Latest news with #PittsburghSteelers'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Seventh-Round Pick Looking to Make Mark with Steelers: ‘I Just Have a Dawg Mentality'
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers' seventh-round pick Donte Kent is looking to make his mark with the team. So far at OTAs, he's primarily played in the nickel. 'Most of my time is in the nickel right now,' Kent said. 'I think I can play inside or outside, but I feel comfortable in (the nickel). We'll see where it goes.' Advertisement The Steelers selected Kent with their second pick in the seventh round, No. 229 overall, in the 2025 NFL Draft. A four-year starter at Central Michigan and three-time All-MAC honoree, Kent brings intrigue as a developmental prospect with notable athletic traits. Best known for his speed, Kent ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. He also made an impact in the return game, ranking fifth in the nation with an average of 13.5 yards per punt return. His quickness and agility made him particularly effective in man coverage, where he excelled at mirroring slot receivers. In 53 career games at Central Michigan, Kent made 234 tackles (171 solo), 4.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sack, two interceptions, 47 pass breakups, 49 passes defended, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and a blocked kick. 'I just have a dawg mentality,' Kent said about his ball-hawk traits. 'That ball is my ball. My mindset is I'm going to go make a play on the football every pass thrown my way.' Advertisement Kent's brother, Desmond, played at Robert Morris, while his other brother, Ronald, is in the Canadian Football League on the British Columbia Lions. Kent, who's the youngest child on his mom's side, credits his brothers for making him tougher. 'I'm the baby on my mom's side. I have three older brothers. In my opinion, they all could play professional football. It just ain't work out that way for everybody. It's been a competitive household whether we're playing Madden, playing football out on the street, wrestling in the house. Whatever we're doing, it's always been competitive. And me being the baby, they always picked on me a little bit. Nothing crazy but they picked on me. That built the toughness that I have right now and the competitive nature that I have, as well. All credit to my brothers.' Kent also credits his time at Harrisburg (Pa.) High School for building his character. 'At Harrisburg, we breed dawgs. We breed dawgs still to this day. We're breeding dawgs, and that just carried over when I got into college,' Kent said. 'Playing at Harrisburg we're a lot of people don't make it out, it just motivates me still to this day. To show people that there's always a better life out there.' Advertisement As with fellow seventh-round pick Carson Bruener, Kent's special teams performance could be a key factor in what dictates whether he makes the 53-man roster. He is expected to compete for a role as a gunner on punt coverage and as a return specialist—both roles he thrived in during his time in college. While expectations are modest for Kent entering his rookie season, the Steelers have a history of finding value in late-round and undrafted defensive backs. Recent examples include Beanie Bishop Jr and Arthur Maulet, and, in past years, Mike Hilton. Alan Saunders and Joe Fitzgerald contributed reporting for this story. This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Seventh-Round Pick Looking to Make Mark with Steelers: 'I Just Have a Dawg Mentality' Advertisement Related Headlines
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'See Ya!' Fans Speculating Which Steelers Wanted Pickens Out
In so many ways, the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2024 season was similar to the years that preceded it – a rudderless offense falling short before the team could escape mediocrity. But the Steelers' latest campaign was defined by two storylines: the turn to quarterback Russell Wilson and away from Justin Fields, and the weekly antics of receiver George Pickens. For better or worse, Pittsburgh won't be dealing with Wilson or Fields in 2025 (although they'll be facing off against the latter in Week 1). The Steelers lost both to free agency in March; in May, they made the decision to jettison Pickens, too. Advertisement The receiver was dealt to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 Day 3 pick swap, setting back the offense in a play to find the next franchise quarterback. Pittsburgh making that trade helped ensure its place in the middle of the conference. In the weeks since, it seems that an offseason Pickens departure was rather inevitable. Steelers fans are saying the same thing about the latest Pickens rumor, that it wasn't just the coaching staff that had grown tired of his behavior, but his teammates, too. "There's a lot of guys in that defense—even the offense," Mark Kaboly said on 93.7 the Fan. "There were probably a couple guys that you would be shocked at, that I did hear after the fact. They were pretty much saying, 'See ya.' They didn't want anything to do with him." The receiver was never far from controversy throughout his Pittsburgh tenure. He had grown frustrated with his targets at different times and had a tendency to take himself out of games that saw him start slowly. His proclivity for unnecessary roughness penalties made him a target for opposing defensive backs, aiming to get in his head early and incite a flagrant foul. Advertisement Few will doubt Pickens' talent, but his tendency to become a detriment defined his time with the Steelers. After trading for Seattle Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf, the writing was on the wall. And without an extension, moving him and recouping strong value became a priority. We can't say for sure which Steelers (if any) vouched for his return or rooted for his departure. It's clear, however, that Pickens' behavior wasn't just a burden to his coaches and a storyline for fans. Related: One Position Defines Steelers Trading Pickens Related: Steelers Stalwart Reacts to Pickens Trade
Irish Independent
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Joe Duffy, Eurovision hopeful Emmy and NFL legend Tom Brady to appear on this week's Late Late Show
Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion widely regarded as the greatest American football player of all time, will reflect on his career on the field as well as his life off it. He will also discuss his Irish roots and his connection to Ireland. His appearance on the show will come just days before the announcement of the date and opponent for the Pittsburgh Steelers' NFL regular season game at Croke Park Coming off the announcement of his retirement from RTÉ, Joe Duffy will join Kielty to look back on his 37-year career with the national broadcaster. He will also be looking back on some of the memorable stories he covered during his 27 years as the host of Liveline and looking ahead to 'what the next chapter might hold for him'. Ahead of carrying Irish hopes at the Eurovision in Switzerland next week, Emmy will also join the show to chat about her 'whirlwind journey' since being chosen as Ireland's entry for this year's Song Contest. Also joining the show will be Girls Aloud singer Nadine Coyle, who will be talking about last year's reunion of the girl band, the legacy of Girls Aloud and her friendships with her bandmates. Coyle will also discuss the impact of the loss of her friend and fellow Girls Aloud member Sarah Harding, who died in 2021 following a battle with breast cancer. The Late Late Show audience will also get a sneak peak at Tina – The Tina Turner Musical ahead of its arrival at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre later this month with a live performance of a medley of classic Tina Turner songs.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
What's Aaron Rodgers True Feeling on George Pickens Trade?
The Pittsburgh Steelers' offense will have a different look on the outside next season. Following their trade of star receiver George Pickens, they have essentially swapped him out for DK Metcalf whom they acquired back in March. Pittsburgh's offense projects to be reliant on the ground game with Arthur Smith still in charge. However, there are now more questions to be answered with a suddenly depleted receivers group and without a concrete quarterback solution. Advertisement Free agent Aaron Rodgers has been that rumored "solution" for months now. All other teams are out on the Rodgers sweepstakes now the lone team positing any real interest. Given that the veteran quarterback has taken so much time in making his decision, it would make sense that there would be some sort of reaction to a move that could impact his future. According to NFL media's Ian Rapoport though, there is not much change from Rodgers' end following this deal. "There have been rumors of George Pickens being traded for weeks, and potential Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers has been throwing with DK Metcalf, not Pickens. Hard to imagine it was a surprise to Rodgers," Rapoport noted Wednesday on Good Morning Football. All indications from the Dallas Cowboys' side point to this trade having been in the works before the start of the NFL Draft. So it would make sense if Rodgers feelings here are relatively minimal. Advertisement If he chooses to join the Steelers at some point this offseason, the connection with Metcalf matters most since the two have been working out together. Pickens or not, it remains abundantly clear Rodgers is operating on his own timeline. This trade will not hasten nor delay his decision. Related: MSteelers Counting on Little Receiver Amid 2 Big Moves Related: Did Steelers Wait Too Long To Trade Pickens?
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
MSteelers Counting on Little Receiver Amid 2 Big Moves
One of the biggest storylines of the Pittsburgh Steelers' offseason has been their back-and-forth with veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers seems rather noncommittal, while it's clear the Steelers want him as their signal-caller. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler recently reported on X that the team remains in contact, but there is nothing certain currently. Advertisement "#Steelers remain in contact with Aaron Rodgers and are hopeful that he'll be a Steeler. But, as of now, no hard update." Flower posted. The Steelers also struck a massive post-draft trade, when they traded away wideout George Pickens for draft compensation. Pickens has been one of the featured players in Mike Tomlin's offense since he entered the league as a 2nd round pick in 2022. Pickens tallied 2,841 yards and 21 touchdowns in his three-year, 48 game (40 start) Steelers career. The Steelers will have to find that production elsewhere, and according to Fowler, the team believes the man for the job is already on the roster in Roman Wilson "Team counting on Roman Wilson Year 2 jump. This offseason he looks like a different player than from his injury riddled rookie campaign,' Fowler added in the same post. Advertisement Wilson played just one game, taking five snaps in his rookie campaign after dealing with ankle and hamstring injuries. Prior to being a 3rd round selection by the Steelers in 2024, Wilson was a four-year man at Michigan, and was the leading receiver on the 2023 National Championship team. In his senior season, Wilson hauled in 48 catches for 789 yards and 12 touchdowns. His 12 touchdowns were the second-best mark in the Big Ten behind Ohio State Buckeye-turned Arizona Cardinal Marvin Harrison. Wilson was ninth in the nation in receiving touchdowns. Entering the draft, Wilson was praised for his route-running ability, despite his size. Bleacher Report's scouting report of Wilson led off with "Every WR class has a top-50 player who "just gets open." That's Roman Wilson this year. At 5'10½" and 186 pounds, Wilson doesn't have ideal size for an NFL receiver, but he doesn't need it to be successful. Wilson is extremely reliable working from the slot and when kept off the line of scrimmage as a Z. Advertisement Wilson is among the best route-runners in the 2024 NFL draft class. He uses his intense speed to put defensive backs on their back foot immediately and works from there." Related: Did Steelers Wait Too Long To Trade Pickens? Related: Ryan Clark Warns Cowboys About George Pickens
