Bears trading Justin Fields to Steelers for draft pick

The Steelers are acquiring Justin Fields from the Bears

Russell Wilson will have company at quarterback in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers and Bears worked out a trade on Saturday that will send Justin Fields to Pittsburgh for a 2025 sixth-round draft pick.

Talk about the market drying up for Chicago on the former first-round pick out of Ohio State.

Chicago will almost assuredly keep the first pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Speculation is Caleb Williams of USC will be the player chosen with the No. 1 overall pick.

The pick the Bears receive could improve to a fourth-rounder.

Adam Schefter of ESPN is reporting Wilson will start at quarterback and Fields will be the backup.

Fields was the 11th overall pick in the 2021 draft.

He was 10-28 as a starter in Chicago, throwing for 6,674 yards with 40 TD passes against 30 picks.

Field rushed for 2,240 yards and 14 touchdowns as a Bear.

Fields posted a classy message to Chicagoans.

Steelers trading QB Kenny Pickett to Eagles

Kenny Pickett goes from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia

Russell Wilson is in and that means Kenny Pickett is out in Pittsburgh.

The former first-round pick of the Steelers will remain in the Keystone State,  as the AFC North team is dealing him to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Pickett was the 20th overall selection in the 2022 NFL draft.

He was 14-10 as a starter, going 7-5 twice.

Pickett threw for 4,474 yards and 13 touchdowns against 13 interceptions.

He played college ball at Pitt and is from Oakhurst, New Jersey,  less than 90 minutes from Philadelphia.

Russell Wilson makes the Steelers better. But, how much better?

The Steelers hope to be better with Russell Wilson in the mix. It was a low quarterback bar, but Wilson does have what it takes to do that.

The Pittsburgh Steelers were going to have to do something with their quarterback situation this offseason. In their last three seasons, with Ben Roethlisberger and Kenny Pickett as their primary quarterbacks, the Steelers have had winning records, and negative point differentials. That’s a tough “standard” to maintain, and there’s only so long you can expect your defense to hold water while your quarterback is completing 62% of his passes with a 7.1-yard average depth of target, as Pickett did last season.

Now, with the signing of Russell Wilson, Mike Tomlin’s team — and new coordinator Arthur Smith’s offense — at least has a rogue factor that could bring some level of improvement. Wilson famously washed out with the Denver Broncos after two seasons, but he did throw 26 touchdown passes to eight interceptions last season. All of Pittsburgh’s quarterbacks combined managed 13 touchdown passes to nine interceptions, so yes… Russell Wilson is a considerable upgrade.

Take from that what you will.

Wilson will be paid $36 million dollars by the Broncos to not play for them, so he was able to sign a league-minimum deal with the Steelers. That allows the team to focus on other quarterback options in the draft without too much commitment, and there’s no realistic way Wilson and Pickett come into training camp with Pickett beating Wilson for the starter’s role.

If we make that a given, what can Wilson do for the Steelers that no other quarterback has been able to do since Ben Roethlisberger wasn’t on his last legs?

Wilson can win with the deep ball in ways no other Steelers quarterback can — last season, he ranked ninth in the league (tied with Justin Fields of the Chicago Bears) with 23 completions of 20 or more air yards on 60 attempts, for 818 yards, six touchdowns, one interception, and a passer rating of 112.5. That deep-ball passer rating was seventh-best in the league. Last season, Pickett, Mason Rudolph, and Mitchell Trubisky combined for 18 deep completions on 55 attempts for 662 yards, four touchdowns, six interceptions, and a passer rating of 64.17. Alpha deep receiver George Pickens, who was clearly frustrated with his offense last season, should find things better with Wilson under center.

Arthur Smith is a coordinator who wants his quarterbacks using a ton of play-action — last season, when Smith was the Atlanta Falcons’ head coach, Desmond Ridder uses play-action on 31.9% of his dropbacks, and Ridder was far more efficient with it than without it. Wilson had play-action on just 22.1% of his dropbacks last season, but he completed 64.7% of his passes with 11 touchdowns and just one interception with play-action. There could be a lot of meat on the bone with Smith and Wilson when it comes to explosive plays out of play-action, which Wilson has been able to execute since his days in Seattle.

Really, if you look at what the Steelers need, what Arthur Smith wants his offense to look like, and what Russell Wilson is still capable of doing, the Steelers did excellent work in adding Wilson to their roster. Nobody’s saying that he’s a franchise quarterback anymore — there are complications on and off the field that seem to preclude that idea — but this is a team that needs to push forward with full intent at the most important position in sports, and the Steelers did that on the cheap.

Yes, it was a low bar, but Russell Wilson does raise it.

Russell Wilson plans to sign with Pittsburgh Steelers

Russell Wilson’s next chapter in his tumultuous NFL career will be written with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Russell Wilson, the nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback who was recently released by the Denver Broncos, will sign a team-friendly deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers when the new league year begins on Wednesday, per multiple reports.

The news seemed to be confirmed by Wilson himself.

Wilson had been traded to the Broncos by the Seattle Seahawks in 2022, and it was a deal that did not work out for Denver. In two seasons with the Broncos, he completed 63.3% of his passes with 42 touchdowns and 19 interceptions, but he clashed with head coach Sean Payton last season, and was ultimately benched to end the season.

For the Steelers, it’s a move that can only be good. As Wilson will be paid $38 million of his salary by the Broncos in 2024, Wilson can sign for peanuts. And given the Steelers’ quarterback situation over the last few years, Wilson could be an immediate net positive, though he’s been an inconsistent player of late. The end of Ben Roethlisberger’s career made way for 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett, who hasn’t really distinguished himself.

Last season, the 10-7 Steelers finished 28th in points scored, and sixth in points allowed. They have a dynamic defense, an above-average run game, and an offensive line and receiver corps with potential. They also have a head coach in Mike Tomlin who can get along with just about anybody, and a new offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith, whose play-action/explosive play preferences would seem to fit with Wilson’s attributes.

Perhaps this is what Wilson needs to resuscitate his career, and what the Steelers need to put themselves back over the top.

Cameron Heyward is your Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winner

Cameron Heyward is the winner of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award

The Walter Payton Man of the Year went to Cameron Heyward of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He was presented his award Thursday at NFL Honors by Prince Harry.

Heyward then delivered a passionate and emotional speech.

Mike Tomlin walks off the podium when asked about his future with Steelers

Mike Tomlin wanted no part of any questions about his future following the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 31-17 wild-card loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Mike Tomlin’s 17th season as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ head coach ended abruptly on Monday when his team was beaten 31-17 by the Buffalo Bills in a game that wasn’t really that close. After the game, when Tomlin went to the podium to address the media, he got a question he really didn’t like.

At this time, Tomlin has one year left on his contract. The Steelers finished the 2023 season with a 10-8 record, and they haven’t won a playoff game since the 2016 season.

Bills-Steelers wild-card game moved from Sunday to Monday due to freezing weather

The Bills-Steelers wild-card game has been moved from Sunday to Monday due to significant winter weather in the Buffalo area.

The wild-card game between the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers that was originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. EST on Sunday has been moved to 4:30 p.m. EST on Monday due to a severe winter weather storm expected to hit the Buffalo area through the weekend.

From WIVB.com:

Near-whiteout conditions are expected in Orchard Park on Sunday, with high winds, frigid wind chills and blowing lake-effect snow all in play. States of Emergency in Western New York as well as Erie County are currently active as a result of the storm.

“It’s all part of our critical efforts to keep New Yorkers, motorists and fans safe from this wildly unpredictable storm,” Governor Kathy Hochul said Friday.

Hochul said that she consulted with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell about the decision, who “shares our concern that safety should be the top priority.”

The NFL issued a statement on Saturday.

Due to public safety concerns in light of the ongoing weather emergency in western New York, Sunday’s Steelers-Bills game has been rescheduled to Monday at 4:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by CBS.

The decision to move the game to Monday was made in consultation with New York Governor Kathy Hochul in the best interest of public safety, and with the Buffalo Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers, as the region prepares for the storm.

Last season, the Bills had to play a home game against the Cleveland Browns in Detroit due to significant winter weather.

The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell: Previewing Super Wild-Card Weekend

In this week’s “Xs and Os,” Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar preview Super Wild-Card Weekend with tape study and advanced metrics.

It’s time for Super Wild-Card Weekend! Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN’s NFL Matchup, and Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire and the USA Today Sports Media Group, are here to get you ready for the most interesting matchups that could decide who advances to the divisional round.

Browns at Texans: Will the Browns defense under Jim Schwartz have answers for C.J. Stroud’s excellence against single-high coverage? Nobody plays more of it than Schwartz’s guys.

Dolphins at Chiefs: It’ll be very cold at Arrowhead Stadium, which puts the focus on the run game. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has all kinds of wrinkles in his rushing attack, and we discuss a new one with rookie De’Von Achane.

Steelers at Bills: Can the Steelers counter the Bills’ improving defense with shot plays from Mason Rudolph? And what does T.J. Watt’s injury mean for Josh Allen?

Packers at Cowboys: Everyone’s talking about Jordan Love and Dak Prescott here, but watch out for Green Bay’s run game with Aaron Jones as the lead dog.

Rams at Lions: Similarly, while everyone’s talking about the Matthew Stafford-Jared Goff “Revenge Game,” don’t sleep on these two great rushing attacks. Kyren Williams has changed Sean McVay’s run schemes to great effect.

Eagles at Buccaneers: Bucs head coach Todd Bowles is the Greg Maddux of blitzers — he’ll throw everything at you with a little spin at the end. How will Jalen Hurts react, when he’s struggled against pressure most of this season? Also, Baker Mayfield and his receivers could feast on Philly’s misbegotten pass defense.

In this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” the guys get into all of it.

You can watch this week’s “Xs and Os,” previewing every game in the wild-card slate, right here:

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You can also listen and subscribe to the “Xs and Os” podcast on Spotify…

and on Apple Podcasts.

4-Down Territory: Most, least serious wild-card teams, Secret Superstars, new coaches

In this week’s “4-Down Territory,” the guys get into most and least serious wild-card teams, Secret Superstars, and new head coaches they’d like to see.

Now that the 2023 NFL regular season is over, and it’s Super Wild-Card Weekend, it’s time once again for Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire, and Kyle Madson of Niners Wire, to come to the table with their own unique brand of analysis in “4-Down Territory.”

This week, the guys have some serious questions to answer:

  1. Which wild-card team should be taken most seriously for a Super Bowl run?
  2. Which wild-card team should be taken least seriously?
  3. Who’s your Secret Superstar for the wild-card round?
  4. Which assistant coach would you most like to get a vacant head coaching job?

You can watch this week’s “4-Down Territory” right here:

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You can also listen and subscribe to the “4-Down Territory” podcast on Spotify…

and on Apple Podcasts.

2024 NFL playoff power rankings: Ravens rule the roost, but who else is near the top?

Now that we know who the 14 playoff teams will be in the playoffs, here is how they stack up against one another

The NFL field of teams has been cut from 32 to 14, and we now know who all 14 playoff teams are. How do they stack up against one another? Here are the NFL playoff power rankings ahead of wild-card weekend.