The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller

PM Team FULL Show 2-18-26

A source told Poni that there is a Steelers player everyone expects to be back that won’t be. Who could it be? This comes on the heels of Aditi telling us that the chances of Aaron Rodgers coming back is ‘miniscule.’ We wondered who the player could be. Which one would truly be a ‘surprise’ if they didn’t return? Judge Donny – Does Ben Roethlisberger deserve credit for not firing back at Joey Porter Sr.? USA is in OT against Sweden. Do we have an update on Sidney Crosby?

A few NFL insiders believe CJ Stroud is available via trade. What will that cost? The Steelers have a dozen picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, which should have them open for business. Stroud is sour on people’s minds because he was horrible in the playoffs this year, even in the blowout win over the Steelers. He hasn’t gotten better since his rookie season, but it’s hard to not have any interest with a 24-year-old QB that has won a playoff game in all 3 seasons. One longtime Texans writer said he would stand naked at a busy intersection in Houston if the Texans trade Stroud. Things went very off the rails after that. ALL ACCESS w/ Aditi – Aditi said any NFL GM is going to look into any player that may be available in any given offseason, so the CJ Stroud story doesn’t have a ton of legs right now. Did Minnesota decide on Sam Darnold due to 2 bad games to end his season before signing in Seattle and winning a Super Bowl? Aditi said sometimes rookies catch the league by surprise, the way Stroud did in 2023. What is the Steelers’ ceiling if they decide to run it back with Aaron Rodgers in 2026? Aditi doesn’t buy into all of the belief that Rodgers will be back in Pittsburgh next season – going as far to say the chances are ‘miniscule.’ Aditi thinks there is a roughly equal chance that Malik Willis is the Steelers QB in comparison to Rodgers. Donny Football Debrief – Baldwin football has announced it will play an independent football schedule, leaving the WPIAL and a local coaching legend could be returning to his old sideline. And S/O Joe Grushecky.

Did we get an indication on what the Pirates are going to do with Konnor Griffin? It felt like Don Kelly gave a hint, in a recent interview with Shelby Cassessee, that Griffin could be looking at the first month of the season in Triple A. Do we all want him on the Opening Day roster? Griffin is 1 of their 9 best players, which should give him a role. If they had added another bat from someone on the left side of the infield, would that change your mind? Paul Skenes spent some time in Triple A, so would it be the worst thing if Griffin did the same? Kelly said it would be a ‘tough ask’ for Griffin to be here on Opening Day. The Tony Clark situation is… something. Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk joined the show. Mike had a quick reaction to the Tony Clark situation, even though that is baseball related. After Joey Porter spoke out about Ben Roethlisberger, the guys asked Mike if that would impact his Hall of Fame candidacy. Mike doesn’t think $40M for Malik Willis is outrageous at all because it’s only 66.6% of what the quarterback market is. Does anyone out there want Tyreek Hill? Mike thinks there are enough teams that can use him and enough that want him that would look passed the off-the-field issues and his injury. Mike said the Steelers drafting Ty Simpson would be the clearest sign that the team isn’t as giddy on Will Howard as they made it sound. He said their open love for Howard could be a way to move teams off the scent. After Sam Darnold won the Super Bowl, is it a requirement to have a superstar QB? Mike has never met Snoop Dogg despite being at several big events.

Sidney Crosby was injured today in the latest matchup for Canada, a 4-3 OT win over Czechia. Is it time for NHL players to sit out of the games again? If Crosby’s season is over, is any of this worth it? The players aren’t forced to participate in the Olympics. If Crosby ever decided to not play in the games, it wouldn’t alter his legacy whatsoever. What if Paul Skenes didn’t want to pitch in the World Baseball Classic? Chris thinks a plus-sized exhibition shouldn’t be the reason Crosby loses his season, and possibly his final Olympic games. Do people care about the Olympics? Caller thinks the Miracle on Ice wouldn’t be a big deal if a movie wasn’t made. Former Penguin Tyler Kennedy joined the show. TK reacted to the Sidney Crosby injury that took place in the Canada-Czechia game earlier. Tyler said a pep talk from Sid would not mean the injury isn’t serious. Tyler’s initial thought is that it will keep him out of the Olympics, but hopefully not a ton of Penguins games in the back half of the season. Tyler thinks there was a little maliciousness behind the hit from Radko Gudas that knocked Crosby out of the game. Tyler gave some insight on how much it means for Canadians to play in the Olympics or international games. TK isn’t convinced the United States get by Sweden later today.

A source told Poni that there is a Steelers player everyone expects to be back that won’t be. Who could it be? This comes on the heels of Aditi telling us that the chances of Aaron Rodgers coming back is ‘miniscule.’ We wondered who the player could be. Which one would truly be a ‘surprise’ if they didn’t return?

ALL ACCESS w/ Aditi – Aditi said any NFL GM is going to look into any player that may be available in any given offseason, so the CJ Stroud story doesn’t have a ton of legs right now. Did Minnesota decide on Sam Darnold due to 2 bad games to end his season before signing in Seattle and winning a Super Bowl? Aditi said sometimes rookies catch the league by surprise, the way Stroud did in 2023. What is the Steelers’ ceiling if they decide to run it back with Aaron Rodgers in 2026? Aditi doesn’t buy into all of the belief that Rodgers will be back in Pittsburgh next season – going as far to say the chances are ‘miniscule.’ Aditi thinks there is a roughly equal chance that Malik Willis is the Steelers QB in comparison to Rodgers.

A few NFL insiders believe CJ Stroud is available via trade. What will that cost? The Steelers have a dozen picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, which should have them open for business. Stroud is sour on people’s minds because he was horrible in the playoffs this year, even in the blowout win over the Steelers. He hasn’t gotten better since his rookie season, but it’s hard to not have any interest with a 24-year-old QB that has won a playoff game in all 3 seasons. One longtime Texans writer said he would stand naked at a busy intersection in Houston if the Texans trade Stroud.

Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk joined the show. Mike had a quick reaction to the Tony Clark situation, even though that is baseball related. After Joey Porter spoke out about Ben Roethlisberger, the guys asked Mike if that would impact his Hall of Fame candidacy. Mike doesn’t think $40M for Malik Willis is outrageous at all because it’s only 66.6% of what the quarterback market is. Does anyone out there want Tyreek Hill? Mike thinks there are enough teams that can use him and enough that want him that would look passed the off-the-field issues and his injury. Mike said the Steelers drafting Ty Simpson would be the clearest sign that the team isn’t as giddy on Will Howard as they made it sound. He said their open love for Howard could be a way to move teams off the scent. After Sam Darnold won the Super Bowl, is it a requirement to have a superstar QB? Mike has never met Snoop Dogg despite being at several big events.

Did we get an indication on what the Pirates are going to do with Konnor Griffin? It felt like Don Kelly gave a hint, in a recent interview with Shelby Cassessee, that Griffin could be looking at the first month of the season in Triple A. Do we all want him on the Opening Day roster? Griffin is 1 of their 9 best players, which should give him a role. If they had added another bat from someone on the left side of the infield, would that change your mind? Paul Skenes spent some time in Triple A, so would it be the worst thing if Griffin did the same? Kelly said it would be a ‘tough ask’ for Griffin to be here on Opening Day.

Former Penguin Tyler Kennedy joined the show. TK reacted to the Sidney Crosby injury that took place in the Canada-Czechia game earlier. Tyler said a pep talk from Sid would not mean the injury isn’t serious. Tyler’s initial thought is that it will keep him out of the Olympics, but hopefully not a ton of Penguins games in the back half of the season. Tyler thinks there was a little maliciousness behind the hit from Radko Gudas that knocked Crosby out of the game. Tyler gave some insight on how much it means for Canadians to play in the Olympics or international games. TK isn’t convinced the United States get by Sweden later today.

Sidney Crosby was injured today in the latest matchup for Canada, a 4-3 OT win over Czechia. Is it time for NHL players to sit out of the games again? If Crosby’s season is over, is any of this worth it? The players aren’t forced to participate in the Olympics. If Crosby ever decided to not play in the games, it wouldn’t alter his legacy whatsoever. What if Paul Skenes didn’t want to pitch in the World Baseball Classic? Chris thinks a plus-sized exhibition shouldn’t be the reason Crosby loses his season, and possibly his final Olympic games.

PM Team FULL Show 2-17-26

There is more optimism around the Pirates than there has been in roughly a decade. We have seen them make some moves between now and then, but going into the season, the team has the reigning Cy Young winner, the top prospect in all of baseball and added nearly 70 home runs this offseason. Chris thinks even the most pessimistic of fans have to acknowledge that the Pirates are better, at least on paper, than they have been in the last several seasons. Chris wants to see a massive jump after the team won just 71 games in 2025. It got better under Don Kelly, but they still weren’t a .500 team under his watch. Would it be a disappointment if they don’t make the playoffs? The potential work stoppage in 2027 should be scary. Chris won’t be satisfied with a .500 season – he wants a playoff berth. What is an acceptable season for the 2026 Pirates? More calls on the Buccos. Is optimism high?

Field Yates is one of the draft experts with Ty Simpson going to the Steelers 21st overall in his early mock drafts. Can the Steelers turn him into a franchise QB? Is he a force multiplier to an NFL offense? But do you need that in the NFL anymore? The last 2 QBs to win Super Bowls are Sam Darnold and Jalen Hurts – neither of which are considered upper echelon. It’s fair to point out that the rosters in Seattle and Philly were so dominant otherwise, it didn’t matter a ton. The Steelers roster isn’t there yet. Does it make sense to take a flier or give Will Howard the shot we are all talking about? NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson from CBS Sports joined the show. Does Ryan think it would make sense for the Steelers to go QB in the 1st round? Ryan said Ty Simpson has tools of a legitimate night one player, but the end of his season will scare some teams away. Ryan ultimately feels like there’s a good chance Simpson goes in the 1st round. Ryan went through a few positions that are deep and how deep of the class is overall. Donny Football Debrief – ESPN predicts a former WPIAL star will return to Pittsburgh.

Oneil Cruz was a disappointing player in 2025, but was it one of false hope? Early on, it looked like Cruz had figured things out, showing off a .902 OPS across March and April. May was OK, but things really tailed off as we got into the summer months. He only hit 8 home runs in the final 4 months of the season. Is he the forgotten man in the Pirates lineup? The front office went out and signed 69 home runs worth of power this offseason and the organization touts the #1 prospect in all of baseball, Konnor Griffin. Does that ease the pressure for Cruz? Everything also orbits around Paul Skenes, the reigning NL Cy Young. The existence of the new bats, Griffin and Skenes takes some off Cruz’s shoulders. What will the Pirates lineup look like? Is it getting late early for Cruz or is he entering his hypothetical prime? Cruz was flailing and failing in the back half of 2025, so it feels like things can only go up. Chris is afraid to say Cruz will finally blossom, but he can be the biggest pivot point for the 2026 Pirates. Do fans have different expectations for Oneil Cruz in 2026? Which player is worthier of the HOF – Dave Parker or Andrew McCutchen? Parker is already in, but Chris thinks neither guy should be in there. He labeled both as ‘Hall of Very Good’ players. Chris said Juan Soto is already in if Parker is in.

Chris is tired of hearing about the ongoing beef among former Steelers. It was all started with Joey Porter taking a massive shot at Ben Roethlisberger while also sneaking one in on James Harrison in the process. Ben has yet to respond, but Deebo responded yesterday. This is all podcast fodder. The irony is that fans claim to us that the players just want to play, but it’s players that are keeping this news cycle going. We speculated which podcast will get going about it next. Maybe Ryan Clark will get all of these guys together for an episode of The Pivot. Do fans care if former Steelers all get along? Sports Court w/ our friends from Edgar Snyder & Associates. Today, Chris asked Nick and Rob about the NFL vs NFLPA battle in regards to the ‘report cards’ that have been made public over the last few years. What are the consequences here and could the players fight back to make the reports public again? Tony Clark resigned from his lead role for the players in Major League Baseball as the league quickly approaches a potential work stoppage. Was there more behind him quitting? Will this lead to a salary cap and salary floor in baseball?

There is more optimism around the Pirates than there has been in roughly a decade. We have seen them make some moves between now and then, but going into the season, the team has the reigning Cy Young winner, the top prospect in all of baseball and added nearly 70 home runs this offseason. Chris thinks even the most pessimistic of fans have to acknowledge that the Pirates are better, at least on paper, than they have been in the last several seasons. Chris wants to see a massive jump after the team won just 71 games in 2025. It got better under Don Kelly, but they still weren’t a .500 team under his watch. Would it be a disappointment if they don’t make the playoffs? The potential work stoppage in 2027 should be scary. Chris won’t be satisfied with a .500 season – he wants a playoff berth.

NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson from CBS Sports joined the show. Does Ryan think it would make sense for the Steelers to go QB in the 1st round? Ryan said Ty Simpson has tools of a legitimate night one player, but the end of his season will scare some teams away. Ryan ultimately feels like there’s a good chance Simpson goes in the 1st round. Ryan went through a few positions that are deep and how deep of the class is overall.

Field Yates is one of the draft experts with Ty Simpson going to the Steelers 21st overall in his early mock drafts. Can the Steelers turn him into a franchise QB? Is he a force multiplier to an NFL offense? But do you need that in the NFL anymore? The last 2 QBs to win Super Bowls are Sam Darnold and Jalen Hurts – neither of which are considered upper echelon. It’s fair to point out that the rosters in Seattle and Philly were so dominant otherwise, it didn’t matter a ton. The Steelers roster isn’t there yet. Does it make sense to take a flier or give Will Howard the shot we are all talking about?

Which player is worthier of the HOF – Dave Parker or Andrew McCutchen? Parker is already in, but Chris thinks neither guy should be in there. He labeled both as ‘Hall of Very Good’ players. Chris said Juan Soto is already in if Parker is in.

Oneil Cruz was a disappointing player in 2025, but was it one of false hope? Early on, it looked like Cruz had figured things out, showing off a .902 OPS across March and April. May was OK, but things really tailed off as we got into the summer months. He only hit 8 home runs in the final 4 months of the season. Is he the forgotten man in the Pirates lineup? The front office went out and signed 69 home runs worth of power this offseason and the organization touts the #1 prospect in all of baseball, Konnor Griffin. Does that ease the pressure for Cruz? Everything also orbits around Paul Skenes, the reigning NL Cy Young. The existence of the new bats, Griffin and Skenes takes some off Cruz’s shoulders. What will the Pirates lineup look like? Is it getting late early for Cruz or is he entering his hypothetical prime? Cruz was flailing and failing in the back half of 2025, so it feels like things can only go up. Chris is afraid to say Cruz will finally blossom, but he can be the biggest pivot point for the 2026 Pirates.

Sports Court w/ our friends from Edgar Snyder & Associates. Today, Chris asked Nick and Rob about the NFL vs NFLPA battle in regards to the ‘report cards’ that have been made public over the last few years. What are the consequences here and could the players fight back to make the reports public again? Tony Clark resigned from his lead role for the players in Major League Baseball as the league quickly approaches a potential work stoppage. Was there more behind him quitting? Will this lead to a salary cap and salary floor in baseball?

Chris is tired of hearing about the ongoing beef among former Steelers. It was all started with Joey Porter taking a massive shot at Ben Roethlisberger while also sneaking one in on James Harrison in the process. Ben has yet to respond, but Deebo responded yesterday. This is all podcast fodder. The irony is that fans claim to us that the players just want to play, but it’s players that are keeping this news cycle going. We speculated which podcast will get going about it next. Maybe Ryan Clark will get all of these guys together for an episode of The Pivot.

President's Day Full Show PM Team

2-16 PM Team 5pm Hour

Nick Farabaugh joins the show. Nick says that he doesn't want Tyreek Hill on the Steelers due to the amount of looming questions surrounding him. He also said that he would rather have Romeo Doubs than Hill. Nick says there is no shot Makai Lemon falls to the Steelers at pick 21. If the Steelers do not take a wide receiver, Nick thinks they might take a guard. He also thinks that Ty Simpson is a big wild card on draft night.

Pirates Insider Colin Beazley joins the show. He said that the Pirate he has been the most impressed with down in Bradenton so far has been Marcell Ozuna. Colin says that he is a fan of the Ozuna signing, and he is a fan of the Pirates' new additions this offseason as a whole. Colin thinks that Jose Urquidy will get the 5th rotation spot out of the gate. Round 2 of President's Day Trivia. Charlie ties it up at 1. Donny Football Debrief with Intern Jack.

Donny Football Debrief with Intern Jack.

Pirates Insider Colin Beazley joins the show. He said that the Pirate he has been the most impressed with down in Bradenton so far has been Marcell Ozuna. Colin says that he is a fan of the Ozuna signing, and he is a fan of the Pirates' new additions this offseason as a whole. Colin thinks that Jose Urquidy will get the 5th rotation spot out of the gate.

Pirates insider Noah Hiles joins the show. Noah says that he is not sure if all of the Pirates pieces fit together enough to get the most out of the players. He still says that this is the most exciting offseason for the Pirates in quite a while. Noah also says that there is definitely reason to be excited about this Pirates team. More with Noah. The Steelers have the 2nd best odds to bring in Tyreek Hill, behind the Chiefs. Noah says that he is not interested at all in bringing in Tyreek. Noah said that he watches the Olympics every day, and keeps it on almost 24/7. The guys discuss which Olympic event they would be the best at.

2-16 PM Team 2pm Hour, Donny Football is filling in for the guys on President's Day

Will Producer Charlie stick to his bold prediction that Team USA will bow out of the Olympics before the medal round?

Donny asks a few questions about the 2026 Pittsburgh Pirates? Will the Pirates come in last place again or are the bats they added enough to make the jump to the playoffs?

Joey Porter called Roethlisberger a bad teammate, the young Bucs are in Bradenton and Pittsburgh wrestles with supporting country over Crosby.

PM Team FULL Show 2-13-26

Paul Skenes spoke at Pirates City today as we quickly approach the 2026 season. The feeling from fans seems to be ‘cautious optimism.’ We revisited a poll question from yesterday and over 50% think the Pirates will win 90 games instead of losing 90. We shared our current gut feel for the 2026 Buccos. Open Phone Friday. TGIF.

Steelers correspondent Mark Kaboly from The Pat McAfee Show joined the show. The discussion began around food and what Mark would eat every day for the rest of his life. He decided on pizza, agreeing with Donny. This all stemmed from Sidney Crosby saying he would eat pasta every day. Mark talked about the debate that has been ongoing this week after Joey Porter slammed Ben Roethlisberger for being a bad teammate. Kaboom said from 2004-2010, ‘you couldn’t find a bigger jerk,’ but he does believe Ben changed as he matured. Mark shared a story that involved Jason Bay, who won Rookie of the Year in baseball the same year as Ben in football. Did Porter throw more shade at James Harrison than he did at Big Ben? The guys wondered if there would be retribution from Deebo or Ben back at Peezy. More w/ Mark – We are starting to see more and more mock drafts with the Steelers taking Ty Simpson. How extensive will the homework be on QBs? How much money is Mark willing to pay Malik Willis? More w/ Mark – Mark thinks there is a better chance Patrick Queen gets an extension than him getting released. Mark said everyone feels up in the air with the new coaching staff. The guys ran through some pending free agents and if Mark believes they will be back in Pittsburgh. Mark would rather bring back Asante Samuel than James Pierre. Mark expects Joey Porter Jr. to get an ‘easy’ $20M/year deal. Is the football future of Broderick Jones in question? Mark laughed at the idea of Nick Herbig being traded for a backup QB. Mark questioned how enamored the Steelers are with Will Howard because he hasn’t played a snap. Mark can’t believe people still read books.

Is $40M/year too much for Malik Willis? What happens if he’s not THE guy with that much on his docket? Chris said he’d be willing to take that shot, but Donny and Poni can’t get there. Would you rather just have Aaron Rodgers back for the same he made last season ($13M)? Does anyone else want to pay Malik Willis $40M/year? This segment went very off the rails. Donny Football Debrief – No more grading owners in the NFL.

We had some fun with the way Sidney Crosby says ‘pasta’ as Canada gets set for its second game later today. The guys reviewed some answers Crosby gave in an interview about playing in the Olympic games. The guys thought ‘persistent’ was the perfect way for Sid to describe himself. One answer they debated was Crosby saying winning the Stanley Cup was bigger than winning a gold medal. Stanley Cup or gold medal? Fair Game w/ Steelers reporter Nick Farabaugh from Penn Live dot com joined the show. Nick thinks there are legitimate concerns with Ty Simpson being a 1st round pick and thinks the Steelers have more pressing needs than to take a flier on him. Nick can see the Steelers trading up to draft a WR instead of just staying put because he believes there is a drop off between the top 2-3 at that position and the rest of the 1st round names. He thinks Jordyn Tyson could be the one to fall out of that group. Is Simpson a better prospect than Will Howard? Nick thinks it’s more likely that the Steelers take a QB on the second night or third day of the draft, and that could be Drew Allar. Nick said there were some interesting prospects that went back to school. Nick said Garrett Nussmeier, who has clear connections to Mike McCarthy has ‘tanked’ his stock going into the draft process. The Steelers have 5 picks in the top 100 right now and Nick expects them to draft a pair of receivers with that at their disposal.

Paul Skenes spoke at Pirates City today as we quickly approach the 2026 season. The feeling from fans seems to be ‘cautious optimism.’ We revisited a poll question from yesterday and over 50% think the Pirates will win 90 games instead of losing 90. We shared our current gut feel for the 2026 Buccos.

Is $40M/year too much for Malik Willis? What happens if he’s not THE guy with that much on his docket? Chris said he’d be willing to take that shot, but Donny and Poni can’t get there. Would you rather just have Aaron Rodgers back for the same he made last season ($13M)?

Fair Game w/ Steelers reporter Nick Farabaugh from Penn Live dot com joined the show. Nick thinks there are legitimate concerns with Ty Simpson being a 1st round pick and thinks the Steelers have more pressing needs than to take a flier on him. Nick can see the Steelers trading up to draft a WR instead of just staying put because he believes there is a drop off between the top 2-3 at that position and the rest of the 1st round names. He thinks Jordyn Tyson could be the one to fall out of that group. Is Simpson a better prospect than Will Howard? Nick thinks it’s more likely that the Steelers take a QB on the second night or third day of the draft, and that could be Drew Allar. Nick said there were some interesting prospects that went back to school. Nick said Garrett Nussmeier, who has clear connections to Mike McCarthy has ‘tanked’ his stock going into the draft process. The Steelers have 5 picks in the top 100 right now and Nick expects them to draft a pair of receivers with that at their disposal.

We had some fun with the way Sidney Crosby says ‘pasta’ as Canada gets set for its second game later today. The guys reviewed some answers Crosby gave in an interview about playing in the Olympic games. The guys thought ‘persistent’ was the perfect way for Sid to describe himself. One answer they debated was Crosby saying winning the Stanley Cup was bigger than winning a gold medal.

PM Team FULL Show 2-12-26

30+ years beyond the fact, a former Steelers OL that never played in a regular season game called out Neil O’Donnell for ‘throwing’ Super Bowl XXX. Emerson Martin believes O’Donnell ‘took a dive’ in the biggest game. Chris said he’s never heard someone suggest that. The guys think it’s a tinfoil hat theory. Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo from the PG joined the show. Ray has released his first Steelers mock draft and has them trading up to select Jordyn Tyson to add a WR to the room early. Ray thinks the Steelers could double-down at WR on the first two nights of the draft. Ray went through his middle rounds of the draft and how the Steelers could utilize their abundance of picks. Ray has the Steelers using their final pick on a QB, so not one to threaten the future. Ray said Mason Rudolph would be the odd-man-out if the Steelers do take a QB in late April. Ray shared his thoughts on the finalized coaching staff under Mike McCarthy, which is a bigger staff than anything we ever saw under Mike Tomlin. How many guys due for second contracts will get one? Ray still doesn’t think the TJ Watt contract was a mistake because the salary cap continues to go up. Ray doesn’t think Isaac Seumalo is back unless the Steelers give him a raise. Is Dylan Cook going to get a real shot to start at left tackle next season? Total Request Thursday.

What has made Terry Bradshaw change his tune about Aaron Rodgers? Last season he told Rodgers to get lost and ‘chew on bark,’ but now he seems OK if Rodgers comes back for a second season in Pittsburgh. We looked the numbers from Russell Wilson in 2024 – they aren’t much different than what Rodgers gave them in 2025. There weren’t many out there that wanted Wilson back, so why do more want Rodgers? Was Rodgers the biggest problem last season? Steve Palazzolo from the 33rd Team joined the show. Steve thinks the Steelers need to turn the page to the future and roll with another QB in 2026 – not Aaron Rodgers. Steve thinks Malik Willis might be netting nearly $40M per year in free agency after stepping up for the Packers a few times the last two seasons. He thinks that has to do with a limited pool in free agency and a weaker rookie class. Steve explained why he thinks Kyler Murray is an interesting option and got into the focus aspect of his game. Steve, a former minor league pitcher, talked about his memories of Spring Training. Steve talked about some of the amenities in the MiLB days. Donny Football Debrief – The Steelers have finalized their coaching staff.

Antonio Brown has come to the defense of Ben Roethlisberger. But was it really AB? His social accounts seem to be operated by a few different people. Poni is still perturbed by Joey Porter turning heel on Big Ben after they were buddy-buddy at the most recent Steelers Hall of Honor ceremony. Is Porter angling for a career in media? The guys discussed active players having podcasts, since this did take place on the one hosted by Cam Heyward. Poni said he wouldn’t be stunned if Heyward’s next episode includes some sort of apology. KDKA TV’s Bob Pompeani joined the show. Bob talked about his time covering the Winter Olympics. The guys asked Bob about Olympic hockey and the rooting interest fans have between the United States and Sidney Crosby & Canada. Pomp said he is true red, white and blue when it comes to the Olympic games. Bob called the Joey Porter beef with Ben Roethlisberger ‘strange’ and thinks the timing of it is weird. Bob reflected on what Porter and Ben said about the Steelers and each other during the Hall of Honor ceremony. Can Bob do 15 push-ups consecutively? Pomp is upset Russia isn’t in the games. Power Rankings – Top 5 Winter Olympic sporting events.

Sidney Crosby has begun his quest for a third Olympic gold medal as Canada blanked Czechia, 5-0 earlier today. Poni had a big question for people in Pittsburgh – are you rooting for the United States or Canada? It sounds silly, but a recent poll showed that 40% of Penguins fans are rooting for 87 to win another gold. Team USA doesn’t have anyone from the Penguins current roster, but it has a former coach and Stanley Cup champion in charge. Mullsy got annoyed late in the segment and decided he would also root for Canada and Crosby. Do callers want Team USA hockey to win gold or another one for Sidney Crosby and Canada? One wild man said he wouldn’t care if Crosby broke his leg in the games. Pirates insider Jason Mackey from the PG joined the show. Jason is taking in the early workouts in Bradenton after pitchers and catchers reported yesterday. Nick Castellanos just got released by the Phillies, but Jason does not anticipate the Pirates having any interest there. Jason does not think talks have begun between the Pirates and Konnor Griffin on a contract extension. Jason guessed it would need to be close to the Roman Anthony deal with the Red Sox, which was worth $130M total. Jason said there is a ‘very good chance’ Griffin is on the Opening Day roster and he will have every opportunity throughout the spring, similar to Jared Jones, to prove it. Jason said there are no questions defensively for Griffin and he can play a mix of shortstop and outfield. Jason is a little less optimistic that the Pirates will sign a left-handed pitcher before the season begins. He projected that they have ‘maybe a half dozen’ options at 3B outside of the organization. Jason has the Pirates as an 84-85 win team right now.

Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo from the PG joined the show. Ray has released his first Steelers mock draft and has them trading up to select Jordyn Tyson to add a WR to the room early. Ray thinks the Steelers could double-down at WR on the first two nights of the draft. Ray went through his middle rounds of the draft and how the Steelers could utilize their abundance of picks. Ray has the Steelers using their final pick on a QB, so not one to threaten the future. Ray said Mason Rudolph would be the odd-man-out if the Steelers do take a QB in late April. Ray shared his thoughts on the finalized coaching staff under Mike McCarthy, which is a bigger staff than anything we ever saw under Mike Tomlin. How many guys due for second contracts will get one? Ray still doesn’t think the TJ Watt contract was a mistake because the salary cap continues to go up. Ray doesn’t think Isaac Seumalo is back unless the Steelers give him a raise. Is Dylan Cook going to get a real shot to start at left tackle next season?