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OPPOSITION TERRITORY: Pittsburgh Steelers · The Philadelphia Sports Table | Philly Sports News & Views

• 0:25
  Speaker 1: Welcome to Opposition Territory here at the Philadelphia Sports Table
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: podcast show, the longest running weekly Philly sports podcast show
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: in the world, over twelve and a half years strong.
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: Got a great opposition Territory show coming your way as
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: we focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers their upcoming off season
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: with the future holds for this team. It was an
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: interesting year for the Pittsburgh Steelers and what is their
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: place going to be in the AFC as we are
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: moving forward? Joining us this week. We've had her on
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: the podcast before. It's been a while, but it's great
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: to have her back. She's the managing editor over at
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: Pro Football and Sports Network. Our friend Alison Cohler. Allison,
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: how you doing, my friend?
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: I'm great. Happy blated New Year?
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: Actually yeah, absolutely. Look I'm not one of those people
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: they say, you know, you can't say happy New Year
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: after three days and stuff. It's mid It's what are
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: we in like mid January here? Happy?
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: I mean it's so it's yeah, it's so early in
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: the year exactly. The month is going by very fast.
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: It is. And you know what, Yeah, the NFL playoffs
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: are also going by fast too, and I'm getting a
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: little upset that We only have three more.
• 1:31
  Speaker 2: Games here, and we have been amazing.
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: They have they've they've been really good. Look, you're Pittsburgh
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: Steelers that you follow and that you've covered over the years,
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: my Philadelphia Eagles. You know, there was certainly some crapping
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: of the bed for sure, but but again, it has
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: been a fun postseason for sure. But Allison, I really
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: want to, you know, dive into this Pittsburgh Steelers team
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: with you. I think it's gonna be fascinating where this
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: team moves in the future because of all the changes
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: that are going to be coming to the city of
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: Pittsburgh and with this franchise and organization. But they're they're
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: going through this transition right now. Of course that we're
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: seeing here is as Mike Tomlin is out as head
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: coach and they're gonna be looking for a new head
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: coach this off season. And I want to get our
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: conversation started by talking about what that level of concern is,
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: you know, amongst the fan base, you know, for the
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: stability of what this franchise and what this team is
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: really going to look like based on not necessarily having
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: that foundational familiarity that Mike Tomlin has brought to the
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: table for so many years, close to two decades, So
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: what is that level of concern out there?
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: And look, you know the Pittsburgh Steelers for ever, right
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: have been like the poster boy of stability. Yes, right,
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: So I feel like with or without Mike Tomlin, the
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: stability is going to be there. It's just a matter
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: of who are they going to find? Right? So the
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: Rooney family, you know, right now it's Art, but you
• 3:06
  Speaker 2: know eventually it's going to be his son is going
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: to be taken over, you know, because Art's you know,
• 3:11
  Speaker 2: getting up there in age and whatnot. But you know,
• 3:13
  Speaker 2: it's it's mainly once you know, the concern is more
• 3:18
  Speaker 2: about who are they going to find? And you know
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: that obviously Danny Smith, they're a special teams coordinator who
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: was there forever right the gum cheery, you know, who
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: gave everybody anxiety just from chewing gum. He's gone right
• 3:31
  Speaker 2: that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired him today, Arthur Smith
• 3:35
  Speaker 2: is going to be gone. You know, everybody's going to
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: be gone. They may keep some coaches depending on whoever
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: they bring in, you know, and this makes a decision
• 3:42
  Speaker 2: of who they're going to keep around. But honestly, I
• 3:45
  Speaker 2: feel like that whole staff is more than likely gone,
• 3:49
  Speaker 2: So that that's where the concern is. The Steelers. Are
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: the Steelers with or with that? I mean, because we've
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: seen you know what, I mean, three three coaches in
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: like a trillion years, right, and that's just a impress
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: of that, right, So.
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: And I wonder if we're gonna see that again though,
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: Like I wonder if the next individual that takes over
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, if they
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: are gonna be there for fifteen years, twenty years as well.
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: I mean, I don't it's impossible. We don't have a
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: crystal ball. It's impossible for us to predict that. Seems
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: like that's the way the Steelers organization likes to go.
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: But I wonder if hanging on to that type of
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: mentality is really the most productive thing in this NFL
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  Speaker 1: in this day and age. I don't know. There's a
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: part of me that likes it. There's also a part
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  Speaker 1: of me that understands that this is a win now
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: league and maybe that's not possible anymore.
• 4:40
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, no, I'm with you. It's like for the
• 4:44
  Speaker 2: longest time, you know, for fifteen of Tomlin's nineteen years,
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: I was an art and supporter. I was like this guy,
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: you know what I mean, we all know, no losing seasons,
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  Speaker 2: blah blah blah. It's like, at some point is that
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  Speaker 2: not enough?
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: Right?
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  Speaker 2: And I feel like the majority of Steelers fans there
• 5:05
  Speaker 2: are some who are still like, oh my god, let's
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: go what are we gonna do?
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: And it's like, come on, right, right.
• 5:11
  Speaker 2: Like don't you want to win a playoff game? Don't
• 5:13
  Speaker 2: you want maybe a shot at another super Bowl before
• 5:16
  Speaker 2: we die? Right? You know? So, and it just it
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: was it became more obvious year after year. You know,
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: they hadn't won a playoff game since the twenty sixteen season.
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: In twenty seventeen, it's getting a little bit old, yeah,
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: and competitive. I just feel like a lot of like
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: a lot of us, if we're at a job, if
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: we're at one position for too long, we get to
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: be very comfortable, very complacent. It almost doesn't matter what
• 5:43
  Speaker 2: we do, what we don't do, We're always gonna we
• 5:46
  Speaker 2: have that job security.
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: Well like Tomlin had that, you know, but he just
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: wasn't producing and it didn't seem like anything he did
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: it was making a difference, right.
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: I like the on.
• 6:02
  Speaker 2: Field production obviously, the teams the players love and they're
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: in tiers. That's a different story on a personal level, right,
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: you know, he wasn't as a coach, but the production
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: on the field, which is trash.
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: Yeah, it hasn't been necessarily great, for sure. I have
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: a lot of friends who are Pittsburgh Steelers fans, frankly,
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: and the level of oh we're watching this again type
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: of mentality has been there for quite some time. And
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: it's a good segue into the follow up question, which is,
• 6:32
  Speaker 1: you know which head coach prospect here would be best
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: for the Pittsburgh Steelers moving forward, really entering this new era.
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: I mean, who is that for you?
• 6:42
  Speaker 2: Yeah? Yeah, well, you know, the Steelers have been defensive minded,
• 6:45
  Speaker 2: you know, at the head coach position for so long. Yeah,
• 6:49
  Speaker 2: well for the last two coaches, the last three coaches.
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: But while I think it would be interesting for them,
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: especially since it's more of an offensive league now than
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: it was when Tom came in, you know, when Cower
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: was there, certainly when Chuck Nole was there. It would
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: be interesting to see if they go with an offensive
• 7:07
  Speaker 2: minded head coach. But it doesn't seem like that's the
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: route they're gonna take. You know, some offensive guys in there,
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: but it's like ho hum, you know what I mean,
• 7:15
  Speaker 2: I think that they're gonna stick with a defensive minded coach.
• 7:19
  Speaker 2: You know. My feeling is I really like Brian Flores.
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: You know, he was he was in Pittsburgh for that
• 7:24
  Speaker 2: one season after he got fired from the Dolphins. He
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: came to Pittsburgh in twenty twenty two. Is a senior
• 7:28
  Speaker 2: defensive linebackers coach. My my sort of feeling then was like, ooh,
• 7:34
  Speaker 2: this is interesting, Like maybe Tomlins thinking about stepping down,
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: Like I thought, maybe they're never gonna fire him, you
• 7:41
  Speaker 2: know what I mean, if he if he hadn't stepped
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: down earlier this earlier this month, he would not have
• 7:47
  Speaker 2: been fired, right, But that's the bottom line. There's no
• 7:50
  Speaker 2: way they would have fired him. So I was sort
• 7:52
  Speaker 2: of thinking, whoa you know Brian Flores, you know what
• 7:55
  Speaker 2: I mean, Like that's kind of interesting because he's a
• 7:57
  Speaker 2: big you know, he's he's his defenses are still you know,
• 8:01
  Speaker 2: with the with the Vikings, you know, they've been super
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: top ranked in the league since he's been with them.
• 8:09
  Speaker 2: In twenty twenty three, So I sort of I that's
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  Speaker 2: where I would lean, but I'm not Art Rooney. Yeah,
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  Speaker 2: I sort of. I feel like their top candidate right
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: now is is Chris Shula, the defensive coordinator of the
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: Los Angeles Rams. And obviously with the name of like Shola,
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: you know what you're gonna get, right, I mean, defensive
• 8:28
  Speaker 2: guy from the from the moment he was born, right,
• 8:31
  Speaker 2: so and you know he's got connections. You know, his
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: his uh obviously you know uh don Shula, right, I mean,
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: my goodness, right, but he had he had he had
• 8:46
  Speaker 2: uh spent time with Chuck Noll, you know what I mean.
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: So that right there is huge. And you know there's
• 8:52
  Speaker 2: some connections there is Grant his his his father, you know,
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: had some connections with Kevin Colbert, the former GM. So
• 8:58
  Speaker 2: there's a lot of connections, roots and things. And Pittsburgh
• 9:02
  Speaker 2: loves all of that.
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: They do.
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  Speaker 2: I love it. They love it. And I feel like
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: Ryan Flora's interview today, if he was their lead guy,
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: he would not have left. And I think right now,
• 9:15
  Speaker 2: kind of this weekend, I was sort of student rooting
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: for the Rams to lose because I was like, well,
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: then we can get going right, hire Chris and get
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: the ball rolling. I think we're gonna have to wait
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: a while. We might have to wait for Super Bowls
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: for February, but I think that Chris Shula is ultimately
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: going to be the guy.
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: Okay, all right, sounds good. Well, moving on with the
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: conversation here, we of course have to talk about the
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback situation where that's going to be going
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: in the future. I mean, they of course have one
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: of the oldest quarterbacks in the league, one of the
• 9:45
  Speaker 1: oldest quarterbacks to play the game, and Aaron Rodgers who
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: is expected to return to the Steelers next season from
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: what is being reported, it's not one hundred percent definite
• 9:55
  Speaker 1: as of us recording this on Tuesday, January twentieth, But
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: I'm wondering, how are how are folks in the fan
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: base really discussing what this might actually mean for the
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: future of the team, for the future of the offense,
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: the team overall, and really the future of the Steelers
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: quarterback position, because you know, there aren't a lot of
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: great quarterbacks necessarily coming out in the draft. There's there's
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: a few, but how how is the fan base really
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: reacting to Okay, we're gonna have another Aaron Rodgers season probably,
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: And what does that mean ultimately for the quarterback position?
• 10:28
  Speaker 2: Yeah? Yeah, Well what's interesting is that when when Tom
• 10:31
  Speaker 2: and stupped down, the initial talk was he's not coming
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: back because the reason why he came to Pittsburgh was
• 10:37
  Speaker 2: because of Mike Tomlin. So I really do feel like
• 10:41
  Speaker 2: it all depends on who they end up getting as
• 10:43
  Speaker 2: the head coach. Right, there's that Mike McCarthy talk, which.
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: Oh goodness, oh god, no goodness, don't do that.
• 10:50
  Speaker 2: No, no, let's not do that. Yes, but of course
• 10:56
  Speaker 2: they have that connection. It's like a Aaron Rodgers was
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: probably gonna you know, he's old. Let's just put in
• 11:04
  Speaker 2: football years. He's old, right, he didn't play poorly this year.
• 11:08
  Speaker 2: I expected him to play worse than he did and
• 11:12
  Speaker 2: or get injured and not play the whole season. So
• 11:15
  Speaker 2: that was impressive alone. And it's hard to tell too
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: whether especially that last game where his last play was
• 11:24
  Speaker 2: a pick six and then they benched him for Mason Rudolph.
• 11:26
  Speaker 2: I mean, how embarrassing is that? I mean, nothing he cares,
• 11:29
  Speaker 2: you know what I mean? Now that he is Aaron Rodgery,
• 11:31
  Speaker 2: You give me crap, but you know, it's just I'm
• 11:36
  Speaker 2: curious as to how the whole thing is gonna look
• 11:39
  Speaker 2: because a lot of talk is that Tomlin had his thumb.
• 11:42
  Speaker 2: He had his thumb on everything, defense, offense, special like
• 11:45
  Speaker 2: he was the ultimate sayer of what happens and what
• 11:48
  Speaker 2: didn't happen. So was the offense you know as a
• 11:53
  Speaker 2: Armsbur Smith? Was it? Mike Tomlin was it? Was it
• 11:55
  Speaker 2: Aaron Rodgers? You know, I would be okay if he
• 12:00
  Speaker 2: came back for another year because as you alluded to,
• 12:02
  Speaker 2: you know, the quarterback class is very poor. It's very
• 12:06
  Speaker 2: similar to the to the class the very week, rather
• 12:10
  Speaker 2: to the class where Kenny Pickett was drafted. Right, We're
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: not going to get a Mendozo. We're not going to
• 12:14
  Speaker 2: get a top guy. We have a lot of draft capital.
• 12:16
  Speaker 2: Could we surprise the world? Since the draft is in Pittsburgh?
• 12:19
  Speaker 2: Can we surprise everybody and great a bunch of picks
• 12:21
  Speaker 2: for Mendoza. Sure, but it's going to be I mean,
• 12:24
  Speaker 2: that's going to be you know what I mean? Like,
• 12:26
  Speaker 2: fol Yeah, yeah, well I would I I'm cool with
• 12:30
  Speaker 2: Roger sticking around, you know what I mean? Mentoring Will Howard.
• 12:33
  Speaker 2: I want to see you know that Will Howard, Will Howard.
• 12:36
  Speaker 2: It's all the talk is going to be in the
• 12:37
  Speaker 2: off season is about Will Howard and what he can do.
• 12:39
  Speaker 2: We haven't seen it yet, and I think Steeler Nation
• 12:42
  Speaker 2: is very curious.
• 12:43
  Speaker 1: Yeah, it's gonna be real interesting to see where it goes.
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: Because franchise quarterback positions, I mean, that is the cornerstone
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: of NFL teams and offenses for sure.
• 12:52
  Speaker 2: Yeah, we haven't been looking for one since Ben retired.
• 12:55
  Speaker 2: I think we know that they don't grow on.
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: Trees, right, but.
• 12:59
  Speaker 2: You know it's it's not they're not easy to come by.
• 13:02
  Speaker 2: In fact, I feel like they're harder to come by.
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: Absolutely absolutely, folks. Again, we're talking Alison cole her from
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: the Pro Football and Sports Network. You can follow her
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: on the Twitter slash x at a Cohler NFL great.
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: Great follow And where are you also in the interwebs
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: anywhere else so where people can follow you? Alison? No,
• 13:22
  Speaker 1: not really, she said, not really there, Okay.
• 13:25
  Speaker 2: I have a Facebook. Nobody really I'm not, you know, yeah,
• 13:29
  Speaker 2: not really active.
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: I don't even care anymore. I really don't, even though
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: I have to. You feel like you have to post
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: the stuff we're in this realm, and we're in this
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: space and we feel like we have to freaking post
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: this stuff. It's it's the worst, it really is. And
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: I say that because now I'm gonna put up a
• 13:45
  Speaker 1: graphic for folks who may stumble upon this video podcast
• 13:50
  Speaker 1: on YouTube. You can like and subscribe to us here
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: at the PSD Podcast Show. And if you're in the
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: world of Philly sports or even the sports world in general,
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: we got a lot of great content for you like
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: and subscribe to us on YouTube. And we're going to
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: take a break, and when we get back, we got
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: more Steelers talk coming your way. All Right, we are
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: back with our good friend Alison Kohler from the Pro
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: Football in Sports Network talking about this Pittsburgh Steelers team
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: and where this franchise is going to be going in
• 14:22
  Speaker 1: the future, with a lot of different potential changes as well.
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: And I'd like to get into some of those potential
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: changes with regard to the Steelers offensive skill positions and weapons. Allison,
• 14:33
  Speaker 1: and let's start off with the running back position, because
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: I thought it was really interesting last season when the
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: Steelers acquired one Kenneth Gainwell, a former Philadelphia Eagle who
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: a lot of us liked to an extent, but it
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: was obvious after watching him in Pittsburgh and what he
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: did this year and that and that safety blanket for
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: Aaron Rodgers, that the Eagles didn't necessarily utilize him probably
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: to his fullest potential. So again, let's start with the
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: running back position. Got Jalen Warren, Kenneth Gainwell, and gain
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: Well's probably again one of their most versatile players on offense.
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: And the question is whether or not they're going to
• 15:12
  Speaker 1: resign him. I kind of don't see how they don't
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: resign him. I think they probably should based on what
• 15:17
  Speaker 1: we saw. Anyway, how did these players fit into the
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: offensive discussion for next season if at all?
• 15:25
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean that's the big question too. It all
• 15:27
  Speaker 2: comes down. It comes back down to the head coach, coach,
• 15:30
  Speaker 2: you know the whole team, you know who the whole
• 15:33
  Speaker 2: staff is. But yeah, to me, I would say, yes,
• 15:36
  Speaker 2: you cannot not re sign Kenneth Gainwell. He's been fan
• 15:40
  Speaker 2: he was like their leading receiver.
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: He's incredible.
• 15:43
  Speaker 2: I mean, my goodness, I mean, which is not saying
• 15:45
  Speaker 2: a lot for the Pittsburgh Steward offense. Let's throw it
• 15:48
  Speaker 2: that way.
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: We'll get to the receivers in a bit here.
• 15:52
  Speaker 2: Yeah, but no, he was incredible. I mean there were
• 15:55
  Speaker 2: plenty of games that we would not have won if
• 15:59
  Speaker 2: if we didn't have him, right, So we need to
• 16:02
  Speaker 2: We definitely need to do whatever we need to do.
• 16:05
  Speaker 2: And we have a lot of cap space. I can't
• 16:06
  Speaker 2: you know, off the top of my head, I don't remember,
• 16:08
  Speaker 2: but we have one of the top I think we're
• 16:10
  Speaker 2: like the top eight or something like that. Yeah, so
• 16:15
  Speaker 2: we have money, you know what I mean. We do
• 16:16
  Speaker 2: have a lot of you know, older guys and whatnot
• 16:18
  Speaker 2: on in contracts. We'll we'll talk about later. But yeah,
• 16:22
  Speaker 2: we do need to resign Kenneth and well Jalen Warren
• 16:26
  Speaker 2: good guy, you know what I mean. But he needs
• 16:28
  Speaker 2: he's not a lead back, you know what I mean.
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: I think he didn't need last year. I think it
• 16:33
  Speaker 1: was September of last year to your contract extension. I
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: believe it was like seventeen point five million over three
• 16:40
  Speaker 1: years to twelve million million dollars guaranteed.
• 16:43
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, which is pretty nice for a guy who
• 16:46
  Speaker 2: likes to fumble the ball out of it. But whatever,
• 16:49
  Speaker 2: it's okay, it's okay. Yeah, No, he needs he needs
• 16:53
  Speaker 2: another guy. And I and I why not, you know
• 16:57
  Speaker 2: what I mean? I mean, we drafted a Johnson, Caleb Johnson.
• 17:02
  Speaker 2: Oh gosh, you know what I mean. I don't know
• 17:04
  Speaker 2: what we're expecting out of that, but you know, rookies
• 17:06
  Speaker 2: or rookies, you know, especially running back, So maybe he'll
• 17:10
  Speaker 2: something will happen with him at some point. Maybe they
• 17:13
  Speaker 2: just weren't you know, again, it might have been my
• 17:15
  Speaker 2: talent thing. Maybe they just weren't using him, right, you know,
• 17:17
  Speaker 2: things like that. But yeah, I definitely expect us to
• 17:20
  Speaker 2: resign Ken.
• 17:21
  Speaker 1: All right, Yeah, well you mentioned the receivers, so let's
• 17:24
  Speaker 1: dive into the receiving situation here in Pittsburgh and including
• 17:29
  Speaker 1: the tight end position here. Look, DK Metcalf certainly a
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: pretty pretty good talent on this team and throughout the league.
• 17:38
  Speaker 1: And we also did see some flashes here and there
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: from Calvin Austen, who is going to be a free agent.
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: In fact, a lot of the Steelers wide receiver depth,
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: they are going to be free agents and not coming
• 17:49
  Speaker 1: back this year or this coming year. In twenty twenty six,
• 17:53
  Speaker 1: I should say, you've got John new Smith and Pat Fryermouth.
• 17:57
  Speaker 1: They had some productive games and moments here and there,
• 18:00
  Speaker 1: but they're not necessarily the dominant tight ends this Steelers
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: receiving corps. I think if Aaron Rodgers is going to
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: be coming back, he's probably gonna want some more quote
• 18:10
  Speaker 1: high end talent. I'm wondering where do you think the receivers,
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: the receiver position itself needs to really go this offseason.
• 18:19
  Speaker 2: It's just, uh, I mean that's been the question for
• 18:21
  Speaker 2: like a couple of years now, right. I mean we
• 18:26
  Speaker 2: you know George Pickens, was you know, gonna be around
• 18:29
  Speaker 2: a final Yeah, I'm still torn on that. Obviously he
• 18:33
  Speaker 2: was one of the top receivers in the league, right,
• 18:35
  Speaker 2: but what do you have been a top receiver in
• 18:37
  Speaker 2: the league in Pittsburgh? Who knows? Right? I mean we
• 18:40
  Speaker 2: saw DK Metcalf, you know what, he didn't do much,
• 18:44
  Speaker 2: you know what I mean? He had flashes, But again,
• 18:47
  Speaker 2: whatever to that. I don't know that they need. The
• 18:52
  Speaker 2: one thing I do know is I need to stop
• 18:54
  Speaker 2: ignoring that. I mean, obviously they got Metcalf, but they
• 18:58
  Speaker 2: got rid of Pickings, So it's like have been great
• 19:00
  Speaker 2: if we kept pick ends and then had Metcalf, Right, Like,
• 19:02
  Speaker 2: what the season for the Steelers look like? That's why
• 19:05
  Speaker 2: I think the draft.
• 19:06
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I think that's why the draft is going to
• 19:08
  Speaker 1: be so important. I mean, I can I can genuinely
• 19:11
  Speaker 1: see the Steelers taking with a first round pick, second
• 19:15
  Speaker 1: round pick. I can actually see them both taking wide
• 19:17
  Speaker 1: receivers with both picks.
• 19:21
  Speaker 2: Definitely done that in the past. You know, they've taken
• 19:23
  Speaker 2: back to back wide receivers. They're gonna need to because
• 19:26
  Speaker 2: you know Roman Wilson. You know, they drafted him in
• 19:28
  Speaker 2: the third round a couple of years ago and he
• 19:30
  Speaker 2: hasn't panned out to be much calvin alsin like we
• 19:34
  Speaker 2: talked about. You know, he's showing flashes. H if we
• 19:38
  Speaker 2: resign him for pennies, cool, you know what I mean,
• 19:41
  Speaker 2: that's nice. Yeah, he's not gonna I don't I don't
• 19:44
  Speaker 2: think he's gonna. Don't see him going anywhere. He's a
• 19:45
  Speaker 2: little dude, you know, I don't see him going anywhere
• 19:48
  Speaker 2: else and like, you know, changing the world or anything,
• 19:51
  Speaker 2: you know what I mean. So he may you know,
• 19:54
  Speaker 2: we may end up resigning him, but yeah, we definitely
• 19:57
  Speaker 2: need to to focus on that wide receiver position.
• 20:01
  Speaker 3: Okay, Yeah, yeah, Well look, you know the one thing
• 20:06
  Speaker 3: that the Steelers have always been known for, and I
• 20:08
  Speaker 3: mean you essentially mentioned it, you know before the break
• 20:11
  Speaker 3: was they've been a defensive minded team, you know, year
• 20:15
  Speaker 3: after year after year, seems like decade after decade at
• 20:18
  Speaker 3: this point.
• 20:18
  Speaker 1: And there are certainly some big defensive players on this
• 20:23
  Speaker 1: Steelers team, you know, big names, some some some of
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: these guys though they're aging, and some of these big names,
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: they didn't necessarily show up in big spots when it
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: mattered most this season. How would you like to see
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: the Steelers front office really address any aspects of the
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: defense this offseason? Allison?
• 20:42
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, obviously, you know, I feel like I kind
• 20:47
  Speaker 2: of I love love to do I love him?
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: Anybody would, yes.
• 20:52
  Speaker 2: Yes, However, right it's a business. I would have traded
• 20:58
  Speaker 2: him already, to be honest with you, it's an unpopular opinion.
• 21:01
  Speaker 2: There's some people who do share it with me, But
• 21:03
  Speaker 2: I would have traded him already for draft picks, gotcha,
• 21:07
  Speaker 2: because we do have you know, her big man, he's
• 21:11
  Speaker 2: he's he's been phenomenal with Jack Sawyer has been really great,
• 21:16
  Speaker 2: you know what I mean. So I think that we
• 21:18
  Speaker 2: have we don't have anybody t J. Watt level right now,
• 21:21
  Speaker 2: you know what I mean. But her big definitely could
• 21:25
  Speaker 2: be at that level at some point. So, yeah, I
• 21:30
  Speaker 2: can't hate Ward, you know what I mean. My concern
• 21:32
  Speaker 2: I was really sad for him, I think the most
• 21:34
  Speaker 2: because anybody who who watches the Steelers, they always Mike
• 21:39
  Speaker 2: Tomlin and Cam Hayward walk off the field together after
• 21:41
  Speaker 2: every game, like walking off in the sunset. They're like BFFs. Yeah,
• 21:45
  Speaker 2: you know, my heart was with him because you know
• 21:47
  Speaker 2: he I feel like he's probably lost like one of
• 21:50
  Speaker 2: his best friends. Right, So you know that sort of
• 21:54
  Speaker 2: made it, especially with his age, right, I was, but
• 21:57
  Speaker 2: he hadn't he didn't get he didn't have any injury,
• 22:00
  Speaker 2: I mean not any that kept him out of games.
• 22:03
  Speaker 2: He's still very valuable, you know what I mean. Like
• 22:05
  Speaker 2: he's not gonna have any trade trade value like t
• 22:08
  Speaker 2: Watt would, right, So it's going to be interesting, and
• 22:12
  Speaker 2: again a lot of it just depends on who they
• 22:14
  Speaker 2: end up bringing in and what they want to do
• 22:16
  Speaker 2: and what they sort of see is the future of
• 22:19
  Speaker 2: Pittsburgh's defense.
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: Yeah, lot up in the air for sure, And Alison,
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: before I let you go, and I know it's a
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: very general question to close us out here, but from
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: an overall perspective. You know, after everything we've discussed here offensively, defensively,
• 22:35
  Speaker 1: where this offseason may go. How do the Steelers become
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: more competitive in the AFC next season? Again, I know
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: it's a general question, but what are your thoughts here?
• 22:45
  Speaker 2: Well, again, it's the AMC. North has been crazy, right
• 22:48
  Speaker 2: because literally, Zach Taylor, who Whoo's he? You know what
• 22:52
  Speaker 2: I mean, Like he's the only remaining He's the only
• 22:55
  Speaker 2: guy standing standing North. So it's like who knows, like,
• 23:00
  Speaker 2: you know, whoever the Browns end up getting, you know,
• 23:04
  Speaker 2: whoever the Ravens end up getting. I hope it's not
• 23:06
  Speaker 2: Joe Brady, And they interviewed him today. I think the
• 23:09
  Speaker 2: second interview. That concerns me because he's very good, right,
• 23:15
  Speaker 2: very good. That really concerns me.
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: I hope he comes to Philly, to be honest with you,
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: there's part of me that hopes he does. Like I've
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: been a Mike Mike McDaniel's type type of guy as well,
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: but Joe Brady as well. I'm liking him too, So
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: there's there's options.
• 23:31
  Speaker 2: Right, Yeah, yeah, So I mean it really, you know,
• 23:35
  Speaker 2: I still feel like we're gonna still be in the
• 23:39
  Speaker 2: mix with the Ravens. The Browns, I don't know, you
• 23:42
  Speaker 2: know what I mean, what happens there the Bengals obviously
• 23:45
  Speaker 2: just depends on whatever happens to Joe Burrow, if he
• 23:47
  Speaker 2: doesn't get injured or not. Right, so, uh yeah it
• 23:50
  Speaker 2: I'll go again. Our competitiveness in the future depends on
• 23:56
  Speaker 2: who we get, you know what, I mean, to lead
• 23:58
  Speaker 2: the team and be on the stat and whatnot. So
• 24:01
  Speaker 2: all right, it's gonna be an interesting season, that's for sure.
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: Absolutely an interesting off season. And folks head on over
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: to Pro Football and Sports Network. Allison is the managing
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: editor over there. Where where where can they find? Where
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: can they find the workout over there?
• 24:17
  Speaker 3: Yeah?
• 24:17
  Speaker 2: Yeah, that was the thing. We're covering everything. We used
• 24:19
  Speaker 2: to just be PFN, which was Pro Football Network, and
• 24:22
  Speaker 2: then we expanded in this past January, it's been a
• 24:25
  Speaker 2: year we expanded to cover all sports. So really pretty
• 24:28
  Speaker 2: much anything that you want sports wise, you will find there.
• 24:31
  Speaker 2: And NFL is our bread and butter, and we cover
• 24:33
  Speaker 2: it like you wouldn't believe. Yeah. Absolutely, I'm over to
• 24:36
  Speaker 2: Profootballnetwork dot com and check out all the content that
• 24:40
  Speaker 2: we have.
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: She's Allison Coler, Folks. It was great to have you on, Alison.
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: Thank you so much for taking the time for jumping
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: on our Opposition Territory pod. I'd love to talk to
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: you again at some point down the road. Come back
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: and join us, my friend.
• 24:52
  Speaker 2: Love to Thanks a lot, Jeff.
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: That's going to do it for us here on Opposition
• 24:56
  Speaker 1: Territory this week. Please share our podcast with your our
• 25:00
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• 25:02
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• 25:09
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• 25:12
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• 25:16
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• 25:18
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• 25:23
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• 25:27
  Speaker 1: Take care, we will catch you next time.