‘Embarrassing’ Chiefs loss motivates Steelers

Money is not the driving force when it comes to motivating Pittsburgh Steelers star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick these days; he wants to avenge the “embarrassing” playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Despite moving up a few tax brackets when it comes to his bank account this offseason, Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is only fueled by rage from the “embarrassing” playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

To be fair, the 2021 Steelers were the No. 7 seed playing on the road in the AFC Wild Card round to the No. 2-seeded Chiefs. While playoff expansion has been tremendous from a television-viewing perspective, no No. 7 seed has ever beaten a No. 2 seed. The last team getting into the postseason in either conference has been nothing short of dog food in the first round thus far.

The Steelers’ well-compensated safety is no longer motivated by money, only beating the Chiefs.

“I don’t think necessarily the money motivates us, but just how we conduct ourselves,” said Fitzpatrick to reporters in the wake of him signing his massive contract extension. “Obviously, last year was not to our standards at all. I know myself, T.J., Cam, all of us were not happy or pleased at all with the way the season ended. Especially in that playoff game, [it] was an embarrassment, honestly. Not our typical selves. That’s what motivates us.”

Minkah Fitzpatrick clearly motivated by bad playoff loss to Kansas City Chiefs

It remains to be seen how good the Steelers will be this upcoming season. They are a team with a great deal of variance. Should Mitch Trubisky or rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett play up to their respective draft statuses, Pittsburgh can contend in a deep AFC North race. If both signal-callers struggle, Pittsburgh has a chance to be the worst team in one of the better divisions in football.

The good news is the well-compensated defense led by Fitzpatrick, Cam Hayward and T.J. Watt should be able to keep the Steelers in games. However, this unit did give up an absurd amount of points to the Chiefs at Arrowhead in the playoffs. These sort of things happen, but for Pittsburgh to live up to lofty expectations this fall, this undoubtedly has to be a defense-led football team.

Ultimately, it is a tricky proposition to pay three key defensive players all that cash. If it works out for the Steelers, especially with up to five years of control with Pickett’s contract, that would be wonderful. Conversely, the Steelers have to avoid being the AFC equivalent of the Chicago Bears, a team with so many great players on defense making so much money the offense is largely pitiful.

The good news for the Steelers is they are a well-run organization, led by motivated star players.

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Former linebacker weighs in on scarier QB to face Peyton Manning or Tom Brady

Former Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets linebacker Bart Scott revealed that it was harder to face Peyton Manning than Tom Brady.

This century, one of the greatest quarterback battles that NFL fans got to witness was between Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Whether it was in the regular season or in the playoffs, it was must-watch television. There is always a debate as to who was the better quarterback, but who was the scariest to face if you were on the team lined up opposite to either quarterback?

During an episode of ESPN Radio show “Bart and Hahn,” former Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets linebacker Bart Scott said that he would much rather play Brady every week than face off against Manning.

Bart Scott reveals that it is much worse to face Peyton Manning than Tom Brady

“I’d much rather go against Tom Brady every day of the week than go against Peyton Manning,” Scott said, h/t Sports Illustrated. “I believe that’s how everybody feels. In the hay day, never ever have I said ‘We’re playing the Patriots. I’m so afraid of Tom Brady.’”

It is no secret that Manning was the master of calling an audible ahead of the snap. Scott put it perfectly about how the terms that Manning used would change in the game, and joking that to face off against him, “you feel like you have to take an SAT test.”

In his 11 year playing career, Scott faced off against Manning and Brady a total of four times total in the playoffs. As a member of the Ravens, Scott lost 15-6 to Manning’s Indianapolis Colts in 2003. Scott lost his second playoff meeting against Manning, where the Jets fell to the Colts 30-17 in the AFC Championship Game in 2009. But, Scott had the best luck the following year.

At the conclusion of the 2010 season, Scott’s Jets defeated Manning’s Colts 17-16 in the Wild Card Round and Brady’s Patriots 28-21 in the Divisional Round to reach the conference title game for the second-consecutive year. For those wondering, the Jets fell 24-19 to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Ben Roethlisberger to miss out on a spot in Super Bowl 45.

When it comes to who would be the worst to play against, Scott let it be known that it is easily Manning over Brady.

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Kurt Benkert shares classy response to surprise waiving by the Packers

Quarterback Kurt Benkert thanked the Green Bay Packers on Twitter after he was released by the team.

The Green Bay Packers brought back quarterback Aaron Rodgers on a lucrative three-year contract extension. Jordan Love is still on his rookie contract. But the team decided to part ways with Kurt Benkert on Friday, June 17, with reports indicating that they have released him from his contract.

Benkert took to Twitter to thank the team for “everything that came with being a Packer,” before saying that he is excited for what is to come next.

Kurt Benkert thanks Packers following his release

After spending the first three seasons of his career with the Atlanta Falcons, Benkert joined the Packers last season on a one-year contract, originally as a member of the practice squad. He was then activated to the 53-man roster late in the 2021 season after Love was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

In the team’s Week 14 game against the Chicago Bears, Benkert took the first snap of his NFL career, where he kneeled down twice in the victory formation. It was then revealed that Rodgers is the one that pushed head coach Matt LaFleur to bring Benkert into the game late.

With Benkert no longer with the team, that leaves Danny Etling as the only other quarterback on the roster not named Rodgers or Love. It will remain to be seen if they keep Etling once training camp concludes, or if they will just go with two quarterbacks entering their Week 1 game against the Minnesota Vikings.



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Trey Lance draws more Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers comparisons

The NFL Network’s James Jones believes we will talk about Trey Lance like we do Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers in due time.

If Trey Lance does become the next Patrick Mahomes or Aaron Rodgers, then let’s give James Jones of the NFL Network some credit for sticking his neck out there by going out on that limb.

2022 should be Lance’s first season as the San Francisco 49ers‘ starting quarterback. The 49ers thought so highly of him that they gave up the farm to take him No. 3 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft out of North Dakota State, based strictly on one year of FCS collegiate production. Though the upside may very well be there, let’s just let him play ball and not compare him to NFL legends yet…

“I think he’s going to be in that category, years down the line, talking about him like we talk about Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers,” said Jones on the NFL Network studio set.

James Jones sees that Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers potential in Trey Lance

For the record, can we PLEASE stop comparing young quarterbacks to all-time greats and talents? Lance is going to be what Lance is going to be, for better or worse. But to compare him to the best quarterbacking talent since arguably Dan Marino and the four-time reigning NFL MVP is just pure lunacy at this point. Let’s see if Lance can seize control of the offense and win the NFC West first…

What is a tad troubling is not until recently has the narrative surrounding Lance being the guy changed. During Mahomes’ rookie season, everybody and their brother was speaking glowingly about Alex Smith’s backup. Rodgers would have been the Green Bay Packers starter sooner had Brett Favre not made a game of it by retiring and then unretiring, one training camp after another.

The best thing Lance can do is be a leader of men like his predecessor Jimmy Garoppolo was, but a way more talented version of him. Garoppolo certainly had his limitations as a fringe franchise quarterback, but his teammates loved him because he was one of the guys. Lance can become that, but he has the steepest learning curve of any first-round quarterback from his draft class.

Lance can totally become the guy, but these premature Mahomes and Rodgers comparisons have got to stop.



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Was Patrick Mahomes secretly being petty in Tyreek Hill response?

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said all the right things in response to Tyreek Hill’s podcast comments, but some question his word choice. 

In response to what Tyreek Hill said on his podcast about Tua Tagovailoa being the more “accurate” quarterback, Patrick Mahomes seemed to say all the right things.

Mahomes clarified that the Chiefs “still love” Hill, and Mahomes called him a “one-of-a-kind player.” Everything Mahomes said was positive, but small modifiers, like saying the Chiefs “still” love Hill, had some questioning about the true meaning behind Mahomes’ word choices.

NFL reporter Dov Kleiman asked why Mahomes used the word “still”, as if Hill had done something to no longer deserve that love from his longtime quarterback.

“Why wouldn’t you anymore?” Kleiman wrote. “He’s not allowed to speak his truth because you love him?”

Did Patrick Mahomes take sly shots back at Tyreek Hill?

Everything that Mahomes said to diffuse the Hill situation seemed to align with what a locker room leader would do: dismiss the drama and bring everything back to the team.

But to Kleiman’s point, Mahomes did make some interesting word choices, using particular themes and phrases to respond to Hill.

For example, Mahomes called Hill a “one-of-a-kind” player. While this is true, and it’s considerate for Mahomes to put Hill in his own category as a wide receiver, this is also grates against what Hill did in the first place: comparing Mahomes to Tagovailoa. While Hill has tried to explain that he didn’t intend to insult Mahomes and instead tried to stand up for his new quarterback, Mahomes makes it clear that he doesn’t want to insult Hill with a comparison — because Hill’s comparison was inherently insulting.

Then, Mahomes pivoted and began talking about how everyone on the team matters, including head coach Andy Reid.

“But as you know, in Coach Reid’s offsense, it takes the whole team. This offense was rolling before I got here, this offense was rolling when I was a young Cowboys fan watching the Eagles beat up on the Cowboys. It’s an offense that includes more than one player, and that includes myself.”

Considering that Hill left over a contract dispute and is now saying he didn’t feel valued in KC, reminding everyone that Chiefs dominance is a team effort isn’t only true — it might be a reminder to Hill that, “Hey, our success wasn’t all because of you or me, and we need to acknowledge that.” It’s a good quality in Mahomes that he wants to shower praise on his coach and teammates, but it may also be a subtle nudge to Hill that he shouldn’t prioritize himself over the team.

When asked about the last time he spoke with Hill, Mahomes said that it was at the Formula 1 race in Miami in May.

“Everything seemed fine,” Mahomes laughed.

Everything seemed fine when the two last spoke, but considering that Mahomes was “surprised” by Hill’s comments in the first place, this implies that…maybe everything isn’t fine, and Mahomes doesn’t really know how Hill thinks or feels about his time in KC at this point. The teammates who spent years with Hill sent him to Miami with praise and congratulations, but the podcast comments revealed that Hill was less than happy on his end. Mahomes thought that all was good, but laughing about how things seemed fine leaves room for the fact that perhaps they aren’t.

It’s been a difficult offseason for everyone in Kansas City, and aside from losing Hill’s talent on offense, Mahomes also lost a friend and teammate that he built a dynasty alongside at Arrowhead. It’s clearly been hard on everyone, and while Mahomes didn’t want to hurt Hill, it seems that to some extent, Hill’s comments did hurt him.

He was surprised, but he still loves Hill — even though there may be love lost on Hill’s end. Or, as Mahomes joked, maybe Hill did all this just to “get his podcast rolling.”



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Patrick Mahomes announces big win for Kansas City: 2026 World Cup bid

Patrick Mahomes got to break the news to the world that Kansas City will indeed be one of 16 host cities in North America for the 2026 World Cup bid shared between Canada, Mexico and the United States.

It was only fitting that Kansas City Chiefs starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes got to share the news that his adopted hometown of Kansas City will be one of 16 host cities during the 2026 World Cup.

Even if Kansas City is one of the smallest metroplexes among the three host countries that got a bid (Canada, Mexico, the United States), it would have been most shameful if the midwestern metropolis did not get one. Clearly, FIFA went for cities with great stadium infrastructure, as well as a rich soccer tradition. Kansas City absolutely checked both of those major boxes going away.

Here is Mahomes’ message revealing that KC got the bid as one of six host cities in the Central Region.

Patrick Mahomes shares to the world Kansas City will be a 2026 World Cup host

Kansas City is one of 11 American cities that got a bid: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York (New Jersey), Philadelphia, San Francisco (Bay Area) and Seattle. All 11 cities have NFL stadiums capable of hosting World Cup matches, as well as strong soccer history on the MLS side of things. Thankfully, Kansas City was included in this grouping.

Even if Sporting KC plays over in KCK, Arrowhead Stadium will be rocking. The Power and Light District will be going bananas throughout the entire event. But what is so important here is that the legacy of Lamar Hunt lives on triumphantly with Kansas City, as well as his hometown of Dallas, getting bids. The U.S. Open Cup bears the late Chiefs owner’s name. Of course Kansas City was getting in!

Ultimately, this is an absolutely tremendous opportunity for Kansas City. It is the lone city in the midwestern footprint that got a World Cup bid. Other metroplexes like Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus and the Twin Cities could have been in the mix, but they are all missing out. While Kansas City will never host a Super Bowl, this is about as big as it gets for the city, alongside the 2023 NFL Draft.

Mahomes was not the only athlete to announce a city’s bid, but his message for Kansas City spoke volumes.

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Steelers won NFL Draft with ‘best receiving prospect’ George Pickens

From a pure talent standpoint, Greg Cosell does not think there was a better wide receiver prospect from the 2022 NFL Draft than George Pickens, now of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

When Greg Cosell speaks glowingly of an NFL Draft prospect or younger player, you better listen up: He thinks the world of George Pickens.

During his most recent appearance on The Ross Tucker Football Podcast, Cosell said strictly from a talent standpoint, Pickens was the best wide receiver prospect he scouted in last year’s draft class. The Pittsburgh Steelers used their second-round pick on the former Georgia standout. Off-the-field issues and injury concerns are reasons why Pickens was not a top-32 overall selection.

Cosell does believe that Pickens is going to the ideal spot for him, as the Steelers organization is known for cultivating elite wide receiver talent. He also gets to play for an outstanding head coach in Mike Tomlin.

Will Pickett-to-Pickens become synonymous with Steelers football for a new generation of fans?

Greg Cosell: George Pickens was “the best receiving prospect in this draft class”

Look — anyone who followed the Georgia program, or SEC football in general, over the last three years could have told you the Dawgs had something special at wide receiver. Pickens was the most talented wideout Georgia has had since A.J. Green. Now, he goes to a place where fellow Dawgs legend Hines Ward put together an incredible professional career. It is good to be Pickens.

What makes Pickens such a tremendous receiving prospect is pretty simple: He can do everything. Pickens is not afraid of lining up in the slot and taking over a game as a possession receiver. Look no further than his greatest game in Georgia uniform during the 2020 Sugar Bowl victory over Baylor. He is not afraid to stretch the field (i.e., National Championship game) or factor in the run.

Pickens plays with a bit of a mean streak, which is both good and bad. He will be the aggressor in most instances, which will allow him to create separation. Conversely, he will pick up a penalty flag or two, possibly getting ejected if he loses his head in the moment. Regardless, Pickens has the potential to be the most dynamic weapon on the Steelers offense for years and years to come.

If Pickens can play with composure above the shoulders, nobody is going to be able to stop him.

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Pete Carroll says Seahawks in ‘good shape’ with Geno Smith, Drew Lock – NFL Nation

RENTON, Wash. — Drew Lock learned an important lesson last offseason while battling Teddy Bridgewater to be the Denver Broncos‘ starting quarterback. He fixated on who won each practice, and as he realized after losing the competition, that mindset did him no good.

“I tried to compare the whole time: ‘Did Teddy beat me that day, or did I win that day?'” Lock said during this past week’s Seattle Seahawks minicamp. “And overall, if you start thinking like that, it’s just not good for your mental. It’s not good for your process of becoming a better quarterback. It’s not about who won that day. It’s about, ‘Did I get better today to make the guys around me better?'”

Lock has been focusing on himself, not Geno Smith, as the two compete to replace Russell Wilson in Seattle’s first quarterback competition in a decade. And while Lock might not be keeping score, Smith was still in the pole position as the Seahawks wrapped up their offseason program earlier this week.

That was evident as Smith consistently took reps with the first team and as coach Pete Carroll assessed the competition at the end of minicamp.

“They’ve been really impressive,” Carroll said of Smith and Lock. “And it’s not been any one sequence here or one day here. They have just been solid throughout. We’ve shared a ton of reps. Geno has gone with the first group throughout, but they’ve had very close to equal reps in situational opportunities throughout. … They’ve done a terrific job so far. They look in control.

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“Geno’s still ahead — you can tell that — but it’s not going to be too much for Drew to be caught up. By the time we get through camp, he’ll be there. He’s really bright. It makes sense to him. He’s really sharp in the huddle and at the line of scrimmage and all of that, so it’s just time that he needs …”

Carroll concluded by saying the Seahawks are in “great shape” at quarterback, wording he later repeated. That felt like Carroll’s way of trying to quell persistent speculation that Seattle could add another big-name quarterback like Jimmy Garoppolo or Baker Mayfield.

Carroll has already said he doesn’t “at all” envision the Seahawks trading for a veteran QB, so it would likely take the San Francisco 49ers or Cleveland Browns releasing their former starters for either to seriously be in play for Seattle. San Francisco almost certainly wouldn’t deal Garoppolo to a division rival, anyway.

Garoppolo and Mayfield have better résumés than Lock or Smith. But both are coming off shoulder surgeries and, this late in the offseason, would be behind in learning a new offense and building chemistry with a new group of pass-catchers.

As for his own acclimation to offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s playbook, Lock said he was “a little overwhelmed” at first but much more comfortable now. It’s helped that Waldron’s system is similar to what Denver ran during Lock’s rookie season in 2019, when he played the best football of his career while leading the Broncos to four wins in their final five games. Lock has been plagued by turnovers since, with 21 in 19 games.

“I feel really, really, really good about this offense,” he said. “I feel like I could go out and play a game tomorrow and succeed.”

The feeling among some inside the Virginia Mason Athletic Center is Lock will overtake Smith to win the starting job. But some believe he may have to win convincingly or Seattle’s coaches will favor the greater familiarity with Smith — who backed up Wilson the past three seasons — over the bigger upside with Lock and award anything close to a tie to the incumbent. Carroll has raved about the way Smith played in his third and final fill-in start last season, when he led Seattle to a blowout win after two narrow losses.

Smith mentioned that familiarity when asked how Seattle’s offense suits him.

“I think the up-tempo style, similar to what I played in college,” he said. “Also, just my ability and Shane’s trust in me to get in and out of plays, to see coverages, understanding our offense and moving our guys around to be able to create mismatches. I think Shane believes in my ability and my knowledge as a quarterback and I think that is something that suits us well.”

There may be no resolution to Smith’s pending legal case before the season begins. He was arrested in January on suspicion of DUI, but the King County Prosecutor’s Office is still awaiting blood-test results, which take about 10 months to process. Smith said recently he doesn’t foresee “any problem” resulting from the arrest.

Jacob Eason is the only other quarterback on the Seahawks’ 90-man roster after they waived undrafted rookie Levi Lewis, though Eason is a developmental prospect who isn’t expected to factor into the Smith-Lock competition.

“We’re in good shape at the position and we just have to see what happens,” Carroll said. “The [preseason] games are going to be important, and everything will be important.”

Carroll declined to say whether he plans to alternate Lock and Smith with the first-team offense once training camp begins in late July.

“It’s going to be a real battle,” he said. “It’s going to be really an exciting time for our team, for those guys in particular, and for our people watching. I’m pumped about it. I really am.”

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Panthers can’t quit Baker Mayfield, still interested in Browns quarterback

No team is doing more due diligence on Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield than the Carolina Panthers.

Find someone who loves you as much as the Carolina Panthers seem to love Baker Mayfield.

Though still technically employed by the Cleveland Browns, Mayfield is playing on an expiring contract this fall, albeit an incredibly expensive fifth-year option. Despite having just drafted Matt Corral out of Ole Miss, as well as trading for his 2018 NFL Draft classmate Sam Darnold, the Panthers just cannot seem to quit Mayfield. David Tepper clearly wants a Heisman Trophy winner.

CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reported on Friday afternoon “the Panthers are still doing its due diligence in terms of looking into (quarterback) Baker Mayfield — the football player and the person.”

Carolina Panthers are kicking the tires on Cleveland Browns QB Baker Mayfield

Though Corral is certainly an interesting prospect, Cleveland did take Mayfield No. 1 overall out of Oklahoma for a reason. He was utterly sensational playing in Lincoln Riley’s Air Raid offense at OU. While he lacked the physical attributes to truly be a star in the NFL, there was some belief Mayfield’s personality could be a point of great gravitation inside of a professional locker room.

However, Mayfield quickly fell out of favor in Cleveland, especially after how his fourth year with the club went. He is still on the roster, mostly because of the financial implications of his fifth-year option. Could a team like the Panthers be willing to eat more of that one-year contract than any other team? There is also the giant red elephant in the room known as the Deshaun Watson case…

Frankly, Mayfield is good enough to start somewhere this season, but whether that is in Cleveland, Charlotte, or somewhere else entirely, remains to be seen. What is important though is if Mayfield is able to bounce back from an injury-plagued season. We all knew he was totally beat up, but that did not stop the toxicity from taking over the entire Cleveland locker room last year.

If the Panthers are going to trade for Mayfield, they need to do so well before training camp starts.



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Browns expecting full-season suspension for Deshaun Watson

The Cleveland Browns traded for Deshaun Watson and gave him a monster contract despite his off-field allegations. Now, they’re expecting a huge suspension.

The more time that’s passed, the more indefensible the Cleveland Browns‘ decision to trade for Deshaun Watson and sign him to a contract worth $230 million of guaranteed money looks. And as more news pours out that paints the situation in a more negative light, the on-field ramifications look worse as well.

According to multiple reports throughout the offseason, the expectation from the team has been that Watson will be suspended for a long time.

As it turns out, though, a “long time” could equate to the entirety of the 2022 season. Numerous Cleveland insiders have reported that the Browns are expecting for Watson’s suspension to span the entire year.

Browns: Deshaun Watson expected to be suspended for entire season

Given that Watson faces 24 civil suits for sexual misconduct and sexual assault and is the subject of a New York Times investigation that revealed he visited more than 60 massage therapists while with the Texans, the length of the suspension is not shocking in the slightest.

What it does keep showing, though, is how misguided the Browns were with their quarterback. Outwardly, the team has remained supportive of Watson and maintained their belief in the decision to trade for him and re-sign him to a lucrative contract. But it’s hard to give up that money and make the deal they did and think they aren’t a little worried that, if he is suspended for the entire season, will be getting a quarterback who hasn’t seen the field in two full seasons.

Expect to hear something official about the Deshaun Watson suspension prior to the start of the preseason.

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