Steelers add Super Bowl champion to offensive roster
Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency. This left the Steelers with a significant void on the running back depth chart. But according to NFL reporter Jordan Schultz, Pittsburgh is adding a Super Bowl champion in Philadelphia Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell.
Gainwell served as backup to Saquon Barkley last season, which seriously limited his opportunities. Gainwell finished with just 75 attempts and 290 rushing yards. Gainwell's best season was 2023 when he had 84 carries for 364 rushing yards.
The addition of Gainwell does very little to change the Steelers need to replace Harris. Gainwell is a nice player and adds some value in the return game, which might make him a more likely replacement for Cordarrelle Patterson if he's released to save salary cap. Pittsburgh scouted many of the top running backs in the 2025 NFL draft at the NFL scouting combine and we expect the Steelers to add a playmaker via the draft.
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Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
From route cues to toilet flushing, Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf are getting to know each other quickly at Steelers camp
LATROBE, Pa. — DK Metcalf was setting up a PlayStation in his training camp dorm room on Tuesday when he heard the knock. The Pittsburgh Steelers receiver headed to open his bedroom door, figuring he had his own quarters at the Steelers' Saint Vincent College outpost. Instead, the bathroom door opened … and in walked Aaron Rodgers. 'He popped out of the corner,' Metcalf said. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] The pair of Steelers' star offseason acquisitions are eager to build chemistry and establish rapport. And head coach Mike Tomlin has given them another route to strengthen their communication: by sharing a bathroom for the next month. Rodgers leaned into that communication early when he realized the flushing mechanism on their shared toilet was, well, not quiet. 'The toilet is super loud,' Metcalf told Yahoo Sports on Thursday. 'So he was like, 'Yeah, at night, if we got to piss, just don't flush the toilet.' I was like, 'All right, bet.'' The nightly urge indeed overcame Metcalf around 9:30 Wednesday night so the receiver texted his quarterback to ask: 'You asleep yet?' Rodgers confirmed he was awake. 'All right, bet,' Metcalf texted back, 'I'm about to flush the toilet.' And flush he did. The Steelers hope that Rodgers and Metcalf's rapport will grow not just in their daily routines but also into a consistent problem for defenses. Pittsburgh looks to Rodgers and Metcalf as part of the recipe to winning a playoff game for the first time in nine years and a Super Bowl for the first in 17. Rodgers believes the bonding in the lunchroom and at snack time, in hot afternoon practices and meetings, are key to taking them all the way. 'Most of the 32 teams would probably say something to that accord at this time of the year, but I think there's really only six to eight that have a legitimate chance,' Rodgers said. 'Sometimes it's 10 to 12, and there's teams that surprise you. 'I would say on paper, we're probably one of those 10 to 12.' Even on interception, Rodgers and Metcalf learning During the first throw of team drills in Wednesday's inaugural practice, the Steelers' defense looked more ready to jump off paper than its offense. Metcalf lined up to Rodgers' left alongside running back Jaylen Warren, raising the antennae of linebacker Patrick Queen. But Rodgers wanted to test Metcalf one-on-one on the hitch against a Cover 3 defense. So the quarterback threw it — and Queen intercepted it. Steelers defenders and fans erupted, a splash play landing earlier in camp practice than perhaps expected. Rodgers, entering Year 21, wasn't fazed. 'It's good to get that out of the way,' he said. 'Anybody that's watched me practice over the years, you like to try certain throws at certain times. And anybody that's watched me in games knows I've been pretty stellar taking care of the football over the years. 'I'm going to try to fit certain things in. You got to deal with some sweat on the ball from time to time, so it's going to be a good challenge. 'I'm going to throw some picks. But I'm going to throw some touchdowns, too.' [Get more Steelers news: Pittsburgh team feed] During his NFL career, Rodgers hasn't just thrown some touchdowns, but a full 503 regular-season touchdowns and 45 more in the playoffs. Rodgers joined the Steelers this offseason, a true free agent for the first time, boasting four MVPs to his name and a Super Bowl title. He's advanced to the postseason 12 times since the Packers drafted him in 2005, and he's won a playoff game in seven different years. That breadth and depth of knowledge showed in the Steelers' first walkthrough, when the veteran quarterback was already diagnosing Pittsburgh's defensive looks despite not officially reaching a deal with the club until June 5. 'He was like, 'Oh, they're going to rotate down this. We're going to rotate down there,'' safety DeShon Elliott told Yahoo Sports. 'We're just like, 'All right, bro. Whatever. Bet. You know our defense, f*** it.' 'He's seen so much football.' What Rodgers has seen has not sent him into autopilot nor bred complacency, coaches and teammates say. Elliott said Rodgers scans safeties longer presnap than any quarterback he's faced in seven years, while rookie quarterback Will Howard says Rodgers questions just about every element of meetings to ensure he understands a play's intent. Why audible to this play rather than that? Why not change the quarterback's footwork on this run scheme, and open up like that on a jet motion? 'Just constantly as we're going through the install, 'Hey, on this one, why are we canning this one to this?'' Howard told Yahoo Sports. 'Constantly inquisitive and it's not necessarily a shot at anyone, it's not an ego thing at all with him. He's just curious. 'He just genuinely wants to know.' That excites offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who began tailoring elements of his offense to Rodgers in mid-March, conversing with the quarterback multiple times before Rodgers officially signed in June after organizing matters in his personal life. Smith sees a quarterback with plenty left in the tank at age 41, in mind and in body. 'He's not a rigid thinker and neither am I so, that makes it easier when you're having those conversations [on] how you want to adapt,' Smith told Yahoo Sports. 'When you watch him at the end of last year when he got healthy, he still throws the football [well]. 'He still moves around pretty good.' Thanks to Rodgers, Steelers' offseason moves speak to 2025 horizon first Rodgers doesn't arrive to the Steelers coming off the best year of his two-decade career, but he doesn't arrive far from it. It was just in 2020 when Rodgers scorched the NFL to the tune of 48 touchdowns to just five interceptions, completing a whopping 70.7% of pass attempts. He won MVP honors with a league-best 121.5 passer rating that season and again the next year with a league-best 111.9. Even so, the Packers traded Rodgers to the Jets before the 2023 season — and the star's high-profile move from Green Bay to New York fell short of its lofty dreams. Rodgers tore his Achilles four plays into his Jets debut in 2023. Then, even at 40 years old, he rebounded to play all 17 games in 2024 despite league wisdom that players typically won't return to their peak until 18 to 24 months post-tear. Rodgers completed 63% of his passes for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last season as the 5-12 Jets spiraled, firing their head coach and general manager midseason. The franchise did not want Rodgers back under new head coach Aaron Glenn and new general manager Darren Mougey. Rodgers sought a more stable and win-now operation for what he has said is likely the final season of his career. The Steelers met the bill. If the Steelers fall short this season, they will not fall short for lack of roster-building effort. A normally quiet-in-the-offseason club upgraded to Rodgers at quarterback and traded for Metcalf before dealing its 2024 leading receiver, George Pickens. The Steelers also acquired Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith, albeit at the cost of three-time All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. Extensions included a record-setting contract for edge rusher T.J. Watt and a secondary-stabilizing extension for Elliott. The Steelers prioritized players who could contribute immediately while not fully sacrificing their future. And they did it in large part because they know their Rodgers window could close by January or February. The shakeup is no guarantee. But players are buying in. 'I think we're going to shock a lot of people,' Metcalf said. 'I know there are questions about, 'Can we figure it all out?' I mean, we're at a destination [for training camp], so we have no choice but to learn each other, figure each other out. We have no choice but to get better on offense versus defense every day.' And no choice, it turns out, but to learn each other's toilet preferences and communicate accordingly. 'Hell, yeah, you got to,' Metcalf said. 'That toilet is loud. If somebody's asleep, it's gonna wake them up.'
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
NFL Top 100: Jaguars DE Josh Hines-Allen is No. 63, faces Arizona Cardinals in 2025
The Cardinals face Jaguars DE Josh Hines-Allen, the No. 63 player in the 'NFL Top 100,' in Week 12. This week, the NFL had its fourth week of revealing players in the "NFL Top 100." This week was about revealed Nos. 61-70. Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride came in at No. 65. On Thursday, a player the Cardinals will face as an opponent in 2025 was included. Coming in at No. 63 is Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen. He was No. 35 in 2024. Center Mitch Morse, the Jaguars' starter last season in the final year of his NFL career, said that players like Hines-Allen make him glad he wasn't a tackle. Tight end Evan Engram called him a "game-wrecker" in both against the run and rushing the passer. His sack production declined last season. After 17.5 sacks in 2023 with 17 tackles for loss and 33 quarterback hits, making the Pro Bowl for the first time, he had eight sacks, 10 tackles for loss and 19 quarterback hits last season. The Cardinals will host the Jaguars in 2025 in Week 12. Luckily, they have the tackle quality to be able to handle or at least limit him. 'NFL Top 100' opponents for Cardinals in 2025 Of the 30 players in the top 100 revealed as of the end of last week, the Cardinals face the following: Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe onSpotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
49ers linked to trio of best remaining NFL free agents
San Francisco training camp is officially underway from the SAP Performance Facility in Santa Clara, Calif. That means the 49ers' 2025 NFL season is finally getting close. As San Francisco ramps up for the campaign ahead during training camp, there could still be a move or two left by the front office before the season arrives. Pro Football Network likes three of the best remaining NFL free agents as potential fits with the 49ers. PFN included free agent wide receivers Amari Cooper and Gabe Davis and free agent running back Jeff Wilson Jr. as players that would make sense in San Francisco. Cooper reeled in 44 catches for 547 yards and four scores a season ago across 14 games with the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills. The five-time Pro Bowler would make sense for a 49ers squad that doesn't have a timetable for Brandon Aiyuk's return and that has another top receiver in Jauan Jennings angling for a contract extension. Here's what PFN said about Cooper and a possible with with the 49ers: Arguably the top free agent still available, Amari Cooper has a tremendous track record and was a Pro Bowl just two seasons ago. Though he had 1,250 receiving yards in 2023, he dipped down to 547 yards between stints in Cleveland and Buffalo in 2024. Neither team used him as the top target he had previously been. Cooper deserves a chance at a starting role to prove he still has a lot left in the tank. The five-time Pro Bowl could make sense for WR-needy teams pushing for a deep playoff run like the Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers. - PFN Another option at wide receiver could be Davis. Still just 26 years old, Davis was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars just one season into a three-year, $39 million contract after a disappointing 2024 campaign where he caught just 20 passes for 239 yards and a pair of touchdowns. It was easily the least productive season of Davis' career to this point and it concluded with a season-ending torn meniscus after just 10 games played. Maybe that sets the 49ers up to land Davis at a discount, though. Davis is only 26 years old, so he should have plenty of football left in him, even after his injury. He would be best suited in an offense that allows him to maximize his vertical capabilities. That said, keep an eye on some playoff contenders to consider him on a discounted one-year deal before he signs another contract next offseason. - PFN Lastly, PFN linked San Francisco to Wilson. The 29-year-old began his career as an undrafted free agent with the 49ers where he was San Francisco's leading rusher during the 2020 season with 126 carries for 600 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Wilson had just 16 carries last season with the Dolphins and a return to San Francisco is a fit that might make sense for all parties. The 49ers still have $45.3 million in effective cap space according to Over The Cap.
