
George Pickens takes another shot at Steelers, ESPN analyst fires back
Since being traded, Pickens has wasted no time in taking shots at his old team. His latest diatribe was about the Cowboys and how they are known for the Super Bowl as opposed to the Steelers. A misguided take to be sure, and one that ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith couldn't let go without correcting Pickens on his mistake.
Smith went after Pickens and the Cowboys, shooting down he notion that the Cowboys are somehow more synonymous with the Super Bowl than the Steelers, given that the Steelers have more Super Bowl wins.
If Pickens goes out and has a huge season and the Cowboys are successful, this trade is going to look awful for the Steelers. Pittsburgh is banking on Pickens being more of the same as he has been in Pittsburgh and the team is better without him.

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New York Post
15 minutes ago
- New York Post
Tom Brady smiles with lookalike sister in new family photo to celebrate shared birthday
Tom Brady wasn't the only member of his family who received birthday shoutouts this weekend. As the seven-time Super Bowl champion turned 48 on Sunday, he also commemorated his lookalike sister Julie, with whom he shares a birthday, in a heartfelt Instagram post that featured all of his kids. 'And a big Happy Birthday to the greatest sister and aunt in the world,' Brady wrote in an Instagram Story. 5 Tom Brady commemorated the birthday of his sister Julie, with whom he shares a birthday, in a family-centric Instagram post. Instagram 'Thanks for being our biggest fans and always looking out for us. We love you so much!!!!!' In the photo, Brady — now just weeks away from his second season as Fox's lead NFL analyst — is seen smiling beside Julie and his three children, sons Jack, 17, Benjamin, 15, and 12-year-old daughter Vivian. The future Hall of Famer shares Jack with his ex-girlfriend, Bridget Moynahan, while he co-parents Benjamin and Vivian with ex-wife Gisele Bündchen. 5 Tom Brady is a father of three and shares son Benjamin (r.) and daughter Vivian (bottom left) with his ex-wife, Gisele Bündchen. gisele/Instagram 5 The future Hall of Famer also shares son Jack with ex-girlfriend Bridget Moynahan. Tom Brady/Instagram Brady and Bündchen, 45, finalized their divorce in October 2022 after 13 years of marriage. She recently welcomed a baby boy with her boyfriend, Joaqim Valente. It's been quite the summer for Brady, who not only jetted to Japan with Vivian and Benjamin in June, but took in pals Jeff Bezos' and Lauren Sanchez's lavish Italian wedding in Venice. 'So many special and unforgettable moments,' Brady recalled July 29 on Instagram. 'Breathtaking sunrises and sunsets that steal your breath away, magical weddings that warm the soul, late night adventures filled with laughter and dreams, singing your heart out in the streets, dancing under the stars with loved ones, kids' joyful chaos that reminds you what innocence feels like, and endless laughter echoing through every corner… this is life at its most beautiful. And I'm grateful for every second.' 5 Tom Brady traveled overseas with his kids this summer. Tom Brady/Instagram Brady is preparing for his sophomore season in the booth after making his NFL broadcasting debut last fall. He called premier matchups alongside Fox's top play-by-play caller Kevin Burkhardt, including Super Bowl 2025 in February, when the Eagles walloped the defending champion Chiefs, 40-22. 'The 2024 @nfl season is in the books,' Brady reflected in a February Instagram post. 'It certainly was a new challenge to undertake but I couldn't have asked for a better team to be a part of and learn from! 'To all of my @nflonfox teammates, producers, crew, and colleagues—you made this experience so special, and I'm grateful for the energy, dedication and perserverance you brought every week while always delivering the best broadcast for the fans who we serve week in and week out. It's always been about the TEAM and I'm lucky to be part of this great one @foxsports.' 5 Tom Brady was on the call for Super Bowl 2025 in February. Getty Images Brady, who played 23 seasons in the league before calling it a career in February 2023, concluded his post with a very important question. 'Wait…How long until Week 1???? LFG!!' he exclaimed. To answer that question, exactly one month from Monday, when the Eagles host the Cowboys on 'Thursday Night Football' Sept. 4.


USA Today
15 minutes ago
- USA Today
Timeline of most notable NFL contract holdouts in history
For yet another year, contract holdouts have become one of the biggest storylines out of NFL training camp, with the Dallas Cowboys' dispute with edge rusher Micah Parsons dominating recent headlines. It's a second straight year that Dallas is dealing with one of its star players holding out – wide receiver CeeDee Lamb did the same last year before signing an extension. Holdout situations are not a new phenomenon for the Cowboys, a team that consistently deals with more than its fair share of off-the-field drama and distractions. However, Dallas isn't the only team in NFL history to experience rough patches in contract negotiations, even if the Cowboys have been dealing with them more frequently lately. Here's a timeline of some of the most notable contract holdouts in NFL history, as well as a Cowboys-specific timeline detailing their disputes over the years: EXCLUSIVE: Jerry Jones unplugged. He talks Micah Parsons contract Notable NFL contract holdout timeline Dickerson set the all-time, single-season rushing record with 2,105 yards in 1984 and wanted to cash in on his success with a new contract. When the Rams refused, Dickerson sat out the first two games of the 1985 season before eventually returning to action and helping Los Angeles to the playoffs with his 1,234 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. The running back's contract issues with the Rams were never fully resolved, and he was subsequently traded to the Indianapolis Colts in 1987. The Buccaneers hosted Jackson on a visit to team facilities while he was still in college, but their use of a private plane to get him there rendered him ineligible to play his final season of college baseball. Jackson was so furious with Tampa Bay that he refused to play for them despite being the No. 1 overall pick of the 1986 NFL Draft. He went on to begin his baseball career with the Kansas City Royals instead. The next year, the then-Los Angeles Raiders drafted Jackson in the seventh round, with then-Raiders owner Al Davis allowing Jackson to wait to report to the team until the baseball season ended. Jackson played four years with the Raiders before a hip injury forced him to retire from the sport. One year after Jackson made headlines for sitting out the 1986 season as the No. 1 pick, Stouffer – the sixth overall pick by the then-St. Louis Cardinals in 1987 – sat out all of his rookie season due to contract issues. The Cardinals moved to Arizona the following year and traded Stouffer to Seattle for two fifth-round picks and a first-rounder. Stouffer played in 22 games for the Seahawks and went 5-11 in his 16 starts for the team. Russell's holdout lasted all of his first training camp and extended through the first week of the 2007 regular season before the Raiders signed their No. 1 overall pick to a six-year deal. Perhaps in hindsight, the Raiders wish they had let that holdout continue indefinitely. After playing out his first three seasons with the Jets, Revis sat out all of training camp and preseason action waiting for a new contract. He finally got a four-year deal with New York a week before the team's regular-season opener. Thomas took a page out of Revis' book when it came to his contract negotiations, though his story had a less happy ending. The Seahawks' safety sat out all of training camp and preseason activities as he held out for a contract, but never ended up reaching an agreement before he returned to the team just in time for Week 1. Four weeks later, Thomas was flipping the bird to the Seahawks' sideline as he was carted off the field with a broken leg. It was his last game in Seattle. In January 2018, Bell warned the Steelers that he'd consider sitting out the season if the team were to place the franchise tag on him for a second straight year. That March, the Steelers used the franchise tag on Bell, who refused to sign the tag and went on to sit out the entirety of the 2018 season. He signed with the Jets in free agency the following offseason. Gordon had been averaging over 900 yards per season in his first four years with the Chargers heading into his fifth-year option season with Los Angeles, and he wanted to cash in on an extension. He went on to hold out of training camp, the preseason and the first three games of the regular season before reporting to the team with no new deal. Gordon started 11 games and rushed for 612 yards and eight touchdowns in his last year with the team that drafted him. Jones is one of the most recent notable holdouts in the NFL. His began at the end of July 2023, when the defensive tackle did not report to Chiefs training camp, and continued until after Week 1 of the 2023 regular season. Jones still took in the Chiefs' Week 1 game against the Lions from his suite at Arrowhead Stadium before signing a one-year deal and returning to the team in time for Week 2. Jones went on to have a career year for Kansas City, recording 10.5 sacks and making his second straight All-Pro first team. After the season, he signed a five-year extension worth $158.75 million. OPINION: Would trading Micah Parsons give Cowboys owner Jerry Jones a new Herschel Walker moment? Notable Cowboys contract holdouts Thomas' story is one of the NFL's most fascinating. The 1970 first-round pick led the league in rush yards per attempt in his rookie season, then demanded a reworked contract ahead of his second year. The Cowboys didn't play ball, and Thomas ripped into the team before refusing to report to training camp. Dallas then traded the running back to the New England Patriots, but the Patriots petitioned then-league commissioner Pete Rozelle to void the trade within days, thanks to Thomas butting heads with head coach John Mazur. So Thomas headed back to Dallas and refused to speak to his fellow players, coaches or the media during the 1971 season, a season in which he led the league in touchdowns before the Cowboys went on to win the Super Bowl. Dallas traded him to the Chargers the following offseason. Smith led the NFL in rushing yards (1,713) and touchdowns (18) in 1992, then sat out of training camp and the Cowboys' first two games in 1993. Dallas went 0-2 without Smith, then paid him with a four-year, $13.6 million deal. He went on to lead the league once again in rushing yards (1,486), won the MVP, and helped the Cowboys win another Super Bowl, where he was named the game's MVP as well. After three excellent seasons with the Cowboys to begin his career, Elliott held out almost all of training camp for a new contract before his fourth season began. The result was a six-year, $90 million extension, which preceded four consecutive years of declining production before Dallas released him in 2023. After an excellent nine seasons with Dallas to start his career – nine years that included six appearances on the All-Pro first team – Martin held out of training camp while trying to receive a new deal from the Cowboys. Ironically, team owner/general manager Jerry Jones said at the time that part of the reason he and the team were hardballing negotiations was because "We've got a guy out here, (Micah) Parsons, who's going to need a little money,' ESPN's Adam Schefter reported. Martin received his deal – a two-year, $36.85 million contract – and played it out before retiring after last year. Before Parsons, Lamb was the most recent Cowboys holdout. He didn't attend any offseason activities with the team after leading the league with 135 catches and setting career highs with 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns. The holdout ended when he signed his four-year, $136 million deal in late August last year.


American Press
44 minutes ago
- American Press
Old school attitude
It won't be the same-looking defense for the Cowboys. Gone is All-American linebacker Micah Davey, off to Texas-El Paso. Gone is All-Louisiana safety Boogsie Silvera, off to South Florida. Gone are some other key pieces that took big steps last season for McNeese State. But what was once old is new again for the Cowboys, who have brought back DWA (Defense With Attitude). Started over a decade ago by then-defensive coordinator Lance Guidry, the DWA is more than just three letters or a snappy catch phrase. It is a style of thinking and play that has been missing at McNeese for some time. Not only is the attitude back, but so are the shirts that read DWA on defensive players. 'I love it,' said defensive coordinator Tony Pecoraro. 'I wanted to bring it back the last couple of years. It is great to see. 'I have been all about the branding and the attitude. There is special pride that goes with it, and this group has embraced it.' The DWA rebranding has also been a big hit with the players, especially those who grew up around the program. Junior linebacker Peyton Lemaire is one of those defenders. He grew up in Sulphur and understands the history and meaning of DWA. 'I'm excited that we have that brand back,' said Lemaire, who played in 11 games last year, starting three. He finished with 29 tackles, a forced fumble, and a recovery. 'That's about playing for the guys who played before us here,' said Lamaire. 'They set the standard and we want to follow it.' Lemaire knows all about following those who set the standard. When Davey was injured last season, it was the 6-foot-3, 210-pounder who replaced him in the lineup. 'That helped me get the experience I needed,' said Lemaire. 'It gave me confidence that I would play at that level.' Lemaire believes this defense will be more about the group than just one or two guys. 'We have a lot of guys who can make plays,' Lemaire said. 'We are going to be more defense by committee, I think this year.' There are 19 newcomers expected to give the defense depth. One of those is South Alabama transfer Emauri Sibley The junior has made himself noticed early in camp. 'Sibley has shown us some real flashes,' Pecoraro said. 'I'm excited to watch what he brings with him. 'We lost Micah, we lost Boogsie, but we had guys come in who can play as well.' Despite not being previously familiar with the DWA thing, Sibley has bought fully into it. 'We came out with the DWA jerseys and want to live up to that tradition,' Sibley said. To him, playing defense is simple. 'See ball, hit ball,' Sibley said. That is perfect for DWA. One other linebacker, Landon Barrett, is ready to leave his mark after injuries limited him to just two games last year. 'It feels great to be out here now,' Barrett said. 'It was frustrating, but I think it helped me mentally.' Barrett also likes the vibe DWA brings. 'This is a very tight-knit group,' Barrett said. 'We hold each other accountable and learn from the older guys.' It is early, but the attitude adjustment runs deeper than just a slogan on a shirt. 'I'm excited about this group,' said Pecoraro. And the group seems excited to try to live up to the previous standard of McNeese football.