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Insider explains why Steelers 'went the route they went' in not drafting Shedeur Sanders
In a May 7 article, ESPN NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler explained that the Pittsburgh Steelers passed on selecting quarterback Shedeur Sanders multiple times during the 2025 draft because they viewed him "as a distributing point guard type" but "did not reach a consensus on Sanders as a slam dunk pick."
During a Thursday appearance on Pittsburgh sports radio station 93.7 The Fan, Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette offered more information about why the club didn't grab Sanders before the Cleveland Browns traded up to get the polarizing prospect at pick No. 144.
"I think mostly, it had to do with, they didn't have a grade on him within the first five rounds," Fittipaldo said about how Pittsburgh viewed Sanders, as shared by Curt Popejoy of Steelers Wire/USA Today. "I think the second part of that equation, and this was never really discussed, you’ve seen some leaks with other teams across the NFL. Now, a lot of people just didn’t want to deal with Deion Sanders and what that might be down the road after he’s done at Colorado. So, I don’t know if the Steelers felt that same way, but they did not have ... a top-five round grade on Shedeur Sanders, and that’s why they went the route they went."
Rumors hinting that Deion Sanders could essentially tell certain teams not to acquire his son popped up months before reports detailed how Shedeur Sanders' handling of the predraft process sank his stock. Nevertheless, some analysts criticized the Steelers for not taking a flier on Shedeur Sanders once he fell to the draft's fourth round.
Pittsburgh instead chose Ohio State pass-rusher Jack Sawyer at pick No. 123 and then selected Ohio State signal-caller and developmental prospect Will Howard in the sixth round. Earlier in June, the Steelers signed future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers to be their 2025 Week 1 starter.
More must-reads:
- Steelers insider pours cold water over promising T.J. Watt contract claim
- T.J. Watt, Steelers reportedly agree on big thing amid contract saga
- The '2025 NFL quarterback draft class' quiz
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Dolphins humiliated by Lions at joint practice
Joint practices have revealed some problems for the Miami Dolphins with a few weeks to go before the regular season. Tua Tagovailoa started against the Chicago Bears in Sunday's preseason game, wanting to show improvement after having a bad showing during the Dolphins' joint practice in Chicago on Friday. Tagovailoa did play better, going 5-of-6 passing for 27 yards and led the Dolphins to the Chicago 1-yard line before the offense was stopped on downs. A few days later, Tagovailoa and the offense had another poor performance at their joint practice with the Detroit Lions. Per Colton Pouncy of The Athletic, Miami couldn't score in the red zone against a motivated Lions defense during Wednesday's practice. "Dolphins offense just ran 16 or so plays in the red zone vs. the Lions and didn’t score until the final play (between the second units)," Pouncy posted on X. "Miami’s first-team offense didn’t score in the 7-8 plays vs. Detroit’s first-team defense. It was ugly. Lions’ D is having a day." Pouncy's observation of the Lions manhandling the Dolphins was universal among beat reporters covering the Lions and Dolphins, with The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner calling it the most "lopsided" practice he'd witnessed covering the NFL. Last week, Omar Kelly of the Miami Sun Sentinel said Miami folded when the Bears defense began to whip on the offense. The accusations of the Dolphins being a soft team are going to continue until they decide to fight back in joint practices or against opponents in the regular season. When healthy, the Lions have a fierce defense. So Detroit having the edge isn't a surprise, though not being able to score during 16 plays in the red zone is a concern. Miami doesn't appear to have found an identity, and that could spell doom for the season if it doesn't get it figured out before Week 1.
PTO Rumors Swirl Around Several NHL Names for the Oilers
The NHL rumor mill is buzzing again, with fans and insiders sparking conversations about potential professional tryouts (PTOs) involving several notable players and the Edmonton Oilers. It started with a report by the 2 Mutts Podcast that Edmonton was looking into three PTO options — two forwards and a goalie — and it turned into a series of posts speculating who Edmonton was looking at. Social media responses to the post mentioned names like Klim Kostin, Ilya Samsonov, Max Pacioretty, and goaltender Alexandar Georgiev. Most of the names mentioned in the thread have been loosely linked to the Oilers this summer. Kostin has a history with the Oilers and remains unsigned. He’d be a depth forward option, likely willing to sign a two-way deal. Samsonov is a goaltender who has seen some performance issues over the past couple of seasons. He was waived by the Maple Leafs and wasn’t quite the same afterward. He too is unsigned. Max Pacioretty is a veteran who played last season with Toronto, but injury concerns will follow wherever he goes. Although nothing is confirmed, the flurry of speculation signals that teams might start reaching out to players and their agents. Jack Johnson recently signed a PTO with the Minnesota Wild, so it’s certainly not too soon to be making these types of decisions. As the NHL offseason progresses, the big news, outside of some huge extensions being announced for some of the league’s top players, are clubs making official their invites to camp for free agents looking for the right opportunity. When it comes to the Oilers, there aren’t many better destinations for players looking to get lucky and land a spot with some elite players who can help them crack a lineup this season.
Cowboys fans won't like Jerry Jones' update on Micah Parsons standoff
With the regular season approaching, the Dallas Cowboys should be aiming to extend EDGE Micah Parsons promptly. But they're still in no rush to do that. Parsons is set to play on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract in 2025 and has requested a trade. Dallas insists it has no plans to move the 26-year-old pass-rusher but hasn't clarified when it will extend him. Giving him a new deal before the regular-season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 4 at 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock) seems wise. Dallas owner Jerry Jones, however, said that's not the team's deadline, nor does it need one. "No, not at all," Jones said Wednesday, via Jonah Javad of WFAA-TV in Dallas. "You don't have deadlines when you're playing under contract." Parsons is under contract, but that doesn't mean he must suit up. The EDGE could hold out of regular-season games, like former Cowboys star running back Emmitt Smith did in 1993. The Pro Football Hall of Famer missed the first two games of the season before becoming the league's highest-paid RB at that time. Parsons hasn't said whether he would hold out of regular-season games, but it's apparent he's unhappy with where things stand. "My mouth is closed," Parsons said Wednesday while leaving the practice field in Oxnard, California, via Field Level Media. Jones didn't say if talks with Parsons would resume when the Cowboys return to Texas for their second preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens. The matchup is scheduled for Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. The owner still seems confident Parsons will play on the fifth-year option if Dallas doesn't sign him before the start of the regular season. "Again, all you've got to go on are contracts," Jones said. "We are negotiating for a contract. When you do a contract, you would hope that after a negotiation, that's what both the team and player look to see what our obligations are. I have a lot of respect for the contract." Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb played the last years of their rookie contracts. Perhaps Jones wants Parsons to do the same. Still, that would be silly. Paying the four-time Pro Bowler should be a no-brainer for the Cowboys, so they should stop wasting time and show him the money.
Rory McIlroy Reveals Why He Didn’t Go To St Jude Championship
Last week, the playoffs for the FedEx Cup officially began. The top seventy players of the season have been selected, and they are now off to the races. The first of four events was the St Jude Championship in Memphis, Tennessee. Although it was supposed to have seventy players, there was a notable absence. Rory McIlroy, despite occupying the no. 2 spot in the FedEx rankings, was nowhere to be seen. The decision has led to confusion and criticism. The main question was why he had done it, and now McIlroy has answered that question. Recap On McIlroy And St Jude Fallout Rory McIlroy’s decision has brought him some criticism. Some were calling it disrespectful to the sport and players. People like Johnson Wagner were calling for rule changes to keep such an absence from happening again. He proposed mandatory attendance with wiggle room for emergencies, given that the FedEx Cup has an elimination aspect to it. McIlroy was able to skip the event without any kind of repercussion. Going into the playoffs, he was second in the FedEx Cup rankings, just behind Scottie Scheffler. He was so far ahead of most other players that some people did the math and concluded that he could skip St Jude and the BMW Championship and still be in the race. After the St Jude Championship, McIlroy’s FedEx Cup standing did not change. He remained in second but he will be attending the BMW Championship. McIlroy’s Explanation Ahead of the BMW Championship, Rory McIlroy attended a press conference to answer some questions before the tournament. One of the questions was on his absence from the St Jude Championship, and McIlroy answered that he just needed an extra week off ahead of a very busy schedule. “I just think that extra week off will do me good with the events coming up. Some big events that are important to me—the Irish Open, Wentworth (BMW PGA Championship), obviously the Ryder Cup. I want to try to win my seventh Race to Dubai over in Europe as well. There’s some things that are still important to me that I want to go play in. That was a big part of the reason why I wanted to take that extra week off last week.” During this same conference, McIlroy addressed the need for a rule change after his absence. Mostly questioning if it was even necessary, but ultimately saying that he would support it if need be. McIlroy also pointed out that any rules change would need to keep a lot of people happy, including the media rights partner and the sponsors. Those two like to see big names on the field. Up Next: The BMW Championship Rory McIlroy may have skipped the St Jude Championship, but he’s not skipping the BMW Championship. Nor is he skipping the Ryder Cup, Irish Open, Wentworth, or the Race to Dubai. It was a calculated move, as suspected, but it is for much-needed rest right before McIlroy goes into several big tournaments. McIlroy has nine very busy weeks ahead of him, and he needs to save his strength before each one. For now, though, he is focusing on retaining his position during the BMW Championship this week.
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