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Steelers’ Le’Veon Bell Discusses Future

By | at January 14, 2018 7:10 pm

Earlier this week, Le’Veon Bell threatened to retire or sit out the 2018 season if he was franchised. However, following the Steelers loss to the Jaguars today, the running back emphasized that he’d like to remain in Pittsburgh.

Le'Veon Bell (vertical)“Of course,” Bell said when asked if he wanted to return to the Steelers next season (via ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell). “I never want to leave this city, but obviously, circumstances and things like that. But I definitely don’t.”

The Steelers are expected to slap Bell with the franchise tag for the second straight season, which means the running back would earn around $14.5MM. Despite the fact that that value would be the highest salary of Bell’s career, the Pro Bowler is pursuing a lucrative long-term contract. The running back is reportedly also eyeing a deal that would account for his importance in the passing game.

After compiling 67 yards on the ground and 88 yards through the air, Bell admitted that he wasn’t thinking of his next contract following the disappointing loss.

“Just the fact that I lost a game, I kind of feel the same way. All four games we lost this year, I feel the same way,” he said. “I hadn’t thought about it. I’ll go back, and tomorrow when I wake up, it might cross my mind, but I haven’t made it that far yet.”

Bell also noted that the Steelers have the right roster to make another run at a Super Bowl championship.

“I think we get everyone healthy, it can even be more special,” he said. “Give credit to [Antonio Brown]. He went out there at whatever percent and still gave his all. Obviously, wasn’t himself. Still made plays. Being incredible. Guys like that, you can’t come across all the time.”

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Ben Roethlisberger Plans To Return In 2018

By | at January 14, 2018 4:24 pm

Speaking after today’s Divisional Round loss to the Jaguars, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger told reporters that he plans to continue his NFL career in 2018.Ben Roethlisberger

“I don’t know everybody’s contract situation, but I know the guys up front are signed, and that’s good for me,” said Roethlisberger. “So I look forward to next year with those guys.”

Roethlisberger, 35, mulled retirement prior to the 2017 campaign, and further reports indicated he could consider hanging up his cleats again this offseason. But following a season which was largely in line with his career norms (64.2% completion rate, 28 touchdowns, 92.4 quarterback rating), Roethlisberger sounds as though he’s eager to return in 2018.

As Roethlisberger alluded to, Pittsburgh’s starting offensive line is signed through at least 2018. But one of Roethlisberger’s key weapons — running back Le’Veon Bell — is a pending free agent and has threatened to retire if he’s franchise-tagged for a second consecutive season. Changes could theoretically occur on the Steelers’ coaching staff, as well, as Roethlisberger’s relationship with offensive coordinator Todd Haley is said to be especially strained.

The Steelers don’t have much of a succession plan to replace Roethlisberger for the long term, as neither backup Landry Jones or 2017 fourth-round pick Joshua Dobbs are considered realistic starters. As such, Pittsburgh has been eyeing 2018 draft-eligible quarterbacks closely, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link), and could select a passer in this year’s draft.

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Steelers Notes: Brown, Bell, Haley

By | at January 14, 2018 10:15 am

Antonio Brown is likely to play in the Steelers’ divisional round contest against Jacksonville this afternoon, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports, although Schefter adds that Brown’s injured calf is not close to being fully healed. The league’s top wideout, who is one month removed from the partially torn left calf muscle that forced him to miss the final two games of the regular season, will go through pregame warmups to test the calf, but as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets, every expectation is that Brown will play and will play regularly. Brown was forced to miss Friday’s practice because of an illness, but he was a full participant in practices on Wednesday and Thursday, and Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets that Brown’s illness will not impact his playing status [Twitter update: Brown is active, per Schefter].

Now for several more notes on the AFC North champions:

  • His idle threats notwithstanding, no one expects Le’Veon Bell to retire or sit out the 2018 season if he is hit with the franchise tag for the second straight year, least of all the Steelers themselves. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (video link), the Steelers are indeed expected to put the franchise tag on Bell, which has been a foregone conclusion for some time now. As Rapoport observes, Pittsburgh has historically refused to cede to the demands of players who threaten to sit out, and he does not expect the club to change it standard operating procedure for Bell. If Bell does play 2018 under the tag, he will have earned roughly $26.5MM over the 2017-18 seasons, while he would have earned $30MM if he signed the long-term deal the Steelers offered him last year. Nonetheless, we will still need to wait to see what the future holds before we can say for sure whether that was a wise financial move for Bell.
  • We heard at the end of December that the relationship between Ben Roethlisberger and OC Todd Haley is strained, but Rapoport goes one step further, saying that the relationship “is in as bad of a place as it’s been in years.” Nonetheless, Roethlisberger has thrived under Haley’s leadership, which puts the Steelers in something of a bind. Haley’s contract expires at the end of the season, so Pittsburgh will need to decide whether it wants to bring him back and hope he and Big Ben can put aside their personal differences since the on-field product has been so good, or whether it wants to move on. Of course, the decision could be made for the Steelers if Roethlisberger makes good on his threat to retire, or if offensive line coach Mike Munchak gets a head coaching job elsewhere and brings Haley with him, which Rapoport says is a distinct possibility.
  • Speaking of Munchak, who has already interviewed with the Cardinals for their head coaching job, we heard this morning that he could be a dark horse candidate for the Giants’ HC vacancy.
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Antonio Brown To Be A Game-Time Decision?

By | at January 12, 2018 7:02 pm

The Steelers have been without star wideout Antonio Brown since the middle of their week 15 contest against the Patriots. While the team expected that the 29-year-old would be ready for their divisional round contest, Brown is set to be a game-time decision on Sunday, a source tells Pro Football Talk (Twitter link).

Antonio Brown (vertical)

Brown has been recovering from a partially torn calf muscle, but the injury has lagged perhaps longer than Pittsburgh expected. The veteran receiver relies on quickness and sharp cuts rather than sheer strength, so this particular injury could have even more of an impact than it would on other bigger star playmakers.

The eight-year vet had produced what could have been his best statistical year during the regular season. He caught over 100 passes in 14 games and his 1,533 yards ranks third-most for a season in Brown’s career. The All-pro also reeled in nine touchdowns in 2017.

However, the Steelers wouldn’t be without weapons should Brown miss their first playoff game. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Martavis Bryant and Jesse James would be the primary receiving threats in his absence. Obviously Ben Roethlisberger would rely on star running back Le’Veon Bell even more with Brown on the sidelines.

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Le’Veon Bell Threatens To Sit Out 2018 Or Retire If Tagged

By | at January 11, 2018 4:23 pm

Barring something drastic changing by March, the Steelers are going to use the franchise tag on Le’Veon Bell for a second straight year.

If the parties fail to work out a deal by the July deadline, Bell could threaten a hard-line stance. The Pittsburgh ball-carrier said Thursday he would consider sitting out the entire 2018 season or retiring rather than play on the tag again, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes, adding Bell would probably retire if he did sit out an entire season.

“It will eventually come down to me playing on the tag or not,” Bell said, via Fowler. “They tag me again, it will be me [saying], ‘OK, do I want to play on the tag or do I not want to play on the tag?’ That’s what it comes down to. If I was a free agent and they let me go, be a free agent, then yeah, I’m going to go explore free agency, test the market.”

A second Bell tag would be for around $14.5MM, guaranteed once the tender is signed, so Bell would be walking away from the highest salary of his career and a figure no other running back can come close to matching in a season.

Bell will turn 26 in the offseason and will be coming off a 404-touch season — by far the most of his career — and plays a position where bouncing back from these high-workload campaigns has proven difficult.

“Just get the numbers straight, exactly where we want them. I’m not going to settle for anything,” Bell said, via Fowler. “I know what I do and what I bring to the table. I’m not going out here getting the ball 400 times if I’m not getting what I feel I’m valued at.”

Bell referencing touches could reflect he’s again hoping for a deal that also takes into account his role as Pittsburgh’s No. 2 wide receiver, which came up during the sides’ latest round of negotiations. Bell’s camp reportedly turned down an offer that would have paid him $30MM over the 2017 and ’18 seasons, so playing on back-to-back tags would end up costing him. And having not agreed to a deal this year deprives him of a key prime season that could be used in negotiations. But it’s undeniable how valuable he is to the Steelers, who have never had a running back prior to Bell land on two All-Pro first teams.

“I’ve made a lot of money; I’m happy where I’m at; I’ve got a good family — I don’t really need to play football,” Bell said. “Right now, I’m just kind of doing it because I love it. Now, I’ve done everything but own a Super Bowl …

“I don’t necessarily care about the money aspect of it. I just want to be valued where I’m at. If I am playing this game, I want to set standards for all the other running backs behind me, like Todd Gurley and Ezekiel Elliott, Melvin Gordon, guys like that. I’m a guy they can kind of look at. I feel I can do that. I’m in a position where I can do that, and I’m going to do it.”

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Antonio Brown To Be 100 Percent Vs. Jags?

By | at January 7, 2018 5:47 pm

The three weeks of rest look to have Antonio Brown ready to return to action after a partially torn calf sidelined him.

While the Steelers’ top weapon was set to be ready to return to action for the team’s second-round game, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (video link) the four-time All-Pro wide receiver’s calf setback is not much of a concern presently.

Brown is expected to be back at full strength, with Rapoport saying he could have played today had Pittsburgh been required to, for the Steelers’ rematch against the Jaguars next Sunday.

Prior to Brown going down in Week 15 against the Patriots, he had not missed a regular-season game due to injury during his run of four consecutive All-Pro distinctions. Brown did, however, miss a 2015 divisional-round game because of a concussion. The Steelers, who have also seen injuries to Le’Veon Bell and Ben Roethlisberger injuries limit the team at key junctures over the past three seasons, will at least enter this year’s playoff bracket with each of their cornerstone performers healthy.

Despite missing 2 1/2 games, Brown led the NFL with 1,533 receiving yards.

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2018 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Tracker

By | at January 7, 2018 3:25 pm

While at least six NFL teams are making head coaching changes this offseason, the number of clubs replacing offensive and/or defensive coordinators figures to be much higher than that. In addition to all those teams hiring new head coaches, who may want to bring in their own assistants, several clubs also figure to make changes on one side of the ball or the other after getting disappointing results in 2017. And, of course, the teams whose coordinators landed head coaching jobs will need to replace them.

With reports circulating on potential candidates, interview requests, and actual meetings, we’ll use the space below to keep tabs on all the latest updates on teams hiring new offensive and/or defensive coordinators. This post, which will be updated daily, can be found under the “PFR Features” menu on the right-hand side of the site.

Updated 3-6-18 (5:53pm CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals (Out: Harold Goodwin)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Rick Dennison)

Carolina Panthers (Out: Mike Shula)

  • Norv Turner, former offensive coordinator (Vikings): Hired

Chicago Bears (Out: Dowell Loggains)

  • Mark Helfrich, former head coach (Oregon): Hired

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Bill Lazor, interim offensive coordinator (Bengals): Retained

Cleveland Browns (vacant)

Denver Broncos

  • Bill Musgrave, interim offensive coordinator (Broncos): Retained

Detroit Lions

  • Jim Bob Cooter, offensive coordinator (Lions): Retained

Green Bay Packers (Out: Edgar Bennett)

Indianapolis Colts (Out: Rob Chudzinski)

Kansas City Chiefs (Out: Matt Nagy)

  • Eric Bieniemy, running backs coach (Chiefs): Promoted

Miami Dolphins (Out: Clyde Christensen)

  • Dowell Loggains, former offensive coordinator (Bears): Hired

Minnesota Vikings (Out: Pat Shurmur)

New York Giants (Out: Mike Sullivan)

New York Jets (Out: John Morton)

Oakland Raiders (Out: Todd Downing)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Frank Reich)

Pittsburgh Steelers (Out: Todd Haley)

Seattle Seahawks (Out: Darrell Bevell)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Terry Robiskie)

Defensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals (Out: James Bettcher)

  • Al Holcomb, linebackers coach (Panthers): Hired

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Dean Pees)

Carolina Panthers (Out: Steve Wilks)

  • Eric Washington, defensive line coach (Panthers): Promoted

Chicago Bears

  • Vic Fangio, defensive coordinator (Bears): Retained

Cincinnati Bengals (Out: Paul Guenther)

Detroit Lions

  • Paul Pasqualoni, defensive line coach (Boston College): Hired

Green Bay Packers (Out: Dom Capers)

Houston Texans (Out: Mike Vrabel)

  • Romeo Crennel, assistant head coach (Texans): Hired

Indianapolis Colts (Out: Ted Monachino)

  • Matt Eberflus, linebackers coach (Cowboys): Hired

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Gus Bradley, defensive coordinator (Chargers): Retained

New England Patriots (Out: Matt Patricia)

New York Giants

Oakland Raiders (Out: John Pagano)

  • Paul Guenther, defensive coordinator (Bengals): Hired

Seattle Seahawks (Out: Kris Richard)

  • Ken Norton Jr., former defensive coordinator (Raiders): Hired

Tennessee Titans (Out: Dick LeBeau)

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Ryan Shazier Regains Feeling In Legs

By | at January 6, 2018 6:54 pm

Great news for Ryan Shazier. The Steelers linebacker has regained feeling in his legs, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com writes. Shazier, a two-time Pro Bowler, underwent spinal stabilization surgery in December and is currently going through the rehabilitation process. Shazier’s father hopes to see him playing football again, but he obviously has larger priorities at this time.

  • NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy says the league is conducting a “routine follow-up” on Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley, as Mike Florio of PFT writes. It’s not often that coaches come under league scrutiny for off-the-field behavior, but Haley has a history of strange incidents. He has two other barroom incidents in his past plus multiple lawsuits that have been brought against him.
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Cardinals To Interview Mike Munchak

By | at January 4, 2018 8:36 pm

  • Steelers offensive line coach Mike Munchak will indeed interview for the vacant Cardinals head coaching position, and the meeting will take place this weekend, reports Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link). Arizona asked for permission to interview Munchak earlier this week, and that request has apparently been granted. Munchak has been a head coach before, as he posted a 22-26 record in three seasons with the Titans. He’s the eighth candidate to be linked to the Cardinals’ search.
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NFL Workout Updates: 1/4/18

By | at January 4, 2018 8:18 pm

Today’s NFL workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account:

Arizona Cardinals

  • G Greg Pyke (link)

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Indianapolis Colts

  • DE Evan Panfil (link)

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

  • LS Anthony Kukwa (link)

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

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