Thursday’s “First Call” has an important injury update for this evening’s Steelers-Titans game. We have more details about that reported Steelers trade with the Bears that never happened on Tuesday.
A Pittsburgh-area NHL player just notched his first goal. And we remember a Pittsburgh connection to the late Bobby Knight.
Let’s go to the ‘Hop’
Tennessee Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is expected to play Thursday against the Steelers. That’s according to the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
#Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins — who didn’t practice Wednesday because of a toe injury and is officially questionable — is expected to play tonight against the #Steelers, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 2, 2023
Hopkins was limited at practice the first two days of the week because of a toe injury. Then he didn’t practice at all on Wednesday. But Pelissero is now saying the plans are for Hopkins to play. He hooked up with rookie Will Levis for three touchdowns last week against the Atlanta Falcons.
Levis and Hopkins running it back for 6
????: #ATLvsTEN on CBS
????: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/Quwvdzpx7G pic.twitter.com/WrxQAnIAye— NFL (@NFL) October 29, 2023
Levis threw for four TDs on the day overall. With veteran starter Ryan Tannehill still injured, Levis is expected to start against the Steelers at quarterback.
Former Steeler Chris Hubbard is out with a concussion. Cornerback Roger McCreary is out with a hamstring. Fellow defensive back Mike Brown is out with an ankle injury.
Cost analysis
The Steelers didn’t walk away with defensive back Jaylon Johnson. Allegedly, they were one of a handful of teams who had expressed an interest in acquiring the Chicago Bears corner in advance of Tuesday’s trade deadline.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles spoke about those rumors Wednesday. He was quoted as saying that if Johnson were to have been moved, it would’ve cost at least a first- or second-round draft choice.
Bears GM Ryan Poles: "I don't want to lose Jaylon Johnson. If I were to lose Johnson, I would like to have a high chance of hitting on another Jaylon Johnson, which to me, is a late-first, early second."
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) November 1, 2023
The last time the Steelers made such a trade was when they got Minkah Fitzpatrick from the Miami Dolphins for a first-rounder in 2019. However, Johnson is about to be a free agent at the end of this year.
Giving up a second-round pick for a guy who is going to make eight figures against the salary cap next year is steep. If the Steelers want Johnson that badly, sign him in free agency in the spring. He’s good. But I don’t think he’s good enough to turn this season around by himself. Not unless he can play cornerback on defense and offensive line on the other side of the ball.
The Bills, 49ers and Eagles were reportedly other interested parties.
Cool for Cooley
West Mifflin’s Logan Cooley just picked up his first NHL goal with the Arizona Coyotes.
The third overall pick in the 2022 NHL draft is in his rookie season and got goal No. 1 Wednesday night during a 4-3 overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks. It came in the ninth game for the Coyotes.
⚠️ STOP SCROLLING: LOGAN COOLEY'S FIRST NHL GOAL ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/IahGxGAxTB
— NHL (@NHL) November 2, 2023
Cooley joined Calgary’s Connor Zary and Buffalo’s Brandon Biro as other rookies to score their first goals on the evening. Via the NHL PR social media account, at 19 years 181 days old, Cooley became the youngest player to score a goal for the Coyotes since Barrett Hayton in 2019. He was 19 years 138 days old.
Pittsburgh connection
In the wake of his death Wednesday, many people are remembering the career of legendary college basketball coach Bob Knight.
One of his most famous — or infamous — moments was when he threw a chair in anger during a 1985 game against Purdue when he was coaching for Indiana. The man on the ESPN play-by-play call that day was longtime Pirates broadcaster Lanny Frattare.
RIP Bobby Knight. ????
Here’s the legendary Lanny Frattare calling the game that included the infamous chair throw. pic.twitter.com/2RtrCHNWu4
— Donny Football (@DonChed54) November 1, 2023
Knight finished his career with 902 victories in 42 seasons at Army, Indiana and Texas Tech. He was 83 years old.
