AFC Notes: Aaron Rodgers, Ja’Marr Chase, Bengals, Browns, Steelers

Bengals

Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase said he’s holding himself to a higher standard after signing a contract extension with the team.

“There are expectations, the standard is high,” Chase said, via PFT. “Just have fun and play my game, but also know I’m holding myself to a higher standard now. Higher than whatever it was.”

Browns

• SI.com’s Albert Breer reports the Browns were trying to move back into the first round of the draft, and he heard it was for Commanders OT Josh Conerly. 
• Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com doesn’t believe the Browns will re-sign RB Nick Chubb after RB Jerome Ford took a pay cut if Ford ends up on the 53-man roster. 
• Kay Cabot could also see Cleveland keeping four quarterbacks on their initial 53-man roster and try to trade one shortly after, like they attempted to do with Tyler Huntley a year ago. 
• While most people have praised Cleveland’s draft class, one exec doesn’t understand their direction with these players as a whole: “You like some of the pieces, but there is the glue that has never been there. Most teams had Sanders rated as a second-round pick, but when you are building a team, you have to include the intangibles and the other stuff and decide whether you want it or not. For most teams at that stage, it was not worth it. So he falls a couple rounds, and it’s too hard for a team like the Browns to pass on him.” (Mike Sando)
• A coach thinks fifth-round QB Shedeur Sanders might have needed to fall to help him develop without the entitlement of a top pick: “Kyler took years to get where he’s at today; Baker took time to get there. If Shedeur were the second pick, does he ever get there? In the fifth round, maybe he will be humbled and listen. Because he works and is a good student and all that. He just comes off as entitled and as having a higher opinion of himself than he should.” 

Steelers

• Regarding Steelers’ first-round DT Derrick Harmon, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported several league personnel evaluators expected him to go between picks No. 16-30. Pittsburgh wound up taking him at No. 21. 
• As for Shedeur Sanders, Fowler writes that some within the organization were comfortable with him “as a distributing point guard type,” making it surprising they didn’t take him in the fourth round. 
• However, Fowler writes that people within Pittsburgh did not reach a consensus opinion on Sanders. 
• ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler says the Steelers are still in contact with QB Aaron Rodgers and hope to get a deal done, but there is no real update as of now. 
• Fowler adds the team is counting on a year two jump from WR Roman Wilson after trading WR George Pickens.
• With three 2026 third-round picks, Fowler notes they have the ammo to trade for a receiver to replace Pickens. 
• SI.com’s Albert Breer says Rodgers has a personal issue right now, which is slowing the process of getting signed. If Rodgers doesn’t end up with Pittsburgh, Breer would expect them to explore a trade for Kirk Cousins. 
• An NFL exec believes the Steelers could navigate their season without a proven QB option, but also notes it wouldn’t be the worst thing if they had a rough season: “They are meandering in the wilderness here, and they are going to continue to do that until there is somebody they like, and then they will draft him. They are doing what they do, and it has proven to work out pretty darn well for them on the whole. Could this year be rough? Would that be a bad thing? Probably not.” (Mike Sando)