Category: 2024 Steelers roster

Steelers among betting favorites to sign Odell Beckham Jr.

Could Odell Beckham Jr. join the Pittsburgh Steelers? Betting odds from Bovada suggest it may be possible as the AFC playoff race heats up.

Could recently released WR Odell Beckham Jr. don the Black and Gold as the 2024 season comes to a close? Bovada, a popular betting site, certainly believes so, as the Pittsburgh Steelers are currently tied for the second-highest odds of landing the former All-Pro wide receiver.

The Steelers are tied with the Baltimore Ravens at +280 odds to sign Beckham, while the Los Angeles Rams, the current favorites, have +225 odds at landing him.

With major concerns surrounding the Pittsburgh wide receiver room, worsened by star WR George Pickens’ recent hamstring injury, the Steelers landing Beckham may not be so far-fetched.

Realistically, Beckham could easily thrive as a WR2 or WR3 in today’s NFL, and his connection with QB Russell Wilson would make the Steelers’ offense even more dangerous.

Steelers WRs Mike Williams and Calvin Austin haven’t done enough to inspire confidence that they can step up in Pickens’ absence, but Beckham would provide a welcome veteran presence as the AFC playoff picture begins to take shape for the Black and Gold.

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1 receiver the Steelers should call immediately to help down the stretch

The Dolphins are planning to release WR Odell Beckham Jr.

According to NFL reporter Tom Pelissero, the Miami Dolphins and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. have agreed to part ways and the team is going to release him so he can play elsewhere.   Beckham is subject to waivers but it is highly unlikely any teams at the top of the waiver wire are interested and the odds are good Beckham clears and can sign wherever he wants.

If there was ever a one-year rental player who could come in and help the Pittsburgh Steelers, it might be Beckham. With George Pickens nursing a hamstring injury and a brutal stretch of games coming up, Beckham could be the veteran presence that quarterback Russell Wilson needs.

 

Beckham is in his 10th NFL season and while he isn’t the player he was back in the 2010s, assuming he’s healthy he’s got plenty to offer a quality team like the Steelers who is shorthanded at wide receiver if the price is right.

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Could Odell Beckham Jr. sign with the receiver-hungry Steelers?

With the Pittsburgh Steelers in desperate need of WR help, could the team potentially sign the recently released Odell Beckham Jr.?

In what is shaping up to be an up-and-down roller coaster for the Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver room over the past few weeks, one recently released Miami Dolphins receiver could make all the difference for the Black and Gold.

Former All-Pro WR Odell Beckham Jr. and the Dolphins have mutually agreed to part ways, with Beckham seeking opportunities for playing time elsewhere.

The Pittsburgh Steelers were in desperate need of receiver help heading into the 2024 regular season, and it remains their biggest area of concern with major implications looming over the next few weeks.

With Steelers WR George Pickens out with a hamstring injury and no return date given, Beckham and the Steel City seem like a match made in Heaven.

Beckham would instantly be an upgrade to the depleted Steelers wide receiver room, and when Pickens is healthy, this terrifying tandem would be tough for opposing secondaries to contain. In the meantime, Pittsburgh Steelers WRs Calvin Austin III, Mike Williams, Van Jefferson, and Scotty Miller will do their best to fill the void left by Pickens.

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Steelers could cash in thanks to big salary cap bump for 2025

The Steelers can use every penny of that extra salary cap next offseason.

As much as we all want to just sit back and enjoy the 2024 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers are eyeing a brutal offseason when it comes to contracts. There are multiple guys who will be looking for big paydays and when it comes to the salary cap, it always takes some manipulation.

But according to ESPN reporter Jeremy Fowler, the Steelers and the rest of the NFL could see a nice bump according to buzz coming out of the owner’s meetings.

The NFL conducted its labor seminar during this week’s owners meetings in Irving, Texas,” Fowler wrote. “Team officials would have loved to walk away from the session with a set salary cap for 2025, but they didn’t get one. That usually comes closer to free agency. Still, a few team officials predicted that the cap would land around $275 million, roughly an 8% increase from the $255.4 million figure in 2024.

The Steelers have four positions to address in the offseason where this extra cap space can help. The front office needs to decide between Justin Fields and Russell Wilson as the quarterback of the future, whether they can afford running back Najee Harris and contract extensions for wide receiver George Pickens and edge defender T.J. Watt.

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Steelers open up 21-day window for key defensive reserve

Adams has been on IR since October 22.

Since October 22, backup nose tackle Montravius Adams has been on IR with a knee injury. But on Wednesday, Adams returned to practice for the first time, opening up his 21-day window to return to the roster or miss the remainder of the season on IR.

The defensive line has really missed Adams since his injury. As the primary backup to Keeanu Benton, Adams has been the guy who comes in with fresh legs and really helps shore up the NFL’s No. 4 ranked run defense.

While Adams has been out, it’s been by committee on the inside and teams have had some success running the football. The Steelers currently sit at 8-3 and in first place in the AFC North. It’s unlikely Adams will be back this week when the Steelers take on the Cincinnati Bengals but it would be great to have him back in the lineup down the stretch.

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Steelers bring back OLB to practice squad

The Steelers have added some insurance at outside linebacker this week.

On Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Steelers announced they had signed outside linebacker Julius Welschof to the practice squad. Welschof was originally part of the Steelers during the offseason after being signed as an undrafted free agent.

This addition could be insurance if Alex Highsmith cannot go this weekend against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Steelers have T.J. Watt and Nick Herbig as starters with Preston Smith as the primary backup. Highsmith wasn’t in the field for the team’s Tuesday practice and this is a situation to monitor going into Sunday’s game.

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Steelers kicker Chris Boswell on Justin Tucker: “he’s a legend”

Steelers placekicker Chris Boswell went a perfect 6/6 on his field goal attempts, and thus accounted for every point scored by the winners 

Murphy’s law is an epigram that usually states: “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.”

For the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, in their 18-16 loss at their arch-rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers, things went wrong that nobody could have ever anticipated.

Justin Tucker, arguably the G.O.A.T. of placekickers, is missing not one but two field goals.

Derrick Henry, the king of all running backs, fumbling the ball away for the first time in two years.

Most believe Lamar Jackson has been the NFL MVP thus far this season, but he has completed less than half of his pass attempts.

And on the other sideline, the Steelers won with a dominant defense and elite special teams.

The main hero of this game?

Probably Steelers placekicker Chris Boswell, who went a perfect 6/6 on his field goal attempts and thus accounted for every point scored by the winning side.

Tucker has missed six field goal attempts in the season after missing only five last.

In his postgame media opportunity, Boswell made it clear that he doesn’t think Tucker is slipping at all.

Added Boswell: “He’s a Hall of Famer, and next thing you know, he’ll go on another 100 field goal streak, and everyone will forget about this and move past it.”

Boswell is right- while it was shocking to see, this was just a bad day at the office for Tucker.

Commanders sticking with Olamide Zaccheaus at punt returner

The Commanders are sticking with Olamide Zaccheaus at punt returner.

In life, if you want results to change, you have to change something. Yet, change for the sake of change will not necessarily bring better results.

Perhaps that is what Commanders head coach Dan Quinn was thinking on Monday. While in conversation with the press, he was asked if there might be a change in who is returning punts for Washington.

First, he acknowledged why the question was being asked. Washington’s Olamide Zaccheaus had muffed two punts Sunday, and the Steelers recovered the second one. Only needing to travel 14 yards, the Steelers converted the Zaccheaus fumble into a quick touchdown.

“No one would be more disappointed than OZ in that. I am confident in him,” said Quinn.

Quinn is confident in Zaccheaus, perhaps because Zaccheaus has also caught 22 receptions this season, averaging 10.5 yards per reception. Sure, Quinn could bring up someone from the practice squad, but if he does, that is a roster spot.

Last year’s punt returner Jamison Crowder injured a calf and was put on injured reserve. If Quinn were to bring back Crowder, would he then release someone?

In addition, on his 11 punt returns this season, Zaccheaus is averaging 12.3 yards a return and his long is only 24 yards. In 2023, Crowder only averaged 7.9 yards on his 35 punt returns.

Quinn acknowledged the bobbled punts were “a big deal.” Yet he also added, “Yeah, don’t have any change into that space as we’re heading into this game.”

So Quinn is not saying there will be no change. He is saying there will be no change for this game. He wants to stay with Zaccheaus and is confident Zaccheaus can put his fumbling behind him.

Watch: Texans WR John Metchie III finally scores first TD

After suffering a torn ACL, undergoing cancer treatment and fighting his way onto the roster in Year 3, John Metchie III scored a touchdown.

The last time John Metchie III scored a touchdown during the regular season came on Dec. 4, 2021.

That was his senior season and final game at the University of Alabama.

Plenty has happened for the Houston Texans‘ third-year receiver since he crossed the goal line in the SEC Championship Game against Georgia.

He tore his ACL the following quarter down in Atlanta and would miss the national championship while undergoing season-ending surgery.

He became a second-round draft pick for Houston and hopefully the long-term option in the slot.

He underwent a battle with acute promyelocytic leukemia, a rare but treatable form of cancer.

And he nearly didn’t make the active roster after back-to-back forgotten seasons as the Texans’ No. 4 receiver.

But Metchie never lost hope that he’d eventually cross into the end zone again. That moment arrived Sunday on the primetime stage against Houston’s most lethal opponent.

As the second quarter came to a close against the Detroit Lions, C.J. Stroud found Metchie for a 15-yard score to give the Texans a 23-7 entering halftime.

Houston (6-3) will receive the ball at halftime and could have a chance to extend its lead beyond the three scores.

With Nico Collins out, Metchie has been the one to step up as the top option for Stroud, hauling in four passes for 65 yards.

His first half against the Lions has actually doubled his receiving total from this season as a whole.

Metchie waited nearly 1,000 days for six points. Just like at Alabama, he was ready to break out the celebration.

Commanders to distribute burgundy towels to Washington fans

The Commanders have a plan for the “terrible towels.”

Former Washington Redskins head coach Otto Graham was credited with saying, “Don’t throw in the towel, use it for wiping the sweat off of your face.”

Sunday’s battle between the 6-2 Steelers and the home team Commanders (7-2) looks to be a tough contest. The Commanders have yet to face a defense as good as the Steelers, and the Steelers’ defense has yet to face an offense as efficient as Washington’s.

Speaking of towels, the Steelers have been known for some years to have their fans show up in attendance with their gold towels to wave during the game, exhibiting their support for the Steelers (black and gold).

Meanwhile, the burgundy and gold commanders have apparently determined that they will distribute a burgundy towel to the Commanders’ fans.

Former Redskins running back Brian Mitchell (1990-99), now an employee of 106.7 The Fan in Washington, evidently was the originator of the idea, calling upon the organization to supply burgundy towels to create some more home-team atmosphere at Northwest Stadium, Sunday.

“I need whoever the powers that be — I need you all to get burgundy towels to every fan coming into the stadium,” Mitchell said, underscoring the need to keep the Commanders’ presence strong. “We know the Steelers are going to come with their yellow, so we’re going to mix them together. It’s going to be burgundy and gold all through the stadium.”

On Wednesday, the Commanders emailed fans announcing the towel giveaway with an exciting message: “These giveaways steel the show! We’ll be handing out limited-edition rally towels and Salute to Service hats presented by Verizon this Sunday for our game against the Steelers. Let’s Command Our House and create a home-field advantage by packing Northwest Stadium with burgundy.” (Fox 5 D.C.).