would love to acquire a true talent to start on the boundary opposite of George Pickens, they can make do with what they have by taking a page out of the Detroit Lions’ book.
Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the finest receivers in the NFL. He had 164 targets, which was fifth in the NFL, and his 119 catches were tied for second in the league. And he did all of this predominantly as a slot receiver. 55 percent of his snaps came lined up in the slot. The Indianapolis Colts and Josh Downs is utilized even more in the slot with 81 percent of his snaps coming as a slot receiver, which was second in the NFL last season of all receivers with at least 50 targets. Downs and St. Brown are each of their respective teams’ No. 1 receivers, and they operate predominantly from the slot with boundary receivers that are less than optimal.
The Lions’ top boundary target last season was Josh Reynolds- he had 64 targets and 40 catches. Jameson Williams had 42 targets and 24 catches. And similar to what the Steelers will look to do offensively, the Lions really leaned on the run game. David Montgomery ran for 1,015 yards and Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 945, yet Jared Goff still threw for almost 4,600 yards. They were arguably the most balanced offensive attack in football without a top-tier perimeter receiver. This is all to say that while everyone would like the Steelers to add a big name opposite of George Pickens, there is a real possibility that the hopes of DK Metcalf or Brandon Aiyuk end up actually being Darius Slayton or Treylon Burks.
If that’s the case, the Steelers will really lean on rookie Roman Wilson to be a big producer alongside George Pickens, who would also need to continue improving as a route-runner to take over as the predominant No. 1 receiver. A top three group of Pickens, Slayton, and Wilson or Pickens, Wilson, and Burks wouldn’t be a top five trio on paper, but again, look at the Lions’ model- the Steelers have a lot of what the Lions have:
Two running backs
A good tight end
A good offensive line
A talented wide receiver who is utilized mostly in the slot
The Steelers have two running backs in Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris, a receiving threat tight end in Pat Freiermuth, an offensive line that should be much improved, and the ability to utilize both George Pickens and Roman Wilson in the slot, while also having Pickens’ ability to make splash plays on the outside. So even if the eventual addition at receiver isn’t flashy, Pittsburgh can have a productive offense with pieces they already have.
Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said Wednesday that “small-market teams deserve an equal shot” during a complaint about the officiating in his team’s Game 2 loss to the New York Knicks.
Now, the Pacers are apparently taking on those complaints. Indiana has submitted a complaint on more than 78 calls to the league office on plays it believes were ruled incorrect over the first two games of the series, ESPN reported Thursday.
Carlisle was called for two technical fouls and ejected late as his Pacers fell 130-121, putting them in a 2-0 hole in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Josh Hart shoved All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton — who has been battling back spasms — in the back.
“It’s all over Twitter right now because a few people have showed it to me and JB DeRosa is looking right at it,” Carlisle said. “You can see he has vision of the play and he shoves Tyrese into the corner and there is no whistle. Right in the back. That was shocking and there were many others. But I can promise you that we are going to submit these tonight. New York can get ready. They can see them, too.”
Haliburton said the Pacers needed to blame themselves, not the officials.
“At the end of the day, we got outplayed. We were right there in the game,” Haliburton said. “But I like consistency, yeah. But let’s not pretend, like, that’s the only reason we lost. We just didn’t play good enough. But at the end of the day it’s 2-0.”
But Carlisle, who felt Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau’s yelling at the officials got a late double dribble violation against center Isaiah Hartenstein changed to an inadvertent whistle that allowed New York to keep the ball, wants things to change when the series moves to Indiana for Game 3 on Friday.
“Small-market teams deserve an equal shot,” he said. “They deserve a fair shot no matter where they are playing.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Robinson had been released in early March ahead of the 2024 NFL free-agency period after a disappointing 2023 campaign that yielded just 34 receptions, 280 receiving yards and zero touchdowns while playing 72% of team snaps. Robinson will be 31 at the start of his first season with Giants, and after a season where he posted a career-low 8.1 yards per reception, 5.7 yards per target and 0.7 yards per route run.
The Giants admittedly had a major hole at wide receiver, which they began to address with the drafting of LSU prospect Malik Nabers with the No. 6 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Prior to Robinson’s signing, the starting lineup seemed likely to feature Nabers as well as former 2022 second-round pick Wan’Dale Robinson and veteran Darius Slayton. The latter two combined for just 1,295 receiving yards in the 2024 season.
The terms of Robinson’s deal have not yet been announced.
The Charlotte Hornets announced Thursday morning that they’ve hired Charles Lee as their next head coach. Lee joins the Hornets after being an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics this season, and before that was an assistant coach under Mike Budenholzer with the Milwaukee Bucks for five seasons.
Lee has agreed to a four-year contract with the Hornets, per ESPN, and will join the team following the Celtics’ run in the 2024 NBA playoffs. Lee is considered one of the top assistant coaches in the NBA and has been considered for several head coaching gigs over the years, including the Los Angeles Lakers‘ current vacancy. And while a job like the Lakers may offer a better opportunity at winning right now, the Hornets offer a young, talented roster in need of some guidance. It’s an
The 2024 NBA postseason is well underway, and the basketball betting market is hotter than ever. CBS Sports will provide daily picks for the duration of the postseason. Sam Quinn will make at least one pick for every game between now and the NBA Finals.
Most books aren’t offering an Isaac Okoro 3-pointers prop, but that would be my first choice. Al Horford essentially wasn’t guarding him in Game 1, instead acting as a roving help-defender and allowing Okoro to shoot. He made three 3-pointers out of that arrangement. Alas, I’m not seeing an “Okoro O/U 0.5 3’s” prop as I did before Game 1, so we move on. Luke Kornet had 10 rebounds in 21 minutes in Game 1. With Boston so firmly in control of this series, I expect him to continue playing
