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The Pittsburgh Steelers continue their annual rookie minicamp this weekend, pushing to see which young players deserve a spot on their roster. Steelers' 119th overall draft pick, Mason McCormick out of South Dakota State, is coming to Pittsburgh looking to help them the best way he can. As many new players arrive at a new organization, McCormick wants to earn his playing time and be a part of a championship culture. That will come with a tall task, however, which is continuing the legacy of number 66 in Pittsburgh.
Over the past 30 years, the Steelers have had two top tier offensive guards play in Pittsburgh. Alan Faneca, who was drafted by the Steelers in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft, gave Pittsburgh a historic career which led him into the Hall of Fame. As a Pro Bowler for nine straight years and a leader of the Steelers that claimed Super Bowl XL, Faneca would go down as one of the greatest Steelers to ever play the guard position.
Steelers' former guard David DeCastro is another guy who will always be remembered as one of Pittsburgh's best. During his nine year career with the team, DeCastro was selected to six straight Pro Bowls to finish his tenure. As a part of the franchise's 2010s powerhouse offense, DeCastro played a huge role and was consistently on the field. Unfortunately, his time ran short after holding his third ankle surgery which led to his retirement.
"I have heard a little bit about it. I've heard I've got some big shoes to fill. That's super exciting."
McCormick has a great opportunity to be the future at guard for the Steelers, with the possibility of either James Daniels or Isaac Seumalo not remaining in Pittsburgh much longer after the 2024 season. McCormick also mentioned at camp that he is versatile and is able to play center if he is needed to, which could present other opportunities in the future.
Steelers Guard Loves To Run Block
After reflecting on the shoes he will have to be filling as number 66, McCormick was asked if he prefers pass blocking or run blocking. The big man immediately answered with run blocking without any hesitation.
"Run blocking. I'm an o-lineman, of course. I like being able to finish and run through blocks, I think it's fun clicking something off for a running back."
The Steelers nailed the 2024 NFL Draft by drafting three solid linemen, which completes the line rebuild process. While they are still one of the youngest and lowest paid offenses in the NFL, there is still a whole bunch of potential and talent on their offensive side. The Steelers' offensive success will be driven by how well the o-line improves and attacks blocks on the field.
More must-reads:
- Five best NFL offseason value signings on offense: Bills get great deal with RB extension
- Dolphins humiliated by Lions at joint practice
- The '2023 NFL AP second-team All-Pro' quiz
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Browns' Shedeur Sanders could be losing valuable opportunity after injury update
Just when it seemed everything was going right for Shedeur Sanders, the Cleveland Browns' rookie quarterback caught an unlucky break on Wednesday. The 23-year-old QB was sidelined during Wednesday's joint practice with the Philadelphia Eagles after suffering an oblique injury. Per Kelsey Russo of the team website, the 2025 fifth-round pick won't practice Thursday and is considered day-to-day. He is deemed unlikely to play in Saturday's preseason game against Philadelphia, scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on NFL Network. Before Wednesday's practice, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed rookie QB Dillon Gabriel will start against Philadelphia as long as he's healthy enough to play. The 2025 third-rounder missed Cleveland's preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers because of a hamstring issue. However, Stefanski previously said Sanders would get more reps this week after a solid preseason debut. The former Colorado Buffaloes star received the start in the 30-10 win over Carolina, going 14-of-23 passing for 138 yards and two touchdown passes. Not playing against Philadelphia could disrupt Sanders' momentum. More importantly, it may eliminate another opportunity for him to overtake Gabriel in Cleveland's four-way QB competition. Sanders is listed as the Browns QB4 behind Gabriel, Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco on the team's unofficial depth chart. Despite questions about Gabriel's size (5-foot-11, 205 pounds), the coaching staff seems to favor him over Sanders. Earlier this offseason, Gabriel's processing speed reportedly impressed Browns coaches, giving him an edge over Sanders. The former Oregon Ducks star also received reps with the first-team offense during OTAs and mandatory minicamp, while his fellow rookie didn't. If Gabriel plays well against the Eagles, that would continue to affirm the coaching staff's confidence in the 24-year-old QB. Neither Sanders nor Gabriel is expected to be the Week 1 starter for the Browns. It's likely going to be Flacco, who helped Cleveland make the playoffs in 2023 when he went 4-1 during a late-season stretch. Still, another solid preseason showing could help Sanders position himself to replace 40-year-old Flacco in the future. With the setback, it may take more time to climb the depth chart.
NASCAR makes decision on victory celebrations after Connor Zilisch fall
One of NASCAR's brightest young stars in Connor Zilisch could miss time after falling in Victory Lane following his victory in the Aug. 9 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen. Zilisch slipped on the door of his No. 88 Chevrolet before suffering a hard fall in Victory Lane and breaking his collarbone. He underwent successful surgery on Tuesday, with a timetable for his return yet to be announced. Even in light of the viral incident, NASCAR will not restrict drivers from celebrating in a certain way moving forward, per NASCAR's Mike Forde. Drivers have long climbed on the roof or door of their vehicles on the frontstretch and in Victory Lane to celebrate victories, but accidents stemming from that action are rare. After winning the Cup Series race at Watkins Glen on Aug. 10, Shane van Gisbergen — who will likely be Zilisch's Cup Series teammate at Trackhouse Racing in 2026 — carefully climbed out of his No. 88 Chevrolet — something he does regularly, not just in response to Zilisch's fall. Zilisch did not race in the Cup Series race at Watkins Glen due to his injury. The Xfinity Series will return on Aug. 22 at Daytona International Speedway, with Zilisch leading the regular-season standings by seven points.
Bears make big decision amid concerning Caleb Williams reports
Second-year Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and other starters were spectators for Chicago's preseason opener versus the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, first-year Bears head coach Ben Johnson confirmed things will be different when his club hosts the Buffalo Bills for an exhibition matchup this coming Sunday evening. "Everyone's going to play," Johnson said, as shared by Courtney Cronin of ESPN. Johnson added that how many snaps Williams will take versus the Bills is "to be determined." The Bears will first host the Bills for a joint practice on Friday. Johnson came to this decision following multiple reports detailing the supposed struggles that Williams has endured throughout training camp. Most recently, Monday’s practice was allegedly "a low point for" Chicago's first-team offense and featured "Williams and receiver Rome Odunze both looking frustrated" after some failed connections. "I've been pretty consistent with the thought of reps, reps, reps are the most important thing to get [Williams] up to speed," Johnson explained. "And by the plan that we had a week ago, we were able to get him probably somewhere between 80 and 100 more reps than we would've been able to do had he played in the game. This week, it's a different schedule. Different length of time in terms of in between games and all that. And so, our plan right now is the guys that sat out last week, they will be playing this week." Those running the Bears hope that the hiring of Johnson, an advertised offensive guru, will help Williams become a top-tier quarterback after the 23-year-old won only five of 17 starts during his rookie season. However, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic is among those who have mentioned that Williams has been responsible for a noteworthy number of inaccurate passes this summer. "I think the trust that we've been talking about from the get-go, that's really where that comes into play," Johnson added about risking the health of his starters by playing them against Buffalo. "We haven't been here with this group as a coaching staff. That trust has been earning, and we've been developing that amongst each other. It's not a one-way street. It goes both ways. And so I think that's just another step in the progression, you know?" The Bears will wrap up the preseason with a game at the Kansas City Chiefs on Aug. 22. It's unclear if Williams or other Chicago starters will see any action that Friday night.
Taylor Swift went bonkers when Chiefs selected speedy WR in 2024
When Taylor Swift started dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in 2023, she knew little about football. Now, the pop star is obsessed with the sport. She tracks who the Chiefs select in the NFL Draft. During her Wednesday debut on Kelce's podcast, "New Heights," Swift recalled going bonkers when Kansas City selected wide receiver Xavier Worthy with pick No. 28 in the 2024 draft. "Oh my god, I fell in love with [football]," Swift said. "I became obsessed with it. I became a person who was running through the halls of my house screaming, 'We drafted Xavier Worthy.' And my friends were like. 'Who's body snatched you? What do you mean we drafted Xavier Worthy?' I was screeching. I couldn't believe it." Kelce said Swift was the first person to tell him the Chiefs selected Worthy, who set a 40-yard dash record (4.21 seconds) at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. "You were the first person to tell me that we drafted the fastest man in the draft," he said. "I couldn't believe it either. I was like, 'Is she right?' I'm gonna have to look this up. Did she get the wrong information here?' But, yeah, we traded up [from pick No. 32 with the Buffalo Bills]." Along with monitoring the Chiefs' drafts, Swift has learned more about the sport's various pass coverages and rules. The 14-time Grammy winner admitted she thought all offensive players played at the same time and didn't know what a first down was before she started dating Kelce. "We're talking about Cover 2, Cover 4, Cover 0, man coverage," she said. "I'm not ready to be an analyst right now, but give me 16 months." Perhaps one of the league's broadcast crews will let Swift make a brief appearance in the booth when she attends one of Kelce's games. Worthy, meanwhile, could continue to showcase why he made Swift ecstatic on draft night. In his rookie season, he had 59 receptions for 638 yards and six touchdown catches in 17 games. With the Chiefs expanding his role this season, he could be in for a more productive year.
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