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Reporter makes huge claim about Steelers' Russell Wilson, Justin Fields amid red-zone woes
If the Pittsburgh Steelers' red zone woes continue during this Sunday's game at the 4-7 Cincinnati Bengals, could it prompt them to make a quarterback change?
For a piece published Tuesday morning, Steelers insider Brooke Pryor of ESPN mentioned how the 8-3 club is ranked 30th in red zone touchdown percentage for the ongoing season and how former starting quarterback Justin Fields "has a better red zone QBR (92.2) and completion percentage (57.1%)" than what Russell Wilson posted (8.9 QBR, 34.6% completion percentage) over his first five starts.
During Tuesday's edition of the "Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show," NFL reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala of CBS Sports suggested Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin isn't married to keeping Wilson his QB1 if the Steelers' red-zone struggles persist.
"I think it's totally within the realm of possibility that Justin Fields goes back to being the Steelers starter," Kinkhabwala explained, Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot shared. "This Steelers offense has a lot of warts that have been kind of covered up the last few weeks because of Chris Boswell, their kicker, who is as money as they come, and because of this defense. But they have been absolutely horrific in the red zone. Russell Wilson once again is taking terrible, terrible, terrible sacks."
Fields went 4-2 as Pittsburgh's starter while Wilson recovered from a lingering calf injury, but the one-time Super Bowl champion then won his first four starts before the Steelers suffered an upset 24-19 loss at the Cleveland Browns (3-8) last Thursday night. Wilson alarmingly took 15 sacks over the past four games, four of which occurred against Cleveland.
"If your quarterback continues to take really, really bad sacks," Kinkhabwala said, "you've got to assess again."
Fields reportedly was never given "full command of the offense" during his time as Pittsburgh's starter. Nevertheless, Kinkhabwala revealed that Steelers coaches believed the 25-year-old "was getting better every single week" before Tomlin went to Wilson.
"They were able to put more and more on his table every week," Kinkhabwala added about Fields.
Tomlin's handling of a delicate quarterback situation will result in the Steelers entering December atop the AFC North standings. That said, it sounds like he could make another change next week if Wilson fails to produce multiple touchdown drives at Cincinnati's Paycor Stadium.
As of Tuesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Steelers as three-point underdogs against the Bengals.
More must-reads:
- Potential 2025 destinations for Justin Fields: Why Steelers, two AFC contenders make sense
- Top turkeys of the 2024 NFL season
- The 'Prominent quarterbacks in Pittsburgh Steelers history' quiz
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Jerry Jones: Micah Parsons' agent told me where we could stick contract details
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wants to deal with David Mulugheta insofar as to get Micah Parsons' agent to fill out the paperwork on the contract extension that was already negotiated. During an appearance with Michael Irvin on Thursday, Jones said Mulugheta told him to shove the paperwork up their heinie. "When we wanted to send the details to the agent, The agents told us to stick it up our a--," Jones said. "Just so we're clear. (Parsons) and I talked, and then we were going to send it over to the agent, and we had our agreements on term, amount, guarantees, everything. "We were going to send it over to the agent, and the agent said, 'Don't bother, because we've got all that to negotiate.' Well, I'd already negotiated. I'd already moved off my mark on several areas." Following an incoherent analogy to a child going between a mom and dad to negotiate, Jones accused Mulugheta of trying to "stick his nose" in negotiations to try to get the Cowboys to cave for a better deal for his client. Jones has no plans to back down from the agreement he had already worked out with Parsons. "In my mind, for the Dallas Cowboys, we've got it done," Jones said. "And if the agent wants to finish up the details, which he should, and do all the paperwork, he can do that, and we're ready to go. But as far as the amount of money, the years, the guarantees, all of that we negotiated." Dallas is set to conclude its preseason against the Atlanta Falcons on Friday night with no end in sight to the biggest distraction on the team this summer. Jones should have avoided the situation with Parsons by dealing with Mulugheta directly, but that might have caused the theatre to be much less dramatic before the regular season.
Giants rookie shines again, completing promising preseason
Preseason football can produce some misleading results, but the New York Giants have to be ecstatic with what they have seen from first-round pick quarterback Jaxson Dart so far. He impressed again on Thursday night against the New England Patriots, before being removed from the game to be evaluated for a concussion. The Giants said he cleared the concussion protocol. Prior to that, however, Dart was showing all of his skills in leading the Giants offense. While his final stat line only shows a 6-for-12 passing performance for 81 yards, some of those incompletions were passes that could — and, perhaps, should — have been caught. He did not get a lot of help from his wide receivers. Even so, he still completed a 50-yard pass to Gunner Olszewski, and then connected with Greg Dulcich for a touchdown on a laser of a pass. Along with the passing, Dart also showed off his ability to run with a 23-yard gain. The only downside to that run, however, is that it ended his night when his head hit the ground, resulting in him leaving the game to be evaluated for the potential concussion. Dart does not figure to be in serious competition for the starting job as veteran Russell Wilson seems to have that locked down, at least for now. But Dart has done everything he can in the preseason to show that he has the ability to play at the NFL level. Including his performance on Thursday, he leaves the preseason having completed 32-of-47 passes for 372 yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions and also ran six times for 52 yards and a touchdown. It is hard for a rookie to do better than that in their first look in the NFL. The Giants have been searching for a long-term quarterback solution ever since Eli Manning retired and have gone through a revolving door of bad options. They are hoping Dart can finally put an end to that for the foreseeable future. There is still a long way to go before he gets to that level, but he has certainly made a great first impression.
Halkias: Steelers' Final 53-Man Roster Prediction For 2025
The Pittsburgh Steelers' final preseason game Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers is going to be very telling to see how the final 53-man roster shakes up. Head Coach Mike Tomlin made it very clear that the third game is pivotal for players on the bubble of making the roster. Here is my prediction for the Steelers final 53-man roster. Every year the last preseason matchup serves as a deciding factor for those players sitting on the edge of the roster. Tomlin has built a reputation for using this game as a true evaluation tool where one standout play or one costly mistake can be the difference between making the team or receiving a call to turn in equipment. Thursday will be no different and fans should expect to see bubble players get significant snaps in critical situations as the staff finalizes decisions. When the dust settles, the 53-man roster will reflect not only talent but also versatility, reliability, and the ability to contribute in multiple phases of the game. Tomlin and his staff value players who can step into more than one role whether on offense, defense, or special teams. That is why the last look against the Panthers is so important. It is not just about who plays well, it is about who fits the bigger picture the Steelers want to carry into the regular season. Steelers' Final 53-Man Roster Prediction It is never easy to predict which players on the verge of making the roster will actually secure a spot. However, the best way to approach it is by looking at how many players the Steelers kept at each position ahead of the 2024 season. From there, you can make a more accurate guess at how the final roster might shape up. I have Pittsburgh keeping just five wide receivers to start the 2025 season. Though, of course, they could keep six. Offense: 24 Players Quarterbacks: Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard Running Backs: Kaleb Johnson, Jaylen Warren, Kenneth Gainwell Wide Receivers: DK Metcalf, Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson, Ben Skowronek, Scotty Miller Tight Ends: Pat Freiermuth, Jonnu Smith, Darnell Washington, Connor Heyward Offensive Line: Broderick Jones, Isaac Seumalo, Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier, Mason McCormick, Andrus Peat, Spencer Anderson, Dylan Cook, Ryan McCollum Defense: 26 Players Defensive Line: Cameron Heyward, Keeanu Benton, Derrick Harmon, Yahya Black, Logan Lee, Isaiahh Loudermilk, Daniel Ekuale Outside Linebackers: TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, Jack Sawyer Inside Linebackers: Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, Malik Harrison, Cole Holcomb, Mark Robinson Cornerbacks: Joey Porter Jr., Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay, James Pierre, Brandin Echols, Beanie Bishop Jr. Safeties: DeShon Elliott, Juan Thornhill, Miles Killebrew, Chuck Clark Specialists: 3 Players Kicker: Chris Boswell Punter: Cameron Johnston Long Snapper: Christian Kuntz Steelers' Thursday Night Game Against Carolina Will Shake Up Roster We already discussed in this article how the third preseason game on Thursday night against the Panthers will be very telling. There are several players on this roster bubble fighting to earn one of the few remaining spots. Steelers fans are eager to see how this 53-man roster finally shakes up. The players who do not make the initial roster will have a chance to continue on the practice squad and may eventually be promoted or claimed by another team. Some under-the-radar players have had really strong training camps and preseasons, but is it enough to make an NFL roster? Soon, Steelers fans will find out. Which player on the bubble do you want to see make the Steelers final 53-man roster?
'Look out for this dude': Former NFL exec has warning about unexpected SEC quarterback
Quarterbacks like Texas' Arch Manning, Clemson's Cade Klubnik and LSU's Garrett Nussmeier are getting all the hype as the 2025 college football season quickly approaches, but don't sleep on South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers. Sellers, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound redshirt sophomore from Florence, South Carolina, had an intriguing redshirt freshman season for the Gamecocks. So much so, that he very well could find himself listed among players like Manning, Klubnik and Nussmeier in the Heisman Trophy race by the end of this season. He's also the exact type of quarterback who will have NFL scouts raving. Louis Riddick is a former NFL player, scout and executive who is extremely high on Sellers heading into this season. He was recently on ESPN's "Get Up" and had many great things to say about South Carolina's young quarterback. “I’m just telling you, look out for this dude," Riddick said (h/t On3). "He can run. He has got a cannon. They have got a good program down there. He is everything that you’re looking for. Just look at some of this. Look how big this kid is. Look how fast and elusive he is.” Sellers is a classic dual-threat quarterback who fits the mold of a modern QB perfectly. Last season for the Gamecocks, he threw for 2,534 yards and 18 touchdowns (with seven interceptions) while rushing for 674 yards and seven touchdowns. Much like its quarterback, South Carolina is a bit under the radar in a stacked SEC, but head coach Shane Beamer went 9-4 last season, and his Gamecocks are ranked No. 13 in the preseason AP Top 25. South Carolina has a stretch in the middle of the season that will see it play consecutive games against No. 9 LSU, No. 18 Oklahoma, No. 8 Alabama, No. 21 Ole Miss and No. 19 Texas A M. Coastal Carolina is a respite on the schedule on Nov. 22, and the Gamecocks end their regular season against No. 4 Clemson. If the Gamecocks can pull off a few wins in that stretch, they very well could be a College Football Playoff team this season. In order to do that, though, they'll need Sellers to become a superstar, but listening to Riddick talk about the quarterback, it seems as if he's already on his way.
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