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Aaron Rodgers isn’t the only hot-button topic currently surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers. While the Steelers continue to wait for the legendary quarterback to make up his mind, there have been some rumblings regarding the future of Pittsburgh wideout George Pickens following the team’s recent trade for two-time Pro Bowl wideout DK Metcalf.

Pickens essentially threw gasoline on the proverbial fire when he recently posted a photo on social media of him standing alongside Tom Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback and Las Vegas Raiders minority owner.

When the Steelers traded for Metcalf, the thought was that the Steelers want to see how Pickens’ game would elevate with another top-tier wideout playing opposite him. That is likely still the plan for the Steelers, but it’s safe to assume that Pittsburgh would at least explore trading Pickens if a team reached out and made it an offer that made sense. Pickens is entering the last year of his rookie contract, and it’s unlikely the Steelers will bring him back after signing Metcalf to a five-year, $150 million deal.

If the Steelers do consider trading Pickens, they would probably want a player who can replace him in the starting lineup as part of the transaction. Pittsburgh is trying to snap its eight-year drought without a playoff win and need proven assets at the skill positions in order to possibly do that.

Several NFL teams would want Pickens, a 2022 second-round pick who ranked second in the NFL in average yards per catch in 2023. Here’s a look at five possible options if Pittsburgh elects to trade Pickens this offseason.

DK Metcalf trade grades: Steelers boost offense with bold acquisition of Seahawks’ two-time Pro Bowl wideout
Bryan DeArdo
DK Metcalf trade grades: Steelers boost offense with bold acquisition of Seahawks’ two-time Pro Bowl wideout
Raiders
Pickens’ recent social media post made the Raiders’ inclusion on this list inevitable. But even if Pickens didn’t post that picture of he and Brady, the Raiders make sense as a possible trade partner given their current receiver situation.

Las Vegas desperately needs a receiver and would likely trade as high as a second-round pick to acquire one of Pickens’ stature. The Raiders, however, don’t have any receivers the Steelers would likely want sans veteran Jakobi Meyers, who recorded a career-high 1,087 receiving yards in 2024. Unless Las Vegas would be willing to deal Myers, this trade would likely revolve more around draft capital.

Broncos
Denver is intriguing as it has two possible trade candidates in Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims. Sutton, a seven-year veteran who caught 81 passes for 1,081 yards and eight touchdowns last season, is entering the final year of his current contract. Mims, a 2023 second-round pick, caught six touchdown passes last year and was named to the Pro Bowl as a returner the past two seasons.

Based on his talent and contract situation, it’s more than possible that Denver may be willing to part with Sutton in exchange for Pickens, whose big-play potential could help Bo Nix take the next step following a highly successful rookie season. In return, the Steelers would get a productive veteran wideout (Sutton) to pair with Metcalf. It’s also conceivable to assume that the Steelers would have a better shot at signing Sutton to a new deal than Pickens. Sutton, 29, has already signed one big contract, whereas Pickens is surely eyeing his first big deal next offseason.

49ers
San Francisco would make sense on several fronts. With Pickens in tow, the 49ers would have flexibility when it comes to Brandon Aiyuk, the formerly disgruntled wideout who suffered a season-ending injury last year following a lengthy and nasty holdout. Aiyuk ultimately got his new contract, but it didn’t come without some collateral damage. The 49ers could have Aiyuk and Pickens for at least one season before possibly moving Aiyuk.

The 49ers could trade Aiyuk to the Steelers, but Pittsburgh wouldn’t want to take on his salary. This trade would likely be about the Steelers acquiring a high draft pick unless the 49ers would be willing to deal Jauan Jennings, a 2020 seventh-round pick who set career highs last year with 77 receptions for 975 yards and six touchdowns. Pittsburgh would probably still need some sort of additional competition in this scenario.

Colts
Indianapolis has a solid receiving corps but it still might be interested in trading for a top-tier wideout who can help Anthony Richardson reach his potential. The Colts have two possible trade candidates in Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce. Pittman is going into the second year of a three-year, $70 million deal. Pierce, who led the NFL in average yards per catch last year, is entering the final year of his rookie contract.

Pierce is younger, but the better option in a possible trade might be Pittman, a more proven player who has two years remaining on a very affordable contract.

Cardinals
Arizona needs to bolster its receiving corps if it’s going to contend for a playoff spot in 2025. A proven wideout would also help open things up for Marvin Harrison Jr. following his good but not great rookie season. Pickens would fit the bill, although it would likely cost Arizona a second-round pick since veteran Zay Jones is likely the only wideout Pittsburgh would be interested in.

This trade would probably end up helping Arizona more than Pittsburgh. With Pickens, the Cardinals would have a pretty impressive list of skill players that also includes Harrison, quarterback Kyler Murray, tight end Trey McBride and former Steelers Pro Bowl running back James Conner.

Ja’Marr Chase reset the non-quarterback market with his new four-year, $161 million deal (with $112 million guaranteed), as the Bengals broke the bank to keep Joe Burrow happy this offseason by re-signing his two top targets in Chase and Tee Higgins.

Chase has been one of the NFL’s most productive and consistent receivers since joining the Bengals, as he and Burrow picked up right where they left off at LSU. Over his four years in Cincinnati, Chase has 395 catches for 5,425 yards and 46 touchdowns, acclimating himself quickly to life in the NFL and establishing himself as one of the best pass-catchers in all of football. While the on-field transition has been easy, off the field Chase is still trying to get used to life in southern Ohio.

On Wednesday, Chase and Higgins met with the media in Cincinnati to discuss their new contracts, and Chase couldn’t help but note that while he has set down roots and come to love the city, he still isn’t used to the (in his eyes) less than stellar food.

“At the end of the day, the food’s not the best, but we can work on that,” Chase said with a laugh. “I’m from New Orleans, I’m not used to the food yet.”

I’m sure the Skyline Chili defenders will be readying their replies to Chase, but it’s hard to blame a man that grew up in one of the great food cities in the world, New Orleans, for finding it hard to adapt to the cuisine of Cincinnati. I particularly love that Chase tries to position it as an area for improvement with the “we can work on that,” like Cincinnati just needs to get in the kitchen and grind a little harder. With $112 million guaranteed, Chase could do his part and import a couple chefs from New Orleans to open a restaurant and help bring Cincy’s food scene up to his standards.

The QB carousel continues to spin in the NFL. While some teams around the league have found their signal-caller moving toward the 2025 season, the Cleveland Browns are still turning over some stones. The club brought in Kenny Pickett via a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles and hosted Russell Wilson on a free agent visit. Now, they’re circling another free agent: Carson Wentz.

The Browns have interest in potentially signing Wentz as a bridge quarterback in the event that they don’t land Wilson, according to Cleveland.com. That interest is reportedly mutual from the Wentz camp.

As it relates to Wilson, his movement seems to be tied to whenever Aaron Rodgers makes his free agent decision. By the looks of things, the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants, two of the teams notably interested in Rodgers, prefer the former Jets quarterback to Wilson. Whoever doesn’t land Rodgers (maybe both if he opts to retire) could then pivot to Wilson, thus taking him off the board for Cleveland and creating a clearer path for Wentz. Of course, Wilson could simply choose the Browns at any point if he doesn’t want to continue waiting on Rodgers, Pittsburgh, and New York.

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Carson Wentz
KC • QB • #11
CMP%
63.2
YDs
118
TD
0
INT
0
YD/Att
6.21
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If the dominoes fall in such a manner that Wilson no longer becomes an option for Cleveland, a pact with Wentz would be quite the turn of events considering their history. Back in 2016, the Browns traded the No. 2 overall pick to the Philadelphia Eagles, who then went on to select Wentz out of North Dakota State. Fast forward nearly a decade later and these two sides could unite after all.

Wentz, 32, spent the 2024 season as the backup to Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City. He started the team’s Week 18 matchup against the Denver Broncos and completed 10 of his 17 pass attempts for 98 yards. Before that, he was backup in Los Angeles with the Rams in 2023, while also having stints with the Washington Commanders and Indianapolis Colts after being traded out of Philadelphia in March 2021.

Given that Wentz has primarily been a backup over the past few seasons, he’d come as a cheaper option for the Browns, who continued to be saddled with Deshaun Watson’s contract. While Watson’s second Achilles tear created an even more apparent need at the position, the Browns could use a reset.

Wentz’s presence also shouldn’t preclude the Browns from possibly taking a quarterback later this spring in the NFL Draft where they possess the No. 2 overall pick. In theory, they could position Wentz as the bridge quarterback to whichever signal-caller they take there until they are ready to ascend to QB1.

For his career, Wentz has started 94 career games in the regular season and owns a 47-46-1 record along with an 89.3 career passer rating.

The problem for the Bengals is that the Chiefs are not playing Patrick Mahomes and their other starters because Kansas City has nothing to play for after having wrapped up the division and No. 1 seed. Now, the Bengals will have to rely on Carson Wentz and Chiefs backups to help get them into the postseason if Cincinnati can hold up its end of the bargain on Saturday.

The Bengals are facing a much better situation when it comes to the Dolphins, as head coach Mike McDaniel revealed that quarterback Tyler Huntley is preparing for another start with Tua Tagovailoa dealing with a hip injury. The Jets are expected to play their starters.

For the Steelers, they need the Baltimore Ravens to lose to the Cleveland Browns in order to secure to AFC North with a win over the Bengals. Even if the Ravens win, the Steelers are still playing for seeding and win a would lock them into the No. 5 spot and a matchup with the struggling Houston Texans.

Now, a look at expert picks and score predictions for this crucial AFC North showdown between the Steelers and Bengals.

NFL picks, score predictions for Bengals vs. Steelers
Bill Bender, Sporting News: Bengals 27, Steelers 22

Bender: “The Bengals need a win and Denver and Miami losses to make the AFC playoffs. The Steelers need a win and a Baltimore loss to win the AFC North. The Steelers won a 44-38 shootout in Week 17. Joe Burrow, who has three or more TD passes in eight straight games, puts the pressure on the Broncos and Dolphins by leading Cincinnati to a victory here.”

Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: Bengals 27, Steelers 20

Iyer: “The Steelers aren’t finding enough offense with a dormant running game and a limited passing game, timed with some cracks on the other side. Joe Burrow has played like he’s possessed and obsessed that Cincinnati makes history as the latest 0-3 team to eventually make the playoffs. Burrow will pad his MVP-caliber stats plenty to do his part in getting the team into the final wild-card position.”

Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: Bengals 28, Steelers 23

Prisco: “The Bengals are still in the playoff chase, but they need to win this and get help. The Steelers will know when this kicks off if they can win the division or not, depending on what the Ravens do. But it still will impact seeding. I think Baltimore wins, so the Steelers would not need the game. The Bengals and Joe Burrow take it.”

Jeremy Cluff, Arizona Republic: Bengals 24, Steelers 23

Cluff: “The Bengals have to win this game to have a shot at the playoffs. Joe Burrow and company will edge the Steelers late on road.”

The team’s struggles have led to many questions about the future of the organization, specifically Mayo and Wolf.

While there have been reports that Mayo is safe from a firing this offseason, NFL insider Adam Schefter believes that another rough loss in Week 18 could lead to changes in New England.

“I think the Krafts have wanted to give Jerod Mayo every opportunity, and I still think that that’s the case,” Schefter said on the “Pat McAfee Show” earlier this week. “Again, you never put too much into any one game, but if there’s another game like (their 40-7 loss to the Los Angles Chargers in Week 17) at the end of the year, then I think that’s gonna lead to discussions.

“I think that they want to stick with Jerod Mayo. This is a guy that they’ve believed in. He’s a guy they promoted. He’s a guy that they’ve stood behind. There are things they have to address. This is a team that needed help at wide receiver and traded the draft pick that became Ladd McConkey to the Chargers. They traded that pick, and they used the picks they got back in return on Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, I believe. They need to get some things straightened out. Right now, they’re in position to secure the No. 1 pick in the draft.”

The Patriots may be limited with their options in this Week 18 finale against the Buffalo Bills, as their top defensive player (cornerback Christian Gonzalez) is in concussion protocol, and their top offensive player (rookie quarterback Drake Maye) was limited in practice on Wednesday.

If the team looks like they’ve given up, stopped trying and gets blown out, the Krafts will have to do some serious thinking before Black Monday.

Ndubuisi, 24, originally entered the NFL through the league’s International Player Pathway Program from Nigeria in 2022 as an offensive tackle with the Arizona Cardinals. The following year, he switched to defensive tackle with the Denver Broncos, and he spent the entire 2023 season on their practice squad.

After a brief stint with the UFL’s San Antonio Brahmas, he signed with Washington and has been on their practice squad all year.

With just one game left in the season, the Patriots probably won’t get a full look at Ndubuisi, but this could give them a head start at their roster building for 2025.

Speaking with the media on Wednesday, Wise expressed his willingness to return to the Patriots for 2025 and beyond.

“I would love to return,” Wise said. “I love it here. I love the Patriots, the Nation, all of that. If everything works out to where I’m back, I’ll enjoy it. And, if not, it was a wonderful time here.”

New England selected Wise in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft out of Arkansas and since then, he’s appeared in 125 games, recorded 311 tackles (34 for a loss), 90 quarterback hits, 34 sacks, 12 passes defensed and five forced fumbles. He’s won a Super Bowl with the club and developed into a leader.

The Patriots will need to make tough choices this offseason with the goal of improving their roster, and moving on from Wise and upgrading on the edge may be one.

Joseph leads the NFL with nine interceptions and his 12 passes defensed are tied for second among safeties behind teammate Brian Branch. Joseph also sports the highest Pro Football Focus overall (90.7) and coverage (91.5) grades at the position, and the 13th-best run defense grade (82.6).

When it comes to raw coverage totals, Joseph is having an elite season there, also. Among safeties who have played 80% of coverage snaps this season, Joseph ranks second in completion rate allowed (59.3) and seventh in passer rating, per PFF.

Congratulations to the #Lions named to the 2025 Pro Bowl Games❗️ pic.twitter.com/wM5wOXh5tI

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) January 2, 2025
Literally every single metric says that Joseph is one of the best safeties, if not THE best safety in the NFL this season. Not only should he be a Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro, he should be in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year.

This snub is egregious, no other way to put it, and the people responsible for the snub only makes it worse.

Before you go blaming NFL fans, it should be noted that Joseph was tops among free safeties in the fan portion of voting, so he was failed by coaches and players who make up one-third of the voting each. Don’t these guys know ball?

Joseph apparently got the heads up that he didn’t make the cut on Wednesday night and tweeted this in response.

Schooler, 27, originally joined the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2022 after playing collegiately at Oregon and Texas. Taking over for Matthew Slater as the team’s top gunner in 2024, Schooler has excelled, recording 11 total tackles and even getting some run on defense, earning the first two sacks of his career.

It’s interesting that more Patriots didn’t make the roster, as punter Bryce Baringer, cornerback Christian Gonzalez and punt returner Marcus Jones were definitely deserving of consideration. If other players drop out, there’s a strong chance that they’ll be chosen as replacements.