NBA & NHL FINALS RECAP, OFFSEASON NEWS, PLUS NFL UPDATES

 Elite Sports Talk Episode Recap: Coaching Changes, Playoff Drama, and NFL Buzz

This episode of Elite Sports Talk, hosted by Charlie B., covered a range of hot topics across the sports world, focusing on recent coaching changes, ongoing NHL and NBA playoff action, and significant NFL news.

Major Coaching Shakeups

The sports world has seen two notable coaching changes recently:

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Dallas Stars Part Ways with Pete DeBoer: After three seasons where he led the team to the Western Conference Finals each year, the Dallas Stars have fired head coach Pete DeBoer. While successful in reaching deep into the playoffs, the Stars "didn't get it done" by failing to reach the Stanley Cup Finals in any of those three attempts. A significant factor in the decision was the desire to avoid a "permanent wedge in the locker room" between DeBoer and All-Star goalie Jake Oettinger. An incident in the first game of the Western Conference Finals series against Edmonton, where DeBoer pulled Oettinger after just two shots on net (with the team already down two goals) despite understanding the strategic thought process behind it, is highlighted as a potential reason for the firing and the series outcome. Oettinger is described as very well-liked and deeply respected by his teammates, and pulling him publicly created a wedge that would be hard for a coach to recover from. DeBoer also seemed to blame Oettinger after that game. Despite this, DeBoer is called a "great coach". His record over the past 10 seasons is 445 wins, 247 losses, and 75 ties, for a .629 point percentage, comparable to Tampa Bay's John Cooper. This is the sixth time in the last eight seasons he's reached the Western Conference Final with three different teams and the fifth time he has been fired, having also been to the Stanley Cup Finals twice. The speaker believes it's likely best for DeBoer to "start over somewhere else next year" and expects he will eventually lead another team to a conference final. The Stars face a "rough patch" figuring out personnel and coaching changes and are expected to have a tough road ahead given the strength of teams like Edmonton and the Golden Knights in their conference.

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New York Knicks Fire Tom Thibodeau: The New York Knicks have announced the firing of head coach Tom Thibodeau, three days after their elimination in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Indiana Pacers. This recent playoff run was the best the Knicks had been on in 25 years. The Knicks owner's statement suggested a focus on winning a championship, implying anything less was insufficient. Thibodeau is noted as the team's most successful head coach in the past 25 years. He joins a select group of only eight coaches in NBA history with over 500 regular season wins and a .550+ winning percentage who never won an NBA Finals. Common criticisms of Thibodeau included overplaying his starters and giving them too many minutes, a point even Muel Bridges reportedly commented on. Despite this, the Knicks led the entire NBA in starter minutes in the playoffs under Thibodeau, although he did start using bench players more. Under Thibodeau, the Knicks had back-to-back seasons with 50+ wins (52 in 2023-24 and 55 in 2024-25), a feat not achieved since 1994-95. Similar to the Stars' situation, the speaker is unsure if the Knicks will find a better coach than Thibodeau, even with potential personnel changes like trades for stars like Giannis or KD. It's suggested the Knicks "outdid themselves" this year by going further than many expected, and the road ahead will be tough.

NHL Stanley Cup Finals Update

The episode provided a look at the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals:

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Game 1: Edmonton hosted the first game for the first time since 1988. The winner of Game 1 has historically won the series 77% of the time. Leon Draisaitl was the hero of Game 1, scoring the first goal and the game-sealing goal in overtime. This made him the fifth player in Stanley Cup Finals history to score the first goal and the game-sealer in overtime. His overtime winner was a power play goal with 32 seconds left in OT, making him the fourth player since 1934 to score an overtime power play goal in the final. It was Draisaitl's third overtime goal this postseason, tying an NHL record. With the win, Edmonton extended their win streak to five straight, improved to 7-1 at home, and 4-0 in overtime games. Florida fell to 8-3 on the road after having only two road losses throughout the playoffs before this game. Florida had the best penalty kill in the playoffs entering Game 1. Connor McDavid's "legendary status is growing" with his elite skills, speed, and ability to create space. Stuart Skinner made 29 saves out of 32 shots against, while Sergei Bobrovsky made 42 saves out of 46 shots.

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Game 2: Game 2 went to double overtime, with Florida winning 5-4 about halfway through the second overtime period. Brad Marchand was the hero, scoring the game-ending goal and finishing with two goals in the game. Key players with points included Sam Bennett, Anton Lundell, Evan Rodriguez, Matthew Tkachuk, Carter Verhaeghe, and Nate Schmidt for Florida. For Edmonton, Leon Draisaitl had a goal and an assist, Evander Kane scored, Connor McDavid had three assists, and Evan Bouchard had a goal and two assists. Stuart Skinner stopped 37 of 42 shots. Bobrovsky made 42 saves out of 46 shots again. It was described as a great performance from both teams, decided by who was the "hungrier team," which in this case was Florida. The series is now tied 1-1 heading to Florida. The speaker expects Edmonton to win at least one game on the road and now predicts the series will go seven games.

NBA Playoff Clutch Performance & Stats

Beyond the Knicks firing, the episode briefly touched upon another ongoing NBA playoff series (presumably the NBA Finals, although the source mentions OKC vs Indiana Game 2 which happened on the day of the recording, suggesting it might be the Western Conference Finals):

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Tyrese Haliburton was highlighted as the "most clutch performer of the postseason without a question".

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He hit the game-winning jumper with just 0.3 seconds left in Game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a game where OKC had led from the start until that shot.

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NBA teams trailing by nine or more points in the final three minutes of a Finals game were previously 0-182 since 1971; that record is now 1-182 after Indiana's comeback.

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Indiana's Game 1 win was their fifth 15-point comeback win this playoffs, the most since 1998.

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Despite Lou Dort's defensive effort (an All-NBA defender who usually shuts down opponents), Haliburton was clutch. While Haliburton's scoring numbers weren't high (14 points total, 12 before the winner, 6 of 13 from the field, 2 of 7 from three), he still had a double-double with 10 rebounds and six assists and was a +12.

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Key stats from Game 1 favoring Indiana despite 24 turnovers (compared to OKC's six): Indiana had a significant rebounding advantage (56 total vs. 39 for OKC, including 43 defensive boards vs. 29 for OKC), preventing second-chance opportunities for OKC.

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Indiana's road record improved to 7-2 this postseason.

NFL Updates

Several pieces of NFL news were covered:

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Aaron Rodgers to the Steelers: Aaron Rodgers has agreed to a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers for $13.65 million. This places him as the 22nd highest-paid quarterback this year by average annual value. Research into his salary history shows this is significantly lower than his previous rankings, including being the highest-paid in 2022, 2018, and 2013-2015. The speaker believes this is "pretty much it" for Rodgers' career and expects him to hang it up after this season, regardless of the Steelers' performance. He is expected to provide more production than Russell Wilson and Justin Fields combined gave the Steelers last year. Rodgers has been working with DK Metcalf in the offseason. It's noted that Arthur Smith's offensive system is different and not known for explosive passing plays, but will certainly have plays designed for Aaron. The defense, however, is expected to remain one of the best in the NFL, especially once a deal is done with TJ Watt.

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Steelers Tight End Situation: Pittsburgh's second tight end reportedly got hurt, leading to rumblings about potential trade talks between Pittsburgh and Miami for tight end Jonnu Smith. The speaker is unsure if anything will develop. The Steelers' offense will look different without George Pickens and Van Jefferson.

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Cleveland Browns Quarterbacks: Shedeur Sanders was seen "lighting it up" in OTAs for the Cleveland Browns. Joe Flacco commented on the younger quarterbacks (Shadore, Kenny Pickett, Dylan Gabriel), stating that while they can look to him and learn, he is not there to mentor but to win the job himself at age 40 or 41. Flacco previously led Cleveland to the playoffs as a comeback player but was routed in the first round.

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Shiloh Sanders: Shiloh Sanders is also making a strong impression with his football IQ and physicality in Tampa, and the speaker feels he will likely make the final roster.

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Derrick Henry's Motivation: After appearing on the Dan Patrick Show, Derrick Henry now has extra motivation for a 2,000-yard rushing season with the Baltimore Ravens. Dan Patrick told Henry that if he achieves the mark this year, he could get him a spot in an Adam Sandler movie, which Henry agreed to ("Okay, bet"). Henry, who was just shy of 2,000 yards last year, said his focus was previously on making the playoffs and winning a championship with Baltimore. This story is framed as a reason for fantasy football fans to confidently draft "King Henry".

The episode concluded by encouraging listeners to enjoy the ongoing NHL and NBA finals.

Elite Sports Talk Ep. 2: NBA & NHL Conference Finals, Finals Forecasts, and NFL Playoff Sleepers

 Elite Sports Talk: Episode #2 Recap - Playoff Dominance and Offseason Predictions

What's going on sports fans? This is a written recap drawing from the latest Elite Sports Talk, episode #2. We covered a lot of ground, from the NBA and NHL conference finals to looking ahead at potential NFL sleeper teams.

NBA Playoffs: Thunder Strike, Timberwolves Falter

The NBA conference finals are still in full swing, and the Oklahoma City Thunder continue to prove why they are a team to reckon with. Their defensive prowess has been on full display throughout the season and postseason. Last night, they dominated the Minnesota Timberwolves, starting to pull away within the first 3-4 minutes of the game.

The Timberwolves really struggled, largely due to turnovers. Players like Julius Randall, Ant-Man (Anthony Edwards), and Nas Reed combined for 12 turnovers alone. The plus-minus numbers paint a clear picture of the game's flow, with Timberwolves players like Julius Randall (-28), McDaniels (-16), Gobert (-7), Conley (-22), and Ant Edwards (-29) all deeply in the minus. Ant Edwards scored 19 points with six boards and two assists, but as mentioned in the podcast, that's just "not going to get it done" against OKC's defense. The Timberwolves committed 21 turnovers in total, leading to 18 points for OKC.

On the other side, the Thunder saw everyone in the plus, including Dort (+24), Shay (+23), Hartenstein (+11), Jaylen Williams (+25), and Chet Holmgren (+21). Five Thunder players scored in double digits, including Isaiah Joe off the bench with 11 points. The "unsung hero" for OKC, as analysts have been discussing, is Alex Caruso, who made pivotal defensive plays and constantly got steals.

Despite the tough loss, Anthony Edwards expressed determination in the post-game press conference, stating, "I'm going to work my butt off this summer. And nobody's going to work harder than me this summer". While he has the skillset of an elite player and is a potential future face of the NBA, he was held below 20 points in three of the five games against OKC, including 19 in the closeout game, shooting 7 of 18 overall and 1 of 7 from three. The Timberwolves were outscored by 29 points in the 39 minutes Edwards was on the court. Edwards himself acknowledged, "they were the better team. They punched us in the face. They won the game. They won the series". The Timberwolves trailed significantly, including 26-9 after the first quarter and even by 39 points at one point.

Looking ahead for the Timberwolves, the possibility of a "craziest NBA offseason" includes pondering where Kevin Durant might land. Given his past connection with Ant Edwards (who considers KD his idol) on Team USA, there's speculation about whether Minnesota could acquire him, which would significantly impact the rest of the roster.

Potential NBA Finals Matchup: OKC's Defense vs. Indiana's Offense?

With OKC looking dominant, the question turns to their potential Finals opponent. The Indiana Pacers look like the likely candidate. While OKC boasts a far superior defense, Indiana has an amazing offense led by Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam.

Haliburton has been incredible, getting better game by game and proving early-season doubters wrong. He recently had a historic performance with 32 points, 12 rebounds, 15 assists, and four steals with zero turnovers, becoming the first player ever with a 30+ point, 10+ rebound, 15+ assist, 0 turnover game. Pascal Siakam, acquired in a trade that was a "great move" for the Pacers, also had a fantastic game with 30 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal, and a block. Other key Pacers players mentioned include Aaron Nesmith, Miles Turner, and Andrew Nembhard.

The Pacers' offense is very good, and they currently hold the best record throughout the playoffs at 11-3, compared to OKC's 12-4 record. While OKC has been dominant at home (8-1), the Pacers have performed well both home (5-2) and on the road (6-1), actually being slightly better on the road.

For the current Pacers-Knicks series, while New York is down 3-1, they still have home court advantage, although their playoff home record (3-5) is worse than their road record. Despite this, the Pacers look "unstoppable", and while the Knicks might win game 5 to extend the series, the Pacers are expected to close it out soon after.

Should it be an Indiana vs. OKC Finals, the series is projected to be a good one, likely going six or even seven games. It's a fascinating matchup between OKC's stifling defense and Indiana's potent offense. Haliburton is expected to maintain his high level of play, even if his scoring is slightly lower, focusing on doing "everything". Pascal Siakam could be a major X-factor for Indiana, similar to how Alex Caruso has been for OKC.

NHL Playoffs: Panthers Advance, Oilers on the Brink

In the NHL, the Florida Panthers have unfortunately ended the season for the Carolina Hurricanes. While Carolina won one game in the series (a 3-0 shutout), they continued a streak of poor performance in the conference finals, with 15 straight losses before game five. The Panthers swept them two seasons ago, the Bruins swept them in 2019, and the Penguins swept them in 2009. Florida is described as having an "allstar roster". Key Panthers performers in the closeout game included Alexander Barkov (2 assists), Sam Bennett (a goal and an assist), Matthew Tkachuk (a goal and an assist), Carter Verhaeghe (a goal), and Sergei Bobrovsky (23 saves).

The other NHL series features a closeout game tonight for the Edmonton Oilers against the Dallas Stars. Edmonton won the last game 4-1. Dallas has a strong home record in the playoffs at 7-2, while Edmonton is 5-3 on the road. Edmonton currently boasts the best overall playoff record at 11-4.

An interesting stat: both the Oilers and Stars are 3-0 in overtime this postseason. If tonight's game goes to OT, it could be one of the best games of the playoffs.

The Oilers, like the Panthers, also boast an "allstar type of a roster" with players like McDavid and others. A fascinating stat shared was that Cory Perry has played more playoff games (230) than several entire NHL franchises (Penguins, Lightning, Bruins, Sharks) since the year 2000 Perry has been in five Stanley Cup Finals, winning only one with Anaheim but losing four in the last five seasons with Dallas, Montreal, Tampa Bay, and Edmonton.

Key Oilers players mentioned include Leon Draisaitl (a goal and an assist), Adam Henrique (a goal), Kapanen (a goal), Connor McDavid (two assists), Cory Perry (a goal and an assist), and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (two assists). Goalie Stuart Skinner had 29 saves in the last game, allowing only one goal. Skinner has a strong playoff record against the Stars at 7-3.

While Dallas has been good at home, their only two home losses this postseason were in Game 1 against Colorado and Game 3 against the Oilers. The prediction is for Edmonton to win tonight and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.

NFL Sleepers for the Upcoming Season

Switching gears to the NFL, let's talk about some potential sleeper teams for the upcoming season.

Last year, the Denver Broncos were a sleeper pick, and they exceeded expectations, partly due to the potential seen in Bo Nix and the coaching of Sean Payton.

This year, the Arizona Cardinals are highlighted as the primary sleeper team. Despite recent subpar performance, the impact of their new head coach (formerly the Eagles' defensive coordinator) is evident in turning the team around. While defense is their biggest current issue, they are actively addressing it. Positives include a stretch where the offensive line didn't give up a sack for several weeks, ranking as one of the best O-lines last year. They have key offensive weapons like James Conner, Marvin Harrison Jr. (who developed great chemistry with Kyler Murray), and Trey McBride, considered a top 3-5 tight end in the league. Other players like Michael Wilson and an improved special teams unit are also mentioned. On defense, Budda Baker continues to play at an elite, All-Pro level. The prediction is for the Cardinals to make the postseason and finish second in their division behind the Los Angeles Rams.

Other potential NFC sleepers mentioned include the Dallas Cowboys, although winning the division might be a stretch. The defense is expected to be strong with the return of key injured starters like Diggs, Bland, their defensive tackle, Micah Parsons, and Overshown. They won seven games last year even after Dak Prescott got hurt. The Atlanta Falcons are also mentioned, as they had the best division record last year and arguably should have won their division.

In the AFC, potential sleepers are harder to pinpoint. The Miami Dolphins could be a possibility if Tua Tagovailoa stays healthy. The New York Jets are also mentioned. The podcast expresses belief that Justin Fields is a very talented quarterback, both as a passer and with his versatility, despite some skepticism from others. With players like Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson, the Jets have potential, though only time will tell.

The Indianapolis Colts are another potential AFC sleeper, but there's significant uncertainty about their quarterback situation. Bringing in Daniel Jones is viewed as a "wildly mistaken" move, citing his limited passing touchdowns in his career. While defense wins championships, the Colts' defense isn't elite yet. Scoring will be key, and unless Jonathan Taylor and Daniel Jones running the ball can account for 4-5 touchdowns per game, it's hard to see them competing like a playoff level team. The possibility of bringing back a veteran like Robert Griffin III (RG3) as a backup or potential starter is discussed as an alternative approach to quarterback development or competition. Other quarterback options like Kenny Pickett from the Browns or Jameis Winston from the Giants are briefly considered, but less enthusiastically.

Wrapping Up

It's an exciting time in the sports world with the NBA and NHL playoffs heating up. We also got a sneak peek at some potential NFL teams to watch. Make sure to tune into the playoff games tonight!

Stay tuned for future episodes of Elite Sports Talk - there might even be a surprise guest! You can find the podcast on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, and iHeart Radio, with content coming soon to YouTube and the blog site. Please subscribe, comment, and like – it's all great stuff for the diehard fans!

QB APY SALARY- Elite Sports Talk episode 1 audio

 

Player	Pos.	Team	Total Value	APY ▾	Total	Avg.	% Guaranteed	P/O RECORD	SB RECORD
	QB				Guaranteed	Guarantee/Year
DAK	1	Cowboys	$240,000,000	$60,000,000	$129,000,000	$32,250,000	53.80%	(2-5)	n/a
J. LOVE	2	Packers	$220,000,000	$55,000,000	$100,800,000	$25,200,000	45.80%	(1-2)	n/a
J. BURROW	3	Bengals	$275,000,000	$55,000,000	$146,510,000	$29,302,000	53.30%	(5-2)	(0-1)
J. ALLEN	4	Bills	$330,000,000	$55,000,000	$147,000,000	$24,500,000	44.50%	(7-6)	n/a
LAWRENCE	5	Jaguars	$275,000,000	$55,000,000	$142,000,000	$28,400,000	51.60%	(1-1)	n/a
TUA	6	Dolphins	$212,400,000	$53,100,000	$93,171,000	$23,292,750	43.90%	(0-1)	n/a
J. GOFF	7	Lions	$212,000,000	$53,000,000	$113,611,832	$28,402,958	53.60%	(5-5)	(0-1)
PURDY	8	49ers	$265,000,000	$53,000,000	$100,000,000	$20,000,000	37.70%	(4-2)	(0-1)
J. HERBERT	9	Chargers	$262,500,000	$52,500,000	$133,738,375	$26,747,675	50.90%	(0-2)	n/a
L. JACKSON	10	Ravens	$260,000,000	$52,000,000	$135,000,000	$27,000,000	51.90%	(3-5)	n/a
J. HURTS	11	Eagles	$255,000,000	$51,000,000	$110,000,000	$22,000,000	43.10%	(6-3)	(1-1)
K. MURRAY	12	Cardinals	$230,500,000	$46,100,000	$103,300,000	$20,660,000	44.80%	(0-1)	n/a
D. WATSON	13	Browns	$230,000,000	$46,000,000	$230,000,000	$46,000,000	100.00%	(1-2)	n/a
MAHOMES	14	Chiefs	$450,000,000	$45,000,000	$63,081,905	$6,308,191	14.00%	(17-4)	(3-2)
K. COUSINS	15	Falcons	$180,000,000	$45,000,000	$90,000,000	$22,500,000	50.00%	(1-4)	n/a
STAFFORD	16	Rams	$80,000,000	$40,000,000	$40,000,000	$20,000,000	50.00%	(5-5)	(1-0)
G. SMITH	17	Raiders	$75,000,000	$37,500,000	$58,500,000	$29,250,000	78.00%	(0-1)	n/a
D. CARR	18	Saints	$150,000,000	$37,500,000	$60,000,000	$15,000,000	40.00%	(0-1)	n/a
DARNOLD	19	Seahawks	$100,500,000	$33,500,000	$37,500,000	$12,500,000	37.30%	(0-1) 2*	n/a
BAKER	20	Buccaneers	$100,000,000	$33,333,333	$40,000,000	$13,333,333	40.00%	(2-3)	n/a
J. FIELDS	21	Jets	$40,000,000	$20,000,000	$30,000,000	$15,000,000	75.00%	n/a	n/a
D. JONES	22	Colts	$14,000,000	$14,000,000	$13,150,000	$13,150,000	93.90%	(1-1)	n/a
CAM WARD	23	Titans	$48,839,604	$12,209,901	$48,839,604	$12,209,901	100.00%	ROOKIE	n/a
RUSS W.	24	Giants	$10,500,000	$10,500,000	$10,000,000	$10,000,000	95.20%	(9-8)	(1-1)
CALEB W.	25	Bears	$39,486,058	$9,871,515	$39,486,058	$9,871,515	100.00%	n/a	n/a
B. YOUNG	26	Panthers	$37,955,074	$9,488,769	$37,955,074	$9,488,769	100.00%	n/a	n/a
J. DANIELS	27	Commanders	$37,746,650	$9,436,663	$37,746,650	$9,436,663	100.00%	(2-1)	n/a
D. MAYE	28	Patriots	$36,639,764	$9,159,941	$36,639,764	$9,159,941	100.00%	n/a	n/a
STROUD	29	Texans	$36,279,246	$9,069,812	$36,279,246	$9,069,812	100.00%	(2-2)	n/a
A.R.	30	Colts	$33,994,030	$8,498,508	$33,994,030	$8,498,508	100.00%	n/a	n/a

2024 NFL RECORDS IF EVERY ONE SCORE GAME WAS REVERSED

PITTSBURGH STEELERS QB-1 SITUATION

Today marks a the start of a new NFL season and with that being said the Steelers now enter the new league year without a starting quarterback on their roster. Earlier today, they brought back a familiar face, Mason Rudolph, who agreed to terms on a two-year, $8 million deal. That’s all fine and dandy, but the reality of the situation is they still need a starter under center. Trust and believe, it will not be Rudolph! All the talk regarding the Steelers' next signal caller is circulating the NFL media by the hour, and it’s clear that everyone is saying it will come down to the likes of either Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson. I, like most, can make an argument for either passer to be the Steelers’ guy going forward. However, they are not the only two available quarterbacks that fit Arthur Smith’s system. There is a plethora of other options for them to choose from if they miss out on Rodgers and don’t re-sign Wilson.

I will start with the guy who is probably the most familiar with the scheme that Arthur Smith and the Steelers run: recently released from the Raiders, Desmond Ridder. Ridder was originally drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 2022 when Smith was their head coach. As their starter for over two seasons, he went 8-9, threw for 3,544 yards, 14 TDs, 12 INTs, completed 64% of his passes, and had a passer rating of 84.1. Those are not exactly the greatest of numbers, though they also aren’t terrible either. It was only 17 games, but the bottom line here is that he is currently a free agent and is arguably the most experienced QB within Arthur’s offense. Plus, Ridder never had the pleasure of playing with a wideout as experienced as D.K. Metcalf. I think this would realistically be the Steelers’ best option outside of Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers, and I think they should be in the mindset of "what-ifs" so that you don’t wind up potentially going into the 2025 season with either Mason Rudolph or Skylar Thompson as your starting option.

The second quarterback on my list that could possibly fill the Steelers' void at QB (if they don’t sign Rodgers or Wilson) would be Trey Lance. Hear me out, I realize that Lance doesn’t have a whole lot of playing experience, which is why if they were to sign him, you don’t waste any time. If it came to this, you would start developing him quickly, see where he is with his progression from Dallas, then pick up from there. He isn’t going to be a complete game changer, but you can’t say he wouldn’t be one of, if not the most, intriguing options. He clearly has loads of upside, but he will need to gain that next level of confidence and fine-tune his mechanics. He has the talent to take off and make defenders miss with his quickness and speed when needed and is a great fit for what Smith wants their offense to look like. Plus, they would save loads of cap space to add another skilled position like J.K. Dobbins, Cam Akers, Nick Chubb, or maybe another receiver such as Stefon Diggs or Cooper Kupp.

My third quarterback option for Pittsburgh may leave many scratching their heads. This last guy hasn’t yet started a single game and is currently the number three QB on the New England Patriots. He is under contract, which would obviously require the Steelers to trade for the said player: Joe Milton III, who spent three years at Michigan prior to transferring to Tennessee, where the incredibly gifted quarterback passed for 4,159 yards (4,664 scrimmage yards), 32 TDs (39 total), with only 5 INTs. The Tennessee alumnus has proven elite arm strength with deep-ball potential, possesses great mobility, athleticism, and has immensely high upside. He can certainly develop into a strong starter in this league given his accuracy and decision-making improvements over time. Milton would probably give the Steelers the best option in the long term, but would more than likely also command more coaching time and development in the short term.

When it comes to the main two guys that have been linked to the Steelers this offseason, Rodgers and Wilson, I think that Rodgers could be a very good option as their starter, but I also believe that he is going to command more cap space and could possibly have a lower floor than Russell at this point in his career. Yes, Aaron still had good numbers last season, even though he didn’t look 100% healthy and was playing like somewhat of a shell of himself at times. Clearly, the signing of wideout D.K. Metcalf makes their offense a bit more attractive; however, they did have a relatively bad O-line last year (PFF ranked Pit O-line #21), ranked 12th in rushing, allowed the 9th most sacks in the league (49), and haven’t yet replaced their two starting running backs from last season (Najee Harris signed a 1-year deal with LAC & Jaylen Warren is a restricted free agent). I should also note that Pittsburgh lost their starting left tackle to the Titans, which could also prove problematic for an aging, less mobile passer like Rodgers. Lastly, even though there are some similarities in the Steelers' offense and what Rodgers likes to play in, the fact of the matter is that he would need to take some time to adapt to fully thrive in that scheme. With a 40-plus-year-old man and a woeful offensive line, I don’t know that would be the equivalent of a good mix.

The final player is none other than Russell Wilson. Last season was up and down for Wilson. He started very well, which is why they never pivoted back to Justin Fields, though he was also playing well. I feel the belief was that Fields limited the ceiling of what their offense could be, while with Russ at the helm, they were putting up more points per game. Obviously, they didn’t exactly light the league on fire, and they ended up in the playoffs; however, they went one and done. The Steelers finished the season on quite the downward spiral, losing 5 straight games. Wilson only threw 16 touchdowns last season while putting up just 2,482 passing yards. Those are porous numbers for a seasoned vet like Wilson. The one good thing you could say is that he limited his mistakes, turning the ball over seven times and only tossing 5 interceptions. You also can’t blame him for all their failures last year. George Pickens didn’t play up to par several times throughout their season and he was Russ’ number one target. They also left a lot to be desired in the run game, and as I previously mentioned, the offensive line allowed the ninth most sacks leaguewide.

If you asked me who I believe is the better QB, I would say Rodgers, but the real question here is who is the best fit for this team with the player personnel, scheme, and everything else regarding the franchise in its current state? To answer that, I would simply say, it’s Russell Wilson, no question! The man already has great chemistry with Metcalf from their years together in Seattle. He also started to gain some kind of traction with Pickens, Calvin Austin, Pat Freiermuth, and knows the playbook. It may not be the best situation for the fans of Steel City, but in terms of the best available options plus their placement in the draft, let’s be real and come to the realization that Russell Wilson gives them the best possible chance to win. Regardless of who they wind up having as the starter next season, the Pittsburgh Steelers will not be Super Bowl contenders because they are just not there yet, and any of the guys they choose to install into their system will not be able to bring them there in one season.

WASHINGTON MARCH-ING TOWARDS NFC’S TOP TEAM

 

 I’m sure everyone’s heard that Washington and San Francisco have struck a deal. This is huge for both parties, as the 49ers will now be moving forward without one of their key offensive pieces who has been their primary option on offense, outside of Christian McCaffrey. San Francisco walks away from this trade gaining more cap space, as Samuel was due to make $21.7 million this season, plus an additional 5th-round pick. The Commanders seem to be swinging for the fences this offseason. Can you blame them? They were extremely close to representing the NFC and returning to the Super Bowl for the first time in over thirty years (their last appearance was in 1992).

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The Commanders' new wide receiver duo should be considered a top-10 tandem in the league. Terry McLaurin is coming off arguably his best season as a pro. He’s been given the nickname "Scary Terry" and for good reason—he just cleared 1,000 yards for the 5th consecutive season while also nearly doubling his best touchdown output of any individual season. Rookie passer Jayden Daniels took a quick liking to his number-one receiver, and though it seemed that their rapport started a little slow, they had one of the strongest connections in the league by the end of the season. The only knock on this Washington offense is the inability to find a secondary reliable option for Daniels when McLaurin is locked down in coverage, like the way their rival, the Eagles' secondary, took him out of the equation. That is the exact reason why this trade will prove to be pivotal in those situations.

This trade cannot go through until the new league year begins on March 12th, but as soon as Deebo gets to the East Coast, you’d better believe that Daniels, McLaurin, Samuel, and Kliff Kingsbury will get to work! Samuel brings versatility to this offense by being able to line up out of the backfield as another option at running back. Kliff has a very intriguing offense, and now with multiple utility players like Austin Ekeler along with Deebo, this should leave opposing defenses somewhat alarmed. Can you imagine seeing Washington’s offense with Samuel, Robinson Jr., and Ekeler all in the backfield (on select plays)? Yeah, try and figure that out as a defense.

A lot has been said that this isn’t that big of a deal and that Deebo Samuel hasn’t been that productive. Firstly, let's remind those individuals that last season, Brandon Aiyuk was injured, Kittle missed a couple of games, Christian McCaffrey missed all but four games, and backup running back Jordan Mason even missed time. All those players suffering injuries would certainly help teams lock in on the best player on the field and double-team Samuel. Another thing that could’ve contributed to the ineffectiveness of the ex-49ers wideout is the fact that their tackle Trent Williams missed six games with an injury himself, giving way for defensive lines to key in on the Niners' backup left tackle to take down quarterback Brock Purdy from his blindside before Deebo could even get open. Given all that they went through last season, I would’ve been very surprised if he had an All-Pro type of season. Quite frankly, though Deebo hasn’t had 1,000 receiving yards nor 70 or more receptions since 2021, he’s had 35 total TDs (tied for 5th among wideouts) and 4,557 combined scrimmage yards (9th among wideouts). You can say that he isn’t a top-10 number-one receiver in this league, but you cannot deny how versatile a player he is and the dynamic he can bring to any offense.