Breakfast With Benz category, Page 93
First Call: ESPN calls a former Steeler the best ever at his position; Jose Quintana debut date for Cardinals
Wednesday’s “First Call” has an honor for a legendary former Pittsburgh Steeler. We know when Jose Quintana is making his St. Louis Cardinals debut. Jameson Taillon had a rough outing for the Yankees. And what will James Washington’s injury mean for the Cowboys? The GOAT at center ESPN.com revealed a...
Tim Benz: It’s what Steelers GM Omar Khan did not say about Diontae Johnson’s contract that matters most
Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan made his feelings about Diontae Johnson abundantly clear Tuesday. He wants him on the team. This year and moving forward. One thing Khan didn’t make quite as obvious is that he wants Johnson to stay at the franchise’s preferred salary. Not the vastly expanding...
First Call: Steelers work out Maulers QB; ex-Steeler suffers long-term foot injury; Josh Bell traded with Juan Soto
The Steelers may have an interest in a former Pittsburgh Mauler. An ex-Steeler suffers a significant injury setback in Dallas. Another one is heading to Arizona. Ex-Pirate Josh Bell was traded. And a former Robert Morris hockey player is on the move. All that in Tuesday’s “First Call.” Pittsburgh(ish) connection...
Tim Benz: Good luck to what remains of Pirates roster after trade deadline passes
The trade deadline for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the rest of Major League Baseball is Tuesday evening. Whatever the Pirates do, it’ll no doubt make their Major League roster even less competi— Uh, I mean … it’ll no doubt stock their farm system with even more pieces for the inevitable...
Steelers linebacker speaks cautiously, but he’s clearly not a fan of NFL’s protective Guardian Caps
When it comes to the NFL’s new “Guardian Caps,” Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Myles Jack is at least trying to be more diplomatic than, say, for instance, Green Bay’s De’Vondre Campbell. “I just think it’s stupid, to be honest,” Campbell said via Packers Wire. “You say you’re doing it to protect...
Tim Benz: Pirates may not know how to win, but they sure have figured out when to lose
I’ll give the 2022 Pittsburgh Pirates credit for one thing. They sure do know how to bury a losing streak. The current slide for the Buccos started July 24, just before Steelers training camp opened. So no one in Pittsburgh noticed. Now it’s up to seven games, in advance of...
Madden Monday on Kenny Pickett’s 3rd-team status with Steelers: ‘It’s just how life is for rookie quarterbacks’
Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett is being relegated to third-team duties to begin his first NFL training camp. Because of that, he hasn’t been working with a lot of veterans or top-of-the-depth-chart talents. As a result, a lot of the team drills have been a struggle for Pickett. The...
First Call: Settlement talks broke down before Deshaun Watson suspension; Bryan Reynolds trade talks quiet
In Monday’s “First Call,” reports are that Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is getting suspended for six games. Details have emerged about failed negotiations to settle the matter in advance of that decision. It sounds like Bryan Reynolds is staying with the Pirates, but a Pittsburgh native may be on...
Friday Football Footnotes: Another big-money receiver contract; Baker Mayfield doesn’t want to see his old Browns jersey
The Pittsburgh Steelers are entering their third day of training camp. The rest of the National Football League’s teams are wading into preparations as well. So, let’s find out what’s happening across the rest of the NFL in our first “Friday Football Footnotes” of 2022. Eyes on the prize Every...
First Call: Checking the Jose Quintana trade watch; former Pirates pitchers shine; ex-Penguin gets an honor
An ex-Pittsburgh Penguin is getting a special night. A bunch of ex-Pirates stepped up on the mound Thursday. And Jose Quintana may be an ex-Pirate soon. All of that in Friday’s “First Call.” Marleau’s moment An ex-Penguin is getting quite an honor. Patrick Marleau’s No. 12 will be retired by...
Tim Benz: Mike Tomlin may not be re-evaluating Steelers QB battle ‘after every throw,’ but it feels like everyone else is
Mike Tomlin has said that the Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff won’t be reshuffling the quarterback depth chart on a daily basis. “We’re not going to micromanage, or overmanage, this quarterback competition,” Tomlin said Tuesday. “The depth chart is not going to rest on every throw.” He didn’t say anything about...
First Call: Mitch Trubisky gets 1st public razzing from Steelers fans; Tyson Alualu happy to come back at nose tackle
Mitch Trubisky gets his first public razzing from Pittsburgh Steelers fans. Nose tackle Tyson Alualu is on board with his new teammate’s hope for a restructured defensive line. The Pirates and Phillies match up for a long weekend at PNC Park. And the Penguins are going to be part of...
Tim Benz: No comparison between Diontae Johnson’s ‘hold-in’ and T.J. Watt’s — beyond the action itself
While discussing the state of his contract negotiations with the Pittsburgh Steelers during a training camp media scrum Wednesday, wide receiver Diontae Johnson admitted that he was frustrated by some of the public reaction to his financial requests. Specifically, those in fan and media circles who don’t believe he is...
Steelers don’t have a designated slot receiver in mind — and they think it’s a good thing
On the first day of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, quarterback Mason Rudolph jumped up to snag a high snap. The timing of the screen play was thrown off as a result. But Rudolph was still able to push a short completion to rookie Calvin Austin III. Austin did the rest....
Tim Benz: Larry Ogunjobi willing to play multiple roles to buffer retirement of ‘Mustang’ Stephon Tuitt
The Pittsburgh Steelers signed free-agent defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi to help along the defensive line. Now they just have to figure out the best way to use him. In the base defense, anyway. One thing is clear. In the sub package, they want him to push the pocket. Get after...
U mad, bro?: Quarterback concerns; stadium name-change anger; RB depth; Pirates draft discord
We’ve had a week off from “U mad, bro?” because I was on vacation. As a result, we’ve got a ton of angst built up. So I thought it would be best to release a bit of the building pressure on my inbox and my Twitter mentions before they pop....
First Call: New jobs for a Steelers great on the sideline and booth; slight health setback for Joe Burrow
Wednesday’s “First Call” features two new jobs for a Pittsburgh Steelers legend. A Cincinnati Bengals star has hit a health snag. A big-name college football coach with Pittsburgh ties is less than happy with his sport. And Jack Suwinski had a highlight in Indianapolis. Broadcasting the Birds In Pittsburgh, we...
Tim Benz: Najee Harris on board with Steelers using 2nd back to lighten his load. But there are other ways, too
Najee Harris isn’t being territorial about how many times he gets the ball in 2022. After 381 touches in his rookie season, the Steelers running back sees value in reducing that number. “There are some plays, if you watch my film, I’ll get somewhat tired. And those aren’t my best...
Tim Benz: Better? Worse? Stagnant? Where are the Penguins as they move into the slow summer lull?
As the Pittsburgh Steelers report to Saint Vincent College for training camp Tuesday, the Penguins — and other NHL teams — get to enjoy what their NFL counterparts don’t. An actual offseason. Oh, sure, players in both sports get their downtime for physical rest and recovery at various points on...
First Call: Some ex-Steelers may be checking out new teams; Pirates pitching prospect heating up
Tuesday’s “First Call” looks at some former Pittsburgh Steelers in new places. An AFC North division rival is dealing with a franchise-tag problem. A top-notch Pirates prospect is in a groove. And the Pirates have a tough challenge in Chicago. Ex-Steelers on the move Some former Steelers are trying to...
Tim Benz: Latest ESPN offseason poll frames a significant question for 2022 Steelers
The latest in an endless torrent of NFL offseason polls, rankings and lists on national websites actually revealed an interesting truth about the Pittsburgh Steelers. Most of these posts are just filler for the league’s downtime in July before training camp. They are simply conversation starters to drive traffic and...
Madden Monday on Steelers training camp: ‘You have to have resources to have position battles’
The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t have a lot of position battles heading into training camp. That really shouldn’t be the case for a team that hasn’t won a playoff game in five years and barely made the postseason at 9-7-1 a year ago. But in this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark...
First Call: Le’Veon Bell’s boxing match on hold; new head coaching job for Hines Ward; Daniel Vogelbach’s Mets debut
Monday’s “First Call” relays some unfortunate news about Le’Veon Bell’s boxing match. Two former Pittsburgh Steelers are getting jobs in the coaching world. The Pirates are getting the Chicago Cubs while they are hot. And Daniel Vogelbach makes his first start as a New York Met against another former Pirate....
Tim Benz: Steelers may be a middle of the road team, but these aren’t middle of the road predictions
As the Pittsburgh Steelers head to training camp at Saint Vincent College, this is the time of year when many Pittsburgh media types (and fans) make a lot predictions about the upcoming season. Except the predictions usually aren’t too bold. They usually are couched with a bunch of “ifs” and...
Tim Benz: Deciding on Tristan Jarry’s contract may be on a shorter timeline than we think
You can understand why Penguins general manager Ron Hextall responded to the question the way he did Wednesday afternoon. A wry half-smile, a quick toss of the hand and a slight shake of the head. As of Wednesday, NHL teams were allowed to start signing players to contract extensions if...
