Pittsburgh Steelers: Owner Says Signs Are 'Pointing in That Direction' of Aaron Rodgers Signing in Pittsburgh
A large media contingent surrounded Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin when he spoke Monday at the NFL owners meetings.
Who will start at quarterback for the Steelers next season? Inquiring minds want to know, but Tomlin is preaching patience.
"I'm really comfortable with being unsettled at this time of year, to be quite honest with you," Tomlin said.
The Steelers have Mason Rudolph under contract, but the buzz surrounds Aaron Rodgers, the future Hall of Fame quarterback who is considering signing with the Steelers.
Steelers Owner and President Art Rooney II told reporters Tuesday morning that he has a good feeling about Rodgers signing with Pittsburgh and that signs are "pointing in that direction."
Rodgers and Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf had a private throwing session together over the weekend, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.
It's another step that could help persuade Rodgers to sign with the Steelers. Tomlin confirmed that he met with Rodgers last week and that the session went well.
"We had a really productive day," Tomlin said. "He's been in this thing a long time. I've been in this thing a long time. But there's no substitute for intimacy and spending time together and getting to know one another in a non-competitive environment. So, that was really good. But I don't have any new updates in terms of where the process is. We'll see where it leads us."
Cleveland Browns: Will the Browns Pivot From Deshaun Watson to Kirk Cousins?
Browns Owner Jimmy Haslam said at the annual league meetings that trading for Deshaun Watson in 2022 was a major mistake.
"We took a big swing-and-miss with Deshaun," Haslam said via Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com. "We thought we had the quarterback; we didn't. And we gave up a lot of draft picks to get him, so we've got to dig ourselves out of that hole.
"... [The trade] was an entire organization decision and it ends with Dee [Haslam] and I, so hold us accountable."
Will the Browns target Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons as their next starting quarterback? According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, talk is intensifying that the Browns have strong interest in trading for Cousins. Cleveland Head Coach Kevin Stefanski and Cousins worked together with the Minnesota Vikings when Stefanski was their quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator.
Cousins has a no-trade clause in his contract but might waive it after losing his starting job to Michael Penix Jr. last season. The Falcons don't expect Cousins to participate in upcoming voluntary workouts, according to Head Coach Raheem Morris.
Kenny Pickett is the only healthy quarterback currently on Cleveland's roster. Watson is expected to miss a significant portion of the 2025 season after retearing his Achilles and requiring a second surgery. He has played in just 19 games in three seasons with the Browns after serving an 11-game suspension in 2022 and suffering season-ending injuries in 2023 and 2024.
The Browns own the No. 2 pick in this year's draft, but Haslam did not guarantee Cleveland will select a quarterback at that spot. Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter could be the target for Cleveland, especially if the Tennessee Titans take Miami quarterback Cam Ward with the No. 1 pick.
"It would be great if we could get 'the quarterback,' but we're not going to force it," Haslam said. "We're going to be patient and we're going to try to accumulate as many really good football players as we can."
Cincinnati Bengals: Reaching an Agreement With Trey Hendrickson Remains Difficult
The Bengals and star defensive end Trey Hendrickson are still having difficulty finding common ground.
Hendrickson, who has one year remaining on his current deal, wants a significant raise after reaching 17.5 sacks in each of the last two seasons. The Bengals have given Hendrickson permission to seek a trade, but he would prefer to remain in Cincinnati.
Head Coach Zac Taylor was asked about the impasse at the meetings.
"Trey's been a big part of our team," Taylor said at the annual league meeting in Florida via Ben Baby of ESPN.com. "We want to work through it with him and his agent. We'll just see where it goes."
The Bengals reached offseason agreements with top receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but their defense struggled in 2024 and losing Hendrickson would present another challenge. Taylor would love to continue building the defensive line around Hendrickson.
"Trey's got his production," Taylor said. "Then if you can just build more production from the other three guys as they're mixed around, that's a huge point of emphasis for us."
