Aaron Rodgers teases Steelers deal, Kirk Cousins skips OTAs & rookie QB outlook
(2:00) - How long will Steelers wait for Aaron Rodgers?
(20:10) - Kirk Cousins absent for Falcons OTAs
(30:50) - When will Cam Ward start in Tennessee?
(38:00) - When will Jaxson Dart start in New York?
(44:20) - When will Tyler Shough start in New Orleans?
(47:30) - When could Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders take over in Cleveland?
(52:55) - Rise, Repeat or Retreat? AFC South
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Indianapolis Star
an hour ago
- Indianapolis Star
Why Colts could go with Daniel Jones as starting quarterback over Anthony Richardson
From 10,000 feet, Colts coach Shane Steichen's decision seems simple. The Colts are heavily invested in quarterback Anthony Richardson. The franchise used the No. 4 pick, its highest draft selection in more than a decade, to take Richardson, potentially tying Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard's belief in Richardson to their futures in Indianapolis. From that perspective, the Colts should stick with Richardson as long as possible, hoping upon hope that he finally realizes his otherworldly potential. But Steichen is not making his decision from 10,000 feet. The Colts head coach is closer to this quarterback decision than anybody. He needs to win games. Indianapolis ownership, from late owner Jim Irsay to primary owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon, has made it clear they can feel the frustration of a fan base that has now gone four seasons without a playoff berth and a decade without an AFC South title. If Steichen believes Daniel Jones is the team's best quarterback, he should start the veteran. 'You've got two first-round draft picks,' Steichen said on Saturday night after a 23-19 loss to the Green Bay Packers. 'When they both came in, I made it very clear that this is going to be a battle, and they're going to compete for the job. And like I said, I'm going to make the decision I feel is best for the football team.' Steichen has also made it clear what it will take to win the job. 'I think it's the most consistent guy,' Steichen said. 'I really do, because at the end of the day, you've got to be able to move the football consistently up and down the field, and making good decisions. You know what I mean? I mean, at the end of the day, you can have splash plays, but if you're doing that sparingly and up and down. … I think it's got to be on a consistent basis, to get to where we want to go.' Richardson's inconsistency drove Indianapolis into this quarterback battle in the first place. The Colts drafted Richardson for his otherworldly physical abilities, believing they could teach an inexperienced, unproven player everything that goes into playing the most important position in sports. There is much more to playing quarterback in the NFL than throwing the football. 'At Florida, just not playing as much, and his freshman year was COVID, so meetings were remote,' assistant general manager Ed Dodds said. 'All of that's been kind of new: Learning how to do that, learning how to operate the meeting room, how to operate setting yourself up outside of the building, what the coaches expect of you, even when you're in the building but not in the meeting room, that extra stuff the quarterbacks are always doing.' Richardson has improved in those areas, but it has taken time. Richardson was benched for two games last season because of his preparation and attention to detail, and there have been other signs that he's still learning. For example, the offensive line came to Richardson at Grand Park a couple of weeks ago and asked him to work on his cadence, an overlooked but critical piece of a quarterback's repertoire. A great cadence can trick defenses into penalties; an inconsistent cadence can lead to false starts and other issues for the offense. Richardson was knocked out of the preseason opener with a dislocated pinkie because he failed to recognize a blitzer coming off his right side, a 'hot' read the young passer should have recognized. All of those pieces of the puzzle can be difficult for fans, media and even members of the front office to identify in the moment. They will be a critical piece of Steichen's decision. 'It's everything, right?' Steichen said on Saturday night. "The operation, the communication in the huddle, the checks, getting guys on the same page. The consistency of all that, obviously, is going to play a big factor in this.' Jones, a six-year veteran, arrived with an advantage in the hidden areas and a disadvantage in a key quality that is easy to see, the ability to produce explosive plays. Richardson's best moments in the NFL have often come off-script and explosive down the field; Jones has struggled to produce big plays. But he has been more accurate than Richardson in training camp, another key issue that led to the Colts searching for competition this offseason. Richardson completed 47.7% of his throws in 2024, the lowest mark for any NFL quarterback with more than 200 attempts since Tim Tebow in 2011. The lack of accuracy neutralized his big-play ability; Richardson averaged just 6.9 yards per attempt despite averaging 12 intended air yards per throw, the highest number ever posted by an NFL quarterback in the seven years the statistic has been tracked by Next Gen Stats. Richardson completed a few highlight-reel throws down the field — the 60-yard bomb he tossed against Houston in the season opener is hard to forget — but posted a minus-20.5 DVOA on deep throws, the third-worst mark in the league, according to For The Numbers. Jones has completed 64.1% of his career throws, and he's been above the 67% mark twice in the last three seasons. The disparity played out in training camp. By unofficial count, Richardson completed 59.1% of his throws through three weeks of practices; Jones 68.8%. Richardson also did not make as many plays down the field, further complicating Steichen's decision. 'I've always been able to make the big play,' Richardson said. 'The routine plays, that's really what I struggled with throughout my career. … When the big plays do come, I'll be able to make them.' Explosive plays have always been the north star for Steichen's offense, a difference-maker in a league full of defenses that have been designed to take away the explosive play as much as possible, but the Colts offense finished 17th in scoring last season despite being in the top five in runs of 20 yards or more and the top 10 in passing plays of 40 yards or more. At times, Steichen drew criticism for trying too hard to produce the explosive play. The Colts ranked 11th in the NFL in scoring in 2023 despite having a risk-averse Gardner Minshew under center for most of the season. From the sounds of everything Steichen has said this offseason, the experience has reinforced the value of moving the chains and grinding out drives, taking a little profit when the defense takes away the big score. Richardson's potential, familiarity and everything the Colts have sunk into the No. 4 pick might seem like the obvious choice, given what he was drafted to become in Indianapolis. But Steichen might believe Jones is better-suited to give the Colts offense the consistency he craves.
USA Today
14 hours ago
- USA Today
Steelers HC Mike Tomlin names 2 rookies who impressed him the most vs. Buccaneers
Despite the Pittsburgh Steelers falling short to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their second preseason matchup of 2025, HC Mike Tomlin was impressed with the Steel City rookies — specifically the team's top two selections from last April's draft. Following the Steelers' 14-17 preseason loss, Tomlin revealed to reporters which rookies impressed him the most: first-round DE Derrick Harmon and third-round RB Kaleb Johnson. 'Harmon and Kaleb Johnson really took a step forward off of their first performance,' Tomlin said Saturday's postgame press conference. 'But again, that's a reasonable thing to expect. Second time stepping into a stadium, you see more of their talents.' Tomlin hit the nail on the head — as Harmon bullied Buccaneers G Ben Scott on his way to earning his first sack as a Steeler, while Johnson exploded for 59 yards from scrimmage on just 12 touches. In less than 25 days, Johnson and Harmon will get the opportunity to translate their preseason success into regular-season dominance, when the Steelers kick off their 2025 campaign against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on September 7 at 1:00 PM EST. For up-to-date Steelers coverage, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.
USA Today
15 hours ago
- USA Today
6 Steelers standouts from preseason Week 2 loss to Buccaneers
The Pittsburgh Steelers unfortunately lost 14-17 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their second preseason matchup of 2025 — but some of the overall performances were amazing. Selected from both sides of the ball, here are six Steelers standouts from the preseason Week 2 contest against the Buccaneers — from possible second-year breakouts to once-injured players looking to kickstart their comeback tour early. WR Roman Wilson The second-year Steeler had a preseason game for the ages, leading all wideouts with 72 receiving yards on just two receptions — and he accomplished this feat in the first quarter. If Wilson can replicate even a sliver of his preseason performance with Aaron Rodgers in the regular season, there may be no stopping this future connection. S Sebastian Castro Undrafted rookie defensive back Sebastian Castro had a tremendous day on defense — leading the Steelers with five combined tackles, flying all over the field, and hitting ball carriers with some extra umph. It's hard to imagine Pittsburgh bringing five safeties onto the 53-man roster, but if there were any defender to make an exception for, it would be Castro. RB Kaleb Johnson Johnson bounced back in a major way from his disappointing performance in last week's preseason opener — displaying excellent vision and explosiveness against the Buccaneers while producing 59 yards from scrimmage on just 12 touches. DE Derrick Harmon Harmon's dominance against the Buccaneers on Saturday showed exactly why the Steelers named him the starting defensive end. Strong against both the run and the pass, Harmon bulldozed Buccaneers rookie guard Ben Scott on his highlight play of the night for his first sack as a Steeler — leaving fans hopeful this display of excellence is just a small taste of what's to come. RB Lew Nichols Another running back makes the list — and Nichols was arguably the most surprising of the six. On the run everyone is talking about, Nichols broke tackle after tackle with an incredible display of contact balance on a 37-yard rush — which could have gone for a touchdown if he hadn't been tripped up. LB Cole Holcomb The only Steeler to make the six-standouts list in back-to-back preseason matchups, Holcomb once again silenced any doubters with a strong outing against the Buccaneers. Putting together a four-tackle performance with limited playing time, Holcomb could force the Steelers to give him back his starting inside linebacker role before even playing a regular-season snap. For up-to-date Steelers coverage, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.
