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The Pittsburgh Steelers are ready to welcome the next group of rookies onto their roster for the 2025 season. But while the incoming draft class is the biggest news in the NFL, it's not the only news, and the Steelers may be looking to make different headlines.
The Steelers have two reports surrounding them right now. Both are about trades on the offensive side of the ball. However, while one is about adding a big name to their passing game, the other is removing one - and somehow the team may end up in the same situation they were in a year ago.
Apparently, the Steelers aren't as comfortable waiting for Aaron Rodgers today as they once were. They still feel confident they're going to land him when this is all said and done, but right now, Rodgers is talking to them, and they're ready to fill their quarterback room. According to The Athletic's Dianna Russini, that could lead to a trade with the Atlanta Falcons.
Kirk Cousins may not have the pedigree he once did but he's still viewed as an option for a team that needs a veteran quarterback. If the Steelers pass on Shedeur Sanders and Jaxson Dart in the first round, they may pick up the phone and call Atlanta. And by the end of the weekend, Pittsburgh may have a new quarterback.
At the same time, they may lose a wide receiver. The Steelers have both received and made phone calls about dealing wide receiver George Pickens, and it appears that this weekend is the best time to do so. General manager Omar Khan emphatically shut down all trade rumors during the offseason, but reports say otherwise.
Pittsburgh may be trying to save face during the spring just in case they can't finalize anything. But it's hard to believe that a player on the last year of his deal with a difficult time signing him in front of them won't be on the block during the NFL Draft.
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Justin Fields Called 'Biggest Loser' In Jets Training Camp
The New York Jets opted to cut Aaron Rodgers and sign Justin Fields to replace him during the offseason. This kind of commitment to Fields should bolster his confidence, but it could also place a lot of pressure on his shoulders. To this point, Fields has looked solid in training camp, aside from a scary toe injury that was quickly resolved in July. Justin Fried of the Jet Press recently reported that Fields' training camp may have reached a new low over the weekend as the young signal caller struggled. "Justin Fields put together his best practice of the summer to this point on Friday, completing his first 12 passes en route to an excellent all-around performance. The same can't be said about his showing on Saturday, however," Fried wrote. "Fields finished the day an abysmal 2-of-10 in the air, including a drop from rookie tight end Mason Taylor. "Some of his incompletions were catchable balls, but the Jets' passing game struggles on Saturday can largely be blamed on No. 7. Fields did flash his running ability with a 25-yard rushing score on the first play of red-zone drills, but the Jets would like to see more consistency in the air from the starting quarterback. Saturday's scrimmage was far from his best showing of the summer." Fields is a runner first at the NFL level, but his arm is nothing to scoff at. For most of training camp, his arm talent has been better than advertised, but during Saturday's scrimmage, it just wasn't there. A 2 for 10 performance is unacceptable for a $40 million quarterback who was signed to take over the team. The running game should open up the passing game for the Jets, which is going to need to be the case if Fields is going to struggle like this. However, it's just one day of camp. It's nothing to be too concerned about. Just because Fields lost this specific practice doesn't mean he's heading in the wrong direction as a whole.
Milwaukee Brewers: Nestor Cortes Makes Big Admission About Sudden Trade to Padres
As it turned out, veteran pitcher Nestor Cortes’ time with the Milwaukee Brewers was just a short one. Cortes, who was acquired by the Brewers via a trade with the New York Yankees in December and signed a one-year, $7.6 million contract with the Brewers nearly a month later, has been sent by Milwaukee to the San Diego Padres ahead of last week’s trade deadline. Cortes opens up about trade from Milwaukee Brewers to San Diego The 30-year-old Cortes recently shared how he learned he was on the move to San Diego, which came just minutes before he was to board the team bus for a road trip. “It’s been a little crazy, I was in Milwaukee and flew in last night,” Cortes said on Monday (h/t Marty Caswell of The Sporting Tribune). “But as soon as I got traded, a bunch of people reached out and made me feel like I was really welcomed here. And walking into the clubhouse today, obviously a lot of guys came up to me and presented me to all these places that we have here. It’s amazing for me now. Just happy to be here, happy for the opportunity.” Getting traded wasn’t exactly a surprise for Cortes, and he also seemingly got to an ideal situation with the Padres despite parting ways with a Milwaukee squad that is leading the big leagues in the standings with 67 wins through Sunday. “I was a little surprised. Even though I felt if there was a chance to get out of Milwaukee, it was going to be to a contender and I’m just happy to be here and happy to compete,” added Cortes. “I want to get the ball every five days hopefully and be able to give the best that I can.” Cortes appeared in only two games with the Brewers, as he landed on the 15-day injured list with an elbow flexor strain before getting placed on the 60-day IL.
Dolphins lock in defensive standout to long-term extension
It's been a lucrative weekend for some of the NFL's defensive tackles. Just one day after the Denver Broncos locked in Zach Allen on a long-term deal, the Miami Dolphins did the same with another Zach — Zach Sieler — and signed him to a three-year, $67 million extension that will now make him the highest-paid defensive player on the Dolphins roster. The Dolphins defense took a big step forward in 2024 and climbed to the top 10 in points allowed and the top four in yards allowed. They still struggled against some of the NFL's better teams, but it was a better unit overall and Sieler was a big part of that. He's been a full-time starter the past three seasons and is coming off back-to-back 10-sack campaigns for the Dolphins. He is going to turn 30 just after Week 1 of the season, but his game should age well throughout the contract extension. It was a quiet free agent signing period for the Dolphins defense, mainly focusing on depth additions, but they did make one blockbuster trade by sending Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers for Minkah Fitzpatrick. They also addressed the defensive line in the 2025 NFL Draft in a big way by selecting defensive lineman with two of their first three picks. That included first-round pick Kenneth Grant out of Michigan and fifth-round pick Jordan Phillips out of Maryland.
Do the Vikings have a kicker problem on their hands again?
For much of last year, it looked like the Vikings had found their long-term solution at kicker in Will Reichard, who they selected in the sixth round of the 2024 draft out of Alabama. That still might end up being the case. But Reichard has had a shakier-than-ideal start to his second training camp, and he generally hasn't quite looked the same since the quad injury that cost him a month as a rookie. Reichard missed twice from inside 40 yards at Saturday's practice, going wide left both times. He also missed twice the last time we saw him kick, hitting the left upright from 53 yards out and missing wide right from 46 on Tuesday. In total, Reichard has gone 13 for 18 in the three open practices where he's taken live field goal reps. That's not great for a training camp setting. To be very clear, I think it's entirely too early for any sort of real concern. Reichard has plenty of time to work with special teams coordinator Matt Daniels and fix whatever issues he's having. None of this will matter if he delivers in the regular season, which is still more than a month away from beginning. But it at least bears watching. It's something to keep in mind over the rest of training camp and into preseason action, which starts next Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium. Early last season, Reichard was a bit of a rookie sensation. He had an incredible training camp, booming kicks through the uprights from long range over and over. He then began his NFL career by going 14 for 14 on field goals and 20 for 20 on extra points over the Vikings' first seven games. That includes four makes from beyond 50 yards. But after the bye week, Reichard missed a couple field goals in a game against the Colts and cited some discomfort in his kicking leg. He wound up landing on IR with a quad injury, which cost him the next four games (John Parker Romo had an effective stint as his replacement). Upon returning, Reichard went 10 for 14 on field goal attempts the rest of the way. He wasn't the automatic sniper he was prior to the injury. And early in training camp, the shakiness seems to have carried over. Again, it's too early for significant concern. The Vikings don't suddenly need to bring in a kicker for competition. But given the franchise's history at the position, fans will be monitoring Reichard closely to see if he can get back to his pre-injury form. More Vikings coverage
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