| QB Derek Carr says there are teams that would like to end his retirement, but he’s not there yet. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com: If former Raiders and Saints quarterback Derek Carr wants to play again, there are teams interested in his services. But so far, he hasn’t heard an offer intriguing enough for him to accept. Carr said on NFL Network today that teams have contacted him about potentially coming out of retirement, and he isn’t ruling it out. Carr did not name those teams, but if they didn’t get permission from the Saints first, they were violating the NFL’s tampering rules. Carr was still under contract with the Saints when he retired, and other teams can’t contact him without the Saints’ permission. The Saints would also likely want trade compensation from any team that wanted Carr. “I never say never,” Carr said. “It would take a special situation. There were multiple teams that reached out to me this offseason. I won’t say who or how, but they reached out and were gauging my interest on what I wanted to do. They were good, solid football teams.” Carr said he will only return if a Super Bowl contender needs him. “I’m just at the point where I just want to win. I want to win. So if I were to do it, it would have to be a special team that maybe lost somebody or needed somebody, but even then, it’s not guaranteed,” Carr said. “I’m having too much fun hanging out with my wife, hanging out with my kids, and trying to get good at golf. So it would take a special deal.” When Carr announced his retirement last year, he and the Saints both said his injured shoulder would have hampered his ability to keep playing. But Carr now says that if the right team calls at the right time, he’ll be in shape and ready to play — even if he doesn’t anticipate that happening. “I’m always training,” Carr said. “I’ll be in shape and ready, but probably not. I’ll probably be just coaching my kids.” The 35-year-old Carr was drafted by the Raiders in 2014, played nine seasons with them, and then played his final two seasons with the Saints in 2023 and 2024. Now, after a year out of football, he’s not ruling out playing for a third team. |
| NFC NORTH |
| CHICAGOOn the precipice of abandoning Illinois, the Bears have hesitated. An update from Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com: Politicians have a bad habit (in fairness, they have many) when it comes to cramming puns into sports-related topics. Indiana Governor Mike Braun continued that hokey tradition on Thursday, declaring that the Bears’ potential move to Indiana is “in the red zone.” Via Eric Fisher of Front Office Sports, Braun’s comments at a Valparaiso University event expressed optimism that the Bears will eventually cross the border, despite ongoing efforts to find a stadium solution in Illinois. “I’ve done so much real estate in my career,” Braun said. “Until you ink it, it’s not done. But it’s moved a long distance in a short period of time because it moved hardly at all for five and a half years [in Illinois].” Illinois remains in play, even though not much has happened since the most recent legislative gathering ended in May. A special session remains a possibility, if the two houses can get behind a single bill. The Bears haven’t said much lately, beyond last month’s meaningless leverage-play announcement that they’re advancing with Indiana. As Fisher notes, Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren is scheduled to speak at a Chicago event on July 16. It’s hard to imagine that the hottest local topic regarding the team will not be mentioned. Back to the “red zone” remarks. The term was coined in the 1980s as a warning for the defense. With Indiana on the offensive, “green zone” would make much more sense. Especially since, in the end, it all comes down to how much cash the taxpayers will be contributing to the new stadium. |
| GREEN BAYA uniform tribute to the Packers from Notre Dame – and it does not involve the color Green. J.J. Post of ESPN.com: Notre Dame is throwing it back with its uniforms for Week 1 against Wisconsin. Just how far back? How about a century? With the Fighting Irish at Lambeau Field for their Shamrock Series game against the Badgers, Notre Dame is paying homage to the deep tradition of the stadium’s usual occupants, the Green Bay Packers — specifically the 1920s-era “Acme Packers.” The uniforms contain multiple Green Bay-themed details and themes. The deep blue color fits that of the 1920s team, and the sleeves contain stripes akin to those that remain Green Bay jersey hallmarks. Coach Marcus Freeman nodded to the history of Notre Dame and its hosts for the game in a video revealing the uniforms and promoting the game. “For a century, our stories have been stitched together — from the ‘Golden Boy’ Paul Hornung winning titles in both colors to the Notre Dame box formation that defined the early days of Green Bay,” Freeman said. “We are the outliers. The small town legends. The independent spirits who believe tradition isn’t just something you remember. It’s something you wear.” “Two legacies. One field. Woven by the same cloth, bound by history.” Notre Dame boasts specific ties to the Packers’ storied tradition. In addition to the teams’ sharing of Hornung’s legend, the Green Bay stadium’s namesake, Curly Lambeau, briefly played under Knute Rockne in South Bend. The 2026 Shamrock Series jerseys contain a nod to Hornung’s iconic status with both the Packers and the Fighting Irish, with the numbers taking on a “sharp, structural block shape” inspired by Hornung’s era of the 1950s and ’60s. A custom mesh texture within the numbers takes the form of a silhouette of Green Bay’s classic oval G emblem. The jersey also sports an American flag patch, in honor of 2026 marking the United States’ 250th anniversary year, as well as 11 golden shamrocks on the collar to represent Notre Dame’s 11 consensus national championships. No matter their design, Shamrock Series alternate uniforms have traditionally brought good fortune for the Fighting Irish, who hold an undefeated record in the games. |
| NFC SOUTH |
| TAMPA BAYJoel Corry of CBSSports.com sees urgency for the Buccaneers to get a deal done with QB BAKER MAYFIELD: The clock is ticking for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to sign quarterback Baker Mayfield to a contract extension. Mayfield set a deadline of the start of training camp to get a deal done in early June when he indicated that the two sides weren’t anywhere close on a new contract. Mayfield also said he would end contract talks once Buccaneers veterans report to training camp on July 28. NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo reported on July 6 that the Buccaneers aren’t in a rush to do a deal. He also speculated that it could be subject to change as the start of training camp approaches. Mayfield reiterated his desire to remain in Tampa during an interview with an Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, television station while conducting a football camp at the University of Oklahoma a couple of weeks ago. He suggested that both sides want to reach an agreement, but the key would be finding a middle ground to make both sides happy. Mayfield is entering the final year of a three-year, $100 million contract averaging $33,333,333 per year, worth up to $115 million with incentives he signed in March 2024. He is making $40 million in 2026, consisting of a $10 million base salary and a $30 million 10th-day-of-the-league-year roster bonus. Mayfield’s 2026 salary cap number is $39.975 million, which includes $1 million of the $5 million in 2026 incentives being classified as likely to be earned. Since the $30 million roster bonus became a sunk salary cap cost on March 20, converting the remaining $17 million that wasn’t prorated in a 2025 contract restructure into a signing bonus and prorating to help lower Mayfield’s 2026 cap number in a new deal isn’t permissible. The entire $30 million was paid to Mayfield on June 15. Reading between the lines, the not-anywhere-close Mayfield was referring to may have been prompted by Tampa Bay initially making what was perceived as a low-ball offer. Mayfield’s camp likely views Daniel Jones’ deal as a starting point for any serious discussions. Mayfield has been more consistent and productive than Jones, who was having a surprising career resurrection before tearing his right Achilles in a Week 14 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars last season. Daniel Jones, who was designated as a transition player for $37.833 million, received a two-year, $88 million deal averaging $44 million per year from the Indianapolis Colts in March despite the injury. The deal is worth up to $100 million, thanks to $6 million in annual incentives. There are $60 million in guarantees, where $49.49 million is fully guaranteed at signing. Mayfield probably feels he should join the $50 million per year club with his next deal. There are currently 13 players making $50 million or more, consisting of 12 quarterbacks and Houston Texans edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., who is the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback with the three-year, $150 million contract extension averaging $50 million per year he signed in April. It wouldn’t be surprising if Mayfield’s camp viewed Brock Purdy’s May 2025 deal with the San Francisco 49ers as an important data point. Purdy signed a five-year, $265 million extension with $182.55 million in guarantees, of which $100 million was fully guaranteed at signing. He is the league’s ninth-highest-paid player at $53 million per year. Mayfield surely took Patrick Mahomes’ recent renegotiated contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, worth $504.75 million over eight years, as an indication of changing quarterback-market conditions and as further justification for his contract demands. At $63,093,750 per year, Mahomes is the NFL’s highest-paid player. The deal is worth as much as $522.25 million thanks to base salary escalators and incentives. Mayfield is the NFL’s 16th-highest-paid quarterback at $33,333,333 per year. He is the 30th-highest-paid player when factoring in all positions. Mayfield and the Buccaneers both having disappointing 2025 seasons don’t help his case. The Buccaneers were on track for a fifth straight NFC South crown with a 6-2 record heading into a Week 9 bye, while Mayfield was an early-season MVP candidate. Things went downhill after the bye. The Buccaneers finished the season 2-7 to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2019, with an 8-9 record. Mayfield’s play tailed off. A fairly significant injury to his non-throwing left shoulder against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 12 can be considered a mitigating factor. Overall, Mayfield had the worst of his three seasons with the Buccaneers. He had lows in completion percentage (63.2%), passing yards (3,693), touchdown passes (26) and passer rating (90.6) since becoming a Buccaneer. One way to try to help find middle ground between Mayfield and the Buccaneers could be to look at the average contract value of 2026 starting quarterbacks. Starters on rookie contracts are excluded because their salaries are strictly determined by draft position under the rookie wage scale. There are 23 projected starting quarterbacks on veteran contracts, assuming Kirk Cousins, Kyler Murray, Tua Tagovailoa and Deshaun Watson are in the opening day lineup for the Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons and Cleveland Browns. Collectively, these quarterbacks are signed to deals worth $3,808,565,000 over 80 contract years, averaging $47,607,063 per year. With a couple of exceptions (Josh Allen, Mahomes and Watson), the contracts were valued based on new money and new contract years, which is how professionals in the industry (agents and team negotiators) typically view deals. This wasn’t applicable in these cases because of the number of contract years remaining at the time of signing. The total contract value and total years were used instead. The number increases to $49,510,417 per year when focusing on clear-cut starters under veteran contracts, excluding the four quarterbacks. It’s $3,564,750,000 collectively with 72 contract years. The number further increases to $51,621,324 per year if older bridge quarterbacks, such as Jacoby Brissett, Aaron Rodgers and Geno Smith, are eliminated from consideration. The 16 remaining quarterbacks collectively have deals for $3,510,250,000 over 68 contract years. The range for the middle ground using this approach would be $47.5 million to $51.75 million per year. There are already three fake or dummy years (2027, 2028 and 2029) in Mayfield’s contract. By converting these dummy years into real contract years, Mayfield would have between $65 million and $72.5 million fully guaranteed at signing. This would be the total cash through 2027 minus the $30 million March roster bonus that has already been paid. The overall guarantees would be between $107.5 million and $117.5 million, the cash through 2028, excluding the roster bonus money. The Buccaneers balking at a new deal in this range would potentially make Mayfield an unrestricted free agent in 2027. Mayfield, having an average year since he joined the Buccaneers in 2026, would make him a prime candidate for a franchise tag next year. In Mayfield’s three seasons with Tampa Bay, he has averaged (rounded to the nearest whole number) completing 66.3% of his passes for 4,079 yards, with 32 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, for a 97.4 passer rating. The voiding date for three dummy years in Mayfield’s contract is a day before the 15 day window to designate franchise and transition players in 2027 opens next February 17. It will cost Tampa Bay at least $46.77 million to put a franchise tag on Mayfield in 2027, given how the 120% of prior year’s salary provisions operate for these purposes, should he play out his contract and have a bounce-back season. The likely-to-be-earned incentives aren’t part of the calculation. The 2026 incentives from Mayfield’s existing contract would carry over, with any earned in 2026 constituting an additional cap charge. Mayfield’s actual franchise number could be higher depending on the calculations from the franchise tag formula, which is primarily based on the average of the top five salaries at a player’s position. This figure can’t be accurately estimated at this time without a realistic projection of the 2027 salary cap. Regardless, the average of two franchise tags in 2027 and 2028 wouldn’t be any lower than $51.447 million per year. This number is in line with the higher end of the middle ground range. Patience could be Mayfield’s best friend if his situation results in a franchise tag next year. Mayfield’s best deal would probably come by waiting for the quarterback market to further develop. There could be a massive shift in the marketplace. Lamar Jackson will be in a contract year in 2027. As 2024 draft picks, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Caleb Williams and Bo Nix will be eligible for contract extensions. At least one of the five should reset the quarterback market by eclipsing Mahomes’ recent deal, averaging $63,093,750 per year. Mayfield could be the beneficiary under the premise that a rising tide lifts all boats. He might be more inclined to drive a hard bargain rather than find middle ground after having to incur the risk of injury and poor performance during the 2026 season while playing out his contract. |
| NFC WEST |
| ARIZONACardinals T PARIS JOHNSON is thinking about his next contract: The pass rush market continues to explode, with edges making north of $40 million per year, led by Will Anderson Jr.’s $50 million average. Arizona Cardinals left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. believes that to block those $40 million players, one must have a $40 million mentality. Last month, it was reported that Johnson, who is extension-eligible after the Cards picked up the $19.072 million fifth-year option for 2027, wants to be a $40 million-per-year left tackle. The offensive tackle market is currently $9.9 million south of that figure, with Laremy Tunsil’s $30.1 million per-year average at the top. Only four blockers make $28 million or more per season. On the “PHNX Arizona Cardinals Podcast,” Johnson clarified that his desire to be a $40 million-per-year LT isn’t about the cheddar, but rather the mindset in which he approaches his job. “Of course, I believe in myself,” Johnson said. “I believe I’m one of the best, and I believe that I have to prove that each and every year. And I believe my best football is ahead of me. I’m still growing. I’m still training. I’m still learning things, which is exciting. “But at the same time, when I was starting to speak on that, the question was about how you would grade an elite tackle and how would you start to measure yourself, grade yourself, as an elite tackle, etc.? That was the question. My answer was exactly this: When I watch tape, when I go to practice, and when I play in a game, my mindset is to be the $40 million man. When I watch my tape, I ask myself, ‘Would you pay this guy $40 M’s?’ That’s how I watch my tape. That’s how I go out to practice. That’s how I play. Because the guy I’m lining up against, if he’s worth something, he’s worth at least $35-$50 million.” Johnson is keenly aware that the OT market lags behind the pass rusher price tags, but reiterated that it’s not about hitting a specific figure but rather matching the level of play of those top-tier disruptors. “Now, the tackle market is not there. The tackle market, it goes up, probably $1 (million) over the next guy, and that’s just what it is,” he said. “The D-linemen are not going for that. That’s another conversation. “However my mindset is, I believe that elite guys who rush the quarterback, that’s what the market is for them. And I believe that it takes an equivalent-level player to shut that guy down. So I’m not going out there, ‘Oh, pay me $28 million, $28.5 (million).’ No. When the guy I’m going against is making $48 (million) a year, I need a $48 (million) mindset for myself. I know that’s not what the market is, but that’s what my mindset is. My mindset can be: If the D-end makes $100 (million) tomorrow, I’ve got to be the $100 million man to shut this guy down. That’s the mindset.” Johnson’s mindset will be challenged further with Myles Garrett joining the division following the trade to Los Angeles. In 2026, the Cards face two of the five $40-plus million pass rushers — Garrett twice, and the Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson. They also go up against Maxx Crosby ($35.5 million), Nick Bosa ($34 million), Jonathan Greenard ($30 million), Brian Burns ($28.2 million), Nik Bonitto ($26.5 million), not to mention the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, who bring waves of rushers, twice. If Johnson gets through that gauntlet relatively unscathed, he’ll have proven worth the extension that could come down the line. |
| AFC WEST |
| DENVERIn addition to wins, the Broncos defense has a goal for 2026. Kevin Patra of NFL.com: The Denver Broncos fell shy of the all-time team sack record in 2025. All-Pro defensive tackle Zach Allen intends to blast past the mark this season. “In this league you’ve kind of always got to keep on finding ways to get better and adjusting and all that,” Allen said, via the Denver Post. “It also helps when you’ve got V.J. [defensive coordinator Vance Joseph] dialing stuff up that helps us get one-on-ones. We’ve got a lot of good guys and that’s going to create a lot of opportunities for people. We came close to the sack record last year and we fully expect to break it this year.” The Broncos generated 68 sacks in 2025, four shy of the 1984 Bears’ record of 72 — note: Chicago set the mark in 16 games. Denver spread the sack wealth around. Edge Nik Bonitto led the way with 14, and eight players generated at least four QB takedowns. Allen finished fourth on the club with seven. The Broncos will have to replace the production of John Franklin-Myers (7.5 sacks) after he left in free agency. Bonitto, however, could top his team-high figure after seeing his sack numbers wane down the stretch last season due to injury. The Broncos went from 63 sacks in 2024 (15th-most all time) to 68 in 2025. They’ll need to increase that figure by another handful to hit Allen’s record-setting goal. |
| AFC NORTH |
| PITTSBURGHMichael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com notes the endurance of DT CAM HEYWARD: It’s not unusual for older players to get a reduced workload, but Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward accomplished something extremely impressive in 2025: He was both the NFL’s oldest defensive tackle, and the defensive tackle who played the most snaps. According to the snap counts at pro-football-reference.com, Heyward played 832 defensive snaps, the most for any player whose listed position is defensive tackle. And he did that at age 36 as the oldest player in the league at his position. Heyward turned 37 in May and is the only 37-year-old defensive tackle in pro football right now, although Ravens defensive tackle John Jenkins will join him on his birthday, tomorrow. (Jenkins played 523 defensive snaps last year.) The Steelers clearly weren’t concerned that Heyward couldn’t withstand the punishment of a lot of playing time at age 36, because they also had him on the field for 129 special teams plays, the sixth-most special teams snaps of any defensive tackle in the league last year. In March, the Steelers extended Heyward through the 2027 season, when he’ll be 38. And he may have some good years in him beyond that.– – -Frank Schwab of YahooSports.com has the Steelers at #20 in his preseason rankings: The Pittsburgh Steelers are a franchise with a glorious championship past, but they don’t seem to be chasing championships anymore. The complaints from Steelers fans haven’t changed in years, and probably won’t be much different this season. The Steelers famously never had a losing season under Mike Tomlin, but they also haven’t won a playoff game since the end of the 2016 season. Tomlin consistently got flawed teams barely into the playoffs, then they looked overmatched in the postseason. This past January, they became the first team in NFL history to lose five straight playoff games by double digits. Last season, the script was like a bad and predictable sequel in a movie series that won’t die. The Steelers made the playoffs, only because Ravens rookie kicker Tyler Loop missed a 44-yard field goal as time expired on the season, then Pittsburgh was steamrolled by the Houston Texans in a 30-6 home loss in the wild-card round. The Steelers were the least competitive team in the playoffs, and that includes the 8-9 Carolina Panthers. There will be a plot twist this season. Tomlin stepped down after 19 seasons and a 193-114-2 regular season record. The criticism of Tomlin was that he was good enough to make the playoffs but no longer capable of lifting the franchise to being a championship contender. The Steelers could have swung big on a young coach rising through the ranks. Instead, they settled for Mike McCarthy, who at 62 years old seems like a knockoff version of Tomlin with all the same criticisms of not being able to raise a team’s ceiling to an elite level. McCarthy is from Western Pennsylvania and it seemed like the Steelers got caught up with a fun homecoming story rather than trying to change the course of the team. Then, to hammer home the point that the Steelers weren’t really interested in taking any risks, they settled on bringing back quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The Steelers once again waited him out until he signed in late May, even though they said they wouldn’t be doing that. Rodgers was good for his age last season, at 42, but that’s because almost every other quarterback other than Tom Brady was retired or cooked at that age. Rodgers was a middle-of-the-road quarterback, and while that’s a cool story. Expecting more in his age-43 season seems to be a fool’s errand. The rest of the roster looked old last season, especially an expensive and underwhelming defense. There were some upgrades to that defense in free agency, but not a major shakeup. The same goes for the offense. It’s scary to make major changes, especially when there’s the illusion of being closer to title contention than you are. The Steelers won 10 games and weren’t a bad team. But they were far from great. It’s more comfortable for the team to talk itself into a few additions, like receiver Michael Pittman Jr., cornerback Jamel Dean and safety Jaquan Brisker, helping boost the team by a few wins and making a long-awaited playoff run. And maybe changing coaching voices to McCarthy provides a spark. But Steelers fans will have a hard time talking themselves into that. They whined about Tomlin, but McCarthy seems like a lateral change at best. They want a better option at quarterback but the Steelers stuck with the status quo. They are impatient for playoff wins, but this group hasn’t been able to deliver that. What exactly were the Steelers shooting for with their offseason? It’s hard to say it was a return to the NFL’s elite. Offseason gradeThe Steelers made some smart additions this offseason. Free agent additions like cornerback Jamel Dean, safety Jaquan Brisker, running back Rico Dowdle and defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day are all quality veterans. Pittsburgh did lose guard Isaac Seumalo and running back Kenneth Gainwell. The Steelers took advantage of the Colts needing to dump some salary after signing Alec Pierce to a massive deal, and got Michael Pittman Jr. for a late-round pick swap that amounts to next to nothing in the NFL. The draft was panned, perhaps because in the first round the Steelers called receiver Makai Lemon before they were on the clock and told Lemon they were going to pick him, only for the Eagles to trade ahead of Pittsburgh and take Lemon instead. Whoops. The Steelers picked offensive tackle Max Iheanachor, who was a reasonable pick but obviously not Pittsburgh’s preferred choice. The pick does make sense with left tackle Broderick Jones’ status uncertain due to a neck injury. The Steelers’ draft class got the 22nd best grade among the consensus. But overall it was a productive offseason. Grade: B Quarterback reportThere are three instances in NFL history of a quarterback at age 43 or older attempting at least 100 passes with a passer rating over 70. All three of those seasons were from Tom Brady. Aaron Rodgers beat the age cliff last season to an extent — he’s now one of five quarterbacks at age 42 or beyond to attempt at least 100 passes and posting a passer rating above 76.6 — but it’s not like it was prime Rodgers. The stat that shows this isn’t the same Rodgers is his average depth of target. Rodgers has one of the strongest arms in NFL history and has never been afraid to take a deep shot, but last season his ADoT was a stunningly low 6.37. That was the lowest in the NFL among any quarterback with 250 or more passes. He also tied for the quickest time in the pocket per throw among NFL quarterbacks, via Pro Football Reference. It tells the story of an aging quarterback who wanted to get rid of the ball fast to avoid hits. It’s hard to run a great offense with that limitation. Rodgers had some of the NFL’s greatest single seasons with Mike McCarthy coaching him, but their last season together was eight years ago. If Rodgers improves upon last season, at an age in which only one quarterback has had any success, it would be a surprise. But the Steelers happily signed up for this plan. Odds breakdownFrom Yahoo’s Ben Fawkes: “It’s deja vu all over again for Pittsburgh, which won the AFC North with a surprising 10-7 record (9-8 ATS), only to be blown out at home in the first round of the playoffs by the Houston Texans. The Steelers didn’t draft a QB in the first round (again), waited on Aaron Rodgers until he was ready (again) and now will be relying on a QB who will turn 43 in December to lead them to the promised land. With left tackle Broderick Jones’ status up in the air, the offensive line is a question mark — as is an aging defense. “The schedule isn’t bad over the first eight weeks leading into Pittsburgh’s bye, but it’s a brutal six games coming out of it (at Cincinnati, at Philadelphia, vs. Denver, vs. Houston, at Jacksonville, vs. Baltimore) in which the Steelers are projected to be underdogs in every game. Last year went about as well as could be expected for Pittsburgh; I don’t see this year going the same. I’d be looking at the under 8.5 wins for the Steelers.” Yahoo’s fantasy takeFrom Yahoo’s Scott Pianowski: “I often have a soft spot for veteran players who command a boring discount, but I can’t quite commit to DK Metcalf this year. He’s entering his age-29 season and his yards per target have fallen the last two years. More importantly, the Steelers brought Aaron Rodgers back for his age-43 season — so we have to be muted with our expectations about this team’s pace and passing volume. For all of Metcalf’s talent, he’ll probably miss out on 1,000 yards for the third straight season.” Stat to rememberThe Steelers have been consistently good on defense for a long time. Before last season, they finished in the top 11 of scoring defense eight of the previous 10 seasons. Last season, Pittsburgh was mediocre on defense across the board. They were 17th in points allowed, 26th in yards allowed, 19th in EPA (expected points added per play) allowed and 18th in passer rating allowed. DVOA was kinder to the Steelers defense, ranking it 11th. Can the Steelers’ defense be one of the best in the NFL again? Age is working against it. Pittsburgh’s defense is the second oldest in the NFL coming into this season, via Ian Hartitz of FantasyLife. It’s also the most expensive defense in the league. That unit has to play much better for the team to reach a higher level, but last season might be the start of a decline. The pass rush group of T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith (who could be traded) and Nick Herbig is still the foundation of the defense, and the secondary improved by signing cornerback Jamel Dean and safety Jaquan Brisker. Dean is coming off a fantastic season with the Buccaneers, as the No. 4 graded cornerback at Pro Football Focus among those with at least 500 snaps, and got a three-year, $36.75 million deal from the Steelers. There are star players on the defense, but it’s risky to expect a big rebound. Burning question: Are the Steelers’ receiver issues fixed?Ever since 2019 when the Steelers decided they couldn’t put up with Antonio Brown any longer and traded him away, Pittsburgh’s receiver room has been thin. Two trades help. Last year they traded for DK Metcalf and this year they stole Michael Pittman Jr. for almost nothing from the Colts. Pittman has leveled off but he is a reliable veteran who has averaged 875.7 yards over his six NFL seasons. Metcalf needs to be better for the problem to seem like it’s solved. Metcalf had just 850 yards and six touchdowns in his first Steelers season, and the most memorable moment of his season was a physical confrontation with a fan in Detroit that led to a two-game suspension. Metcalf had at least 900 yards in every season with the Seahawks, and the Steelers need him to play at that level to justify the trade and his contract. For that to happen, Aaron Rodgers has to rediscover the deep passing game and take advantage of Metcalf’s downfield ability. Best-case scenarioIs it possible to talk ourselves into the Steelers being a championship contender? It would require Aaron Rodgers having an improvement, which is historically unlikely at his age, Mike McCarthy giving the team new life after Mike Tomlin was there for a long time, an expensive defense performing up to its salary level and other players, like DK Metcalf, playing closer to their best. That’s a lot to ask. It seems more likely the Steelers’ ceiling isn’t far off from what it has been over the past few seasons, which is winning the AFC North. If that happens again, maybe Pittsburgh can break through and get its first playoff win since the end of the 2016 season. That’s reasonable. Nightmare scenarioThere’s a chance this goes bad, though that has been predicted before and the Steelers have pulled out winning seasons. But that was with Mike Tomlin at coach. Mike McCarthy is probably underrated; his winning percentage is a tick below 61%. But there are also criticisms over how much he can still elevate a roster, and Tomlin did a pretty good job holding things together in Pittsburgh for years. Aaron Rodgers is at a scary age for a quarterback. His career arc has followed former teammate Brett Favre in many ways, and Favre’s passer rating fell nearly 40 points in his final season, from 107.2 in 2009 to 69.9 in 2010. That was at age 41, two years younger than Rodgers will be by the end of this season. Nobody in the NFL is guaranteed a soft landing before retirement. The defense aged quickly last season and that doesn’t usually reverse itself either. There are plenty of warning signs for the Steelers. Winning seasons have become the norm, but every franchise experiences a big downturn at some point. The crystal ball saysI don’t love the vibes with the Steelers this season. Mike McCarthy doesn’t seem like an improvement on Mike Tomlin and has the same criticisms against him that Tomlin did. I’m not in the business of expecting big things from quarterbacks about to turn 43 years old. The defense could be better, but that’s far from a guarantee after a big step back. The Steelers will be better than the Browns, that seems safe. But a third-place finish in the AFC North, and their first losing season in a while, seems to be firmly on the table. |
| THIS AND THAT |
| BEST OC/DC COMBOSGilberto Manzano of SI.com looks at all the offensive and defensive coordinators and decides which teams have the best pairings (will he count the Saint duo of head coach Kellen Moore and DC Brandon Staley?). Will he like OC Davis Webb with Sean Payton looking over his shoulder and DC Vance Joseph? Many head coaches insist on calling plays, but those who can successfully juggle the extra responsibility surround themselves with assistant coaches who can handle other areas. Some coaches show their worth in the film room, through analytics or how they develop players in practice. These are just a few of the many ways coaches can move up the ranks on Sean McVay’s or Kyle Shanahan’s coaching staffs. These two coaches likely won’t relinquish play-calling duties any time soon, but you never know when a brilliant assistant coach comes around who is worthy of the major responsibility. That’s what happened with Broncos coach Sean Payton and Davis Webb, who removed himself from head coaching consideration to return to Denver and be the offensive play-caller in 2026. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph will also be back to keep the Broncos’ strong coaching staff intact. There are other strong coordinator tandems in the league, so I decided to rank the best offensive and defensive coordinator duos for 2026. And we didn’t count the head coaches who call plays. They already get enough attention as it is. (The up-and-comers need more of the spotlight.) Let’s get to our top five offensive and defensive coordinator combos. 5. Minnesota Vikings: OC Wes Phillips–DC Brian Flores2025 offensive rank: 282025 defensive rank: 3 I nearly replaced this coaching duo with Carolina’s Brad Idzik and Ejiro Evero, but dinging Minnesota for last year’s poor results with J.J. McCarthy would be unfair to Flores, who has been influential as a defensive coordinator. Flores’s aggressive approach and creative ways of generating pressure have been imitated by several coaches throughout the league. What’s more impressive is that Flores, who joined the Vikings in 2023, has done this without having much star power on defense and on a team that has prioritized the offense. He still found pass-rushing production when Danielle Hunter left for Houston and likely will continue doing the same after the Jonathan Greenard trade with Philadelphia. Phillips and coach Kevin O’Connell need a bounce-back season, but there’s no question that they’ve been innovative since overseeing the Vikings’ operation. This coaching staff got a career season from Sam Darnold in 2024 when the team won 14 games and a stellar ’22 from Kirk Cousins when he threw for 4,547 passing yards and guided the team to an NFC North title. Perhaps Phillips and O’Connell will get better results with Kyler Murray or guide McCarthy in the right direction in ’26. 4. San Francisco 49ers: OC Klay Kubiak–DC Raheem Morris2025 offensive rank: 72025 defensive rank: 20 (with Robert Saleh as DC) Kubiak already has a popular name because his brother is first-year Raiders coach Klint Kubiak and his father is Gary Kubiak, the former longtime coach, who guided the Broncos to a Super Bowl title in 2015. But expect to hear more about Klay in the coming months if the 49ers successfully incorporate Mike Evans into the offense. Kubiak, who arrived in San Francisco in ’21, quickly helped Shanahan improve the offense after his promotion to OC in ’25 and has been instrumental in Brock Purdy’s development. As for Morris, he gets a fresh start in San Francisco after a failed two-year stint as the Falcons’ coach. He didn’t get the results he wanted offensively while in Atlanta, but he drastically improved the defense last season. (The Falcons improved from 18 takeaways in 2024 to 23 a year later.) Morris also had plenty of success as McVay’s defensive coordinator in Los Angeles, helping the team win the Super Bowl in ’21. 3. Jacksonville Jaguars: OC Grant Udinski–DC Anthony Campanile2025 offensive rank: 112025 defensive rank: 11 Jaguars coach Liam Coen likely wasn’t too upset about his guys missing out on head coaching jobs this offseason. The Jaguars now have the luxury of continuity with their two excellent coordinators returning for a second season. Udinski’s lack of experience (he turned 30 this year) probably hurt him in this hiring cycle, but he has a strong résumé, including his role as a valuable asset with O’Connell in Minnesota. The young coach also unlocked another level in Trevor Lawrence’s game last season. He learned to utilize more of his weapons (Parker Washington, Brian Thomas Jr. and Brenton Strange all recorded at least 500 receiving yards) and became a dark-horse MVP candidate once he found his comfort zone in the new offense, tossing 15 touchdowns with only one interception over the final six regular-season games. Campanile quickly gained attention for his aggressive approach, which helped the Jaguars get off to a fast start and accumulate 31 takeaways, the second most in 2025. Coen likely will lose his coordinators if they continue winning in Jacksonville. 2. Los Angeles Rams: OC Nate Scheelhaase–DC Chris Shula2025 offensive rank: 12025 defensive rank: 17 This might appear as a coaching duo getting a bump in these rankings for the benefit of having worked under McVay, who’s known for developing future head coaches. But Shula and Scheelhaase received interviews in the latest hiring cycle for reasons other than working under McVay. Shula quickly expanded on what Morris did before leaving for Atlanta in 2024, and did that with a front office that didn’t spend much money on that side of the ball. After the team stopped neglecting the defense this offseason, there’s a strong possibility that this becomes the best defense in football after the trades for Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie. Scheelhaase is only entering his third year as an NFL coach, but he earned plenty of respect for the work he did as the offensive coordinator at Iowa State. He might not call the plays as McVay’s OC, but he showed his worth last season as the pass-game coordinator by taking the Rams’ offense to new heights and helping Matthew Stafford capture his first MVP. 1. Denver Broncos: OC Davis Webb–DC Vance Joseph 2025 offensive rank: 102025 defensive rank: 2 It wouldn’t be a surprise if these two coordinators are head coaches in 2027, especially if the Broncos go on another lengthy playoff run. Webb is regarded as the league’s next offensive guru, a thought that was validated after Payton promoted him from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator to avoid losing him. Payton handed play-calling duties to Webb, a move that is not easy for any coach. As for Joseph, he’s come a long way since struggling as the head coach of the Broncos in 2017 and ’18. Most coaches don’t return to places where they were fired, but Joseph put his pride aside in ’23 and made the most of his opportunity. His defense continues to reach new levels every year and ranked near the top in many statistical categories last season. Denver was second in yards allowed (278.2) and third in points allowed (18.3) per game last season. Let’s also not overlook how much star edge rusher Nik Bonitto has improved under his guidance. |
