'Rocket Ship!' Is Steelers Secondary Best in AFC North? Pittsburgh Tracker
JUNE 30 BEST IN AFC NORTH? Do the Pittsburgh Steelers have the best secondary in the AFC North?
That's the opinion of Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network, who believes that the Steelers unit is on that track. Jeremiah's rank: Steelers, Browns, Bengals and Ravens.
Karl Roser, Pittsburgh Steelers
Jeremiah said on his Move The Sticks podcast, "No. 1, Minkah (Fitzpatrick). ... Everything about him I love. I... I think Joey Porter Jr. is on a rocket ship. ... He looks like a Steeler. He plays like a Steeler. He's going to be really, really good."
JUNE 30 - RECORD BREAKING - Despite being the younger brother to J.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt hasn't had issues staying out of his shadow. In fact, the 29-year-old is currently on pace to become a Pro Football Hall of Famer in his own right through his first seven seasons.
Obviously, there is still work to be done, as a few more seasons of top-level production are likely needed to secure his status as a first-ballot entrant. However, in the short term, Watt could add to his resume by etching himself in the record books.
As originally detailed by Steelers Depot, if Watt manages to record 19 or more sacks this coming year, he will become the only player in league history to "officially" do so in three straight seasons.
We say "officially" because the NFL's history of recording sacks as a stat dates back to just 1982. Prior to that deadline, there were two players to accomplish this feat: Mark Gastineau and Deacon Jones.
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JUNE 29 - UNDERAPPRECIATED - In a world of underappreciated players on a roster, the life of a long snapper might be the most glaring.
Pittsburgh Steelers long snapper Christian Kuntz feels the pressure every day, but knows he deserves to be here.
"People are out there still saying, 'He's from Pittsburgh, and he's good with the fans and the media. That's why he has a job, they love him there.' That pisses me off," he said. "You think the NFL, you think Mr. (Art) Rooney II, you think Mike Tomlin, you think Danny Smith are putting everything on the line to hire a kid from Pittsburgh to do a job? They don't give a s--t. They don't give a s--t where you're from. If I'm not doing my job, I wouldn't be there."
JUNE 29 - UNDERAPPRECIATED II - Do the Pittsburgh Steelers' rival, the Cleveland Browns, have the "most underappreciated" receiver in the NFL?
According to Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay, the Browns star receiver Amari Cooper is exactly that. During his appearance on “The Green Light with Chris Long” podcast, Slay spoke in support of the 30-year-old, who is reportedly in contract negotiations with the Browns.
"I really be thinking he's the most underappreciated receiver in the league," Slay said. “I’m seeing right now that Cleveland don't want to pay him. They need to pay that man that money."
As we've previously reported, Cooper held out of the Browns' mandatory minicamp as he enters the final year of the five-year, $100 million contract he signed with the Dallas Cowboys in 2020.
Following a very productive first two seasons since being traded to the Browns, where the former first-round pick became the franchise's first receiver to record two straight 1,000-yard seasons, he is looking to get paid.
Whether that next payday comes as a member of the Browns is yet to be seen. However, it should be noted that the Browns seemingly haven't their desire to keep Cooper since his holdout.
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JUNE 29 - CHUBB WORKING OUT - With training camp just weeks away for the Cleveland Browns, attention is starting to turn toward running back Nick Chubb, who is still in the process of recovery from last season's gruesome knee injury.
After not participating in either OTAs or mandatory minicamp for the Browns as he was still rehabbing from his two surgeries, which saw his meniscus, MCL, and ACL, he is in the gym doing work on his own.
As shown in a video released to Twitter Thursday, Chubb was back in his hometown of Cedartown, Georgia, where he was working out.
As training camp is just weeks away, there is seemingly plenty of optimism that the veteran running back is nearing a return from his knee injury. His trainer, Brad Lester, called Chubb's recovery "pretty impressive."
JUNE 28 CHUBB BACK? Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb is still recovering from that gruesome knee injury suffered during Week 2's 26-22 road loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers last season.
And his recovery thus far is nothing short of amazing per Browns running backs coach Brad Lester, who calls Chubb's recovery thus far "pretty impressive."
"I will honestly say I have never seen anyone recover as fast as he has so far," Lester said, via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. "After certain movements, I was kind of like, 'How do you feel?' And he’d say, 'I was fine.' I was like, 'Man, this is pretty impressive.' To be seven months out and he didn’t have any pains in the workout."
JUNE 28 BROWN OUT It's one thing for former NFL and Steelers star wide receiver Antonio Brown to opt to embarrass himself. He's perfected that art.
It's another thing when he lashes out at others, a troubling trend that speaks to his tragic state of mind.
Brown has done it again, this week while watching the 2024 NBA Draft choosing to comment on Duke guard Jared McCain (picked by the Philadelphia 76ers at No. 16) and his habit of dancing on TikTok.
Brown mocked the kid's social media content and then called him the "(Expletive) of the day."
Brown thinks he's clever and funny. But his constant invitation to trouble - legal, social, psychological - is actually one of the NFL's saddest stories.
JUNE 28 LET'S RIDE Russell Wilson will return to Denver to face the Broncos early in his Steelers time. It's Week 2, and a former teammate can't wit.
It's Denver linebacker Jonas Griffith who is going public with his plans for that game.
"I’m really excited, obviously for any game I get to play in. But you see that one, you’re excited to go out there and beat the Steelers," Griffith said on 104.3's The Drive, via Andrew Mason.
"I want to pick off Russ, for sure," he said. "I think that would be really cool, just to pick him off and get the victory."
Sounds like a fine plan, but for one thing: Griffith has played in 12 career games and has one interception in his life. So he's probably not central to the Steelers game plan.
JUNE 27 - PAID— Similarly to the Pittsburgh Steelers fans with defensive tackle Cam Heyward, Cleveland Browns fans are anxiously awaiting the news of a contract extension for star receiver Amari Cooper.
The 30-year-old receiver is entering the final year of the five-year, $100 million that he signed with the Dallas Cowboys back in 2020, which sparked his holdout from mandatory minicamp.
However, after remaining silent throughout the minicamp and the immediate days afterward, Cooper finally revealed his offseason goal to the public.
In a TikTok post from the Ohio sportsbook "Betr", Cooper is seen talking with a content creator who challenges him to a race. Cooper declines, saying he doesn't want to risk injury running in a meaningless race because "I'm trying to get paid this year."
Cooper confirmed what everyone already knew about his absence from the minicamp. He has his sights on securing not only more money but also potentially security in the form of additional years to being added to his deal.
However, it is those additional years that are reportedly holding up a deal from getting done.
JUNE 26 - NO SUPPLEMENTAL DRAFT - The NFL informed teams on Wednesday that there will once again be no supplemental draft for the league in 2024.
No player has been selected in a supplemental draft since 2019.
There was no supplemental draft in 2020, 2021 or 2022, but two players were available last season. Neither was selected by any team.
The supplemental draft pertains to players who were not eligible for the NFL Draft in April, but whose status has changed since.
When it's applied, it goes seven rounds and teams that use picks then forfeit that same pick in the following season's common draft.
JUNE 26 AB UPDATE "I'm f***** up,'' said Antonio Brown during a recent appearance on "The Pivot Podcast'' in which he confirmed that he has filed for bankruptcy.
"I mean, I'm f***** up, you know what I'm saying?" Brown said, via CBS Sports. "I just can't comply with debt,'' he said. "You know, it's all about protecting yourself. But yeah, you know ... I'm not broke, but I'm fractured. ... I'm just reallocating the debt to take care of the debtors. That's all I'm doing."
Brown, once a Steelers great, is now 35 and has saddled himself in conflict - personal, behavioral, legal and now financial.
Brown listed his assets at $50,000 or less, with the seven-time Pro Bowler apparently owing eight creditors a combined total of almost $3 million.
And who is at fault here?
"You know, anybody can sue you, take you for whatever you got," Brown said. "You know, at this point, I don't work, I don't make millions of dollars where it's coming in where I could just (pay off) some of that money. So, you know, Chapter 11 is about restructuring the money you're making so you can take care of the debt."