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The Pittsburgh Steelers ignited the fan base on Sunday night by completing a blockbuster trade with the Seattle Seahawks to acquire wide receiver DK Metcalf. The Steelers gave up a second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft in the deal, as well as some late-round pick swaps. The Steelers inked the star receiver to a four-year extension, marking the biggest contract given out in franchise history. Who will be throwing Metcalf the ball is still in question, as Justin Fields, Sam Darnold, Russell Wilson, and Aaron Rodgers should all be considered options.
A lot of options are on the table for the Steelers at quarterback, which has been the case ever since Ben Roethlisberger retired following the 2021 season. Many fans wish Roethlisberger was back behind center, and now the former quarterback wishes he was as well after the addition of Metcalf. Roethlisberger took to Instagram to react to the trade, while also teasing a comeback.
"Coach T, are you kidding me?" Roethlisberger asked. "DK Metcalf on one side, GP on the other, Muth working the middle - man, I might need to throw my hat in the ring. If you're looking for a guy, I might still have a couple throws in me."
Roethlisberger was obviously joking, but any quarterback would dream of throwing to the weapons Pittsburgh now has. This should make them the most desirable quarterback vacancy in free agency, and that will allow the team to be a bit selective of who they sign to play the position.
Roethlisberger was a great quarterback when he had weapons around him, and there is no doubt that he would put up numbers while throwing to Metcalf, George Pickens, and Pat Freiermuth. The former quarterback played with Freiermuth for one season and is a big fan of the tight end, and he would also be able to throw up 50/50 balls to either receiver.
The Steelers have been looking for a star receiver to pair with Pickens, and the organization finally got one. The addition of Metcalf automatically makes Pittsburgh more competitive, especially if they can land the right quarterback once free agency begins.
Steelers finally invest on the offensive side of the ball
The Steelers consistently have the highest-paid defense in the NFL, and fans have been waiting for the team to splurge on a weapon for the offense. That finally happened with the addition of Metcalf, and he is signed in Pittsburgh for the next five seasons. It should be safe to assume that the Steelers will figure out the quarterback situation at some point over that time, and the team should be primed to compete for a Super Bowl when that time comes.
More must-reads:
- Could Steelers' DK Metcalf acquisition push George Pickens out of Pittsburgh?
- DK Metcalf trade puts extra pressure on Steelers to make quick QB decision
- The '2015 NFL season statistical leaders' quiz
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Troubling news emerges on Bears QB Caleb Williams’ workout with HC Ben Johnson
It might have been a good thing the Chicago Bears didn’t play Caleb Williams on Sunday. The Bears might need to hide their second-year quarterback as he irons out his wrinkles in the pre-snap process and with accuracy issues. The No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft struggled with timing and accuracy during the Bears’ joint practice with the Miami Dolphins on Friday. Caleb Williams was inaccurate in the red zone against no defenders On Sunday, Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson chose not to play second-year quarterback Caleb Williams against the Dolphins in their first preseason game. Instead, Johnson led a workout with Williams and wide receivers Rome Odunze and DJ Moore before the game. Per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears ran a total of 87 plays during the workout. All of the plays were routes in the air with no defenders on the field for the scripted practice. Despite going against no defenders bringing pressure or guarding his receivers, Williams struggled to hit his targets in the red zone. "Williams would stand next to Johnson, who would give him the play," Biggs wrote. "Then, the quarterback simulated a huddle with the player (only one ran a route on each snap) and gave the play call. They’d break the huddle, go to the line of scrimmage, Williams would simulate pre-snap actions and then the play would be run… "Before ending the session with eight deep balls, there was a 25-play set of snaps in the red zone. One thing Williams struggled to connect on was out routes to Moore and Odunze near the goal line. Those throws were not close and Williams consistently led the receivers too much." A closed-door problem for the Chicago Bears The throws weren’t close during routes on air… in the red zone? Williams wasn’t ready to take the field for the preseason game. For all of the flak he’s been getting from practice reports, the quarterback would have been relentlessly mocked for having these issues shown during an NFL Network broadcast. Biggs’ report is troubling, with a month to go before the season. Williams has much to improve upon, and the Bears are very much trying to do so without cameras present for a reason.
Oregon suspends former five-star WR recruit indefinitely
Oregon wide receiver Jurrion Dickey has struggled to live up to expectations in his first two seasons with the Ducks, and he is now in a terrible position heading into 2025 as well. Dickey has been suspended indefinitely by Oregon, head coach Dan Lanning announced on Tuesday. Lanning also suggested that Dickey may not play for the Ducks again. "We have two team rules; that’s respectful, be on time,” Lanning said, via James Crepea of The Oregonian. “There’s some pieces of that where I felt like he needed a break from us and we needed a break from that so we could focus on what’s in front of us right now. "Wishing him nothing but the best, as far as success and want to see him get back to where he can be a contributor somewhere; that might be here that might be somewhere else.” Dickey was a five-star recruit and rated as one of the top wide receivers in the country when he came out of Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton, California, in 2023. He suffered an injury in his senior year in high school and redshirted as a freshman at Oregon. Dickey has two catches for 14 years during his time with the Ducks. Oregon went 13-1 in Lanning's third season with the program last season. The Ducks lost to eventual national champion Ohio State in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
Bengals rookie learns important Joe Burrow rule
Cincinnati Bengals rookie EDGE Shemar Stewart learned an important rule Wednesday: Don't hit the franchise quarterback during practice. In the 11-on-11 period of practice, Stewart knocked down Bengals QB Joe Burrow, a perennial league MVP candidate. A scuffle then ensued between Stewart and the offensive line. After practice, Bengals center Ted Karras said he likes Stewart's intensity but reminded him not to hit Burrow. "Just be smarter," Karras said, via Charlie Clifford of WLWT-TV in Cincinnati. "Great player. But, come on, man. That's all our hopes and dreams right there. And we got to be better, too. That's on us." Without Burrow, the Bengals' Super Bowl hopes would evaporate. He already carried Cincinnati to the big game during the 2021 season and is coming off a career year. Last season, he led the league in touchdown passes (43 in 17 games) and passing yards (4,918), winning Comeback Player of the Year for the second time. Not to mention, Burrow can be injury-prone. He suffered a season-ending left knee injury during his rookie season in 2020. Then in 2023, he tore his right wrist, sidelining him for the season's final seven games. The Bengals subsequently finished 9-8 and failed to make the playoffs. Burrow didn't suffer an injury after Stewart hit him, but the Bengals don't want to put their most important player at risk. "We've gotta protect No. 9," Bengals right guard Lucas Patrick said, via Jay Morrison of Cincinnati Bengals on Sports Illustrated. "It starts with me up front. I've got to play better, protect better. Can't let No. 9 get hit." The Bengals need their O-line to provide Burrow with much better protection for the rest of the season. And they need Stewart to follow the critical rule.
Former Chargers draft pick signs with Texans in free agency
Another former Los Angeles Chargers player is on the move in free agency. Not long after a former Chargers tight end signed with the Los Angeles Rams, yet another former Chargers tight end has found a new home. This time, it’s Tre' McKitty signing with the Houston Texans. As Chargers fans surely remember, Los Angeles drafted McKitty in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft and he was with the team through October of 2023 before his release. Since, McKitty has bounced around with teams like the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns before this latest stop with the Texans. Over his first two seasons with the Chargers, McKitty caught 16 passes, yet hasn’t broken onto the field in a regular season game since. As for the Chargers, they’re currently enjoying a nice period of depth at a position that is usually problematic. They added Tyler Conklin in free agency and Oronde Gadsden in the draft to a depth chart with Will Dissly.
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