First Call: ESPN says Steelers may want to keep Aaron Rodgers in 2026; George Pickens could get an extension in Dallas
Thursday’s “First Call” has some theories about Aaron Rodgers’ future with the Pittsburgh Steelers. His successor in Green Bay, Jordan Love, has some kind words to say in advance of their showdown Sunday night.
George Pickens could get a contract extension in Dallas, and we preview the Penguins game in Florida.
Run it back with Rodgers?
According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com, the Steelers are already opening themselves up to the idea of at least one more year with Aaron Rodgers as the team’s quarterback.
“Rodgers’ stint in Pittsburgh has gone so well that the team could rethink its 2026 quarterback plans,” Fowler wrote Wednesday. “The Steelers will scour the draft market for the QB of the future, for sure. They are already doing so. But if you ask people with the team whether they’d entertain the notion of Rodgers in the black-and-gold in 2026, the answer would be a resounding, ‘Yes.’ He has maintained his elite ability to throw the football.”
Rodgers had previously suggested that 2025-26 would be his final year in the NFL. But he has since softened that stance.
“It’s a long season, Rodgers is 41, and what he does next year is anyone’s guess. I certainly don’t think any sweeping determinations have been made. But the marriage has been a successful one for both parties, and perhaps that continues beyond this season,” Fowler added.
Over his first six games as a Steeler, Rodgers has tossed 14 touchdown passes. That’s tied for the AFC lead with Patrick Mahomes.
More on that front
In that same post, Fowler wrote that the Steelers “are patiently surveying the wide receiver trade market.” He suggested Las Vegas’ Jakobi Meyers as a potential target.
In a related note, Fowler’s co-author on that post, Dan Graziano, says that the Dallas Cowboys are already considering an extension for former Steeler George Pickens.
“The Cowboys have had internal discussions about a possible extension for receiver George Pickens, to the point where they’ve been examining the rosters and cap situations of teams like Cincinnati, Miami and Philadelphia, who are all paying multiple high-end receivers,” Graziano wrote.
The Cowboys already have CeeDee Lamb on the payroll for $34 million per year. But, as Graziano noted, “Dallas has been happy with Pickens since acquiring him in an offseason trade with Pittsburgh, and it is at least considering what it would look like to keep Dak Prescott’s wide receiver tandem together.”
Pickens went to Dallas for a 2026 third-round pick on May 7. The Cowboys also sent a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Steelers and got back a 2027 sixth-round pick.
So far this season, Pickens has 607 yards on 36 catches, including six touchdowns.
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Love from Love
Rodgers faces one of his former teams, the Green Bay Packers, at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday night. After 18 years in Wisconsin, Rodgers was traded to the New York Jets prior to the 2023 NFL campaign. He spent two years there before signing with Pittsburgh in June.
Jordan Love took over for Rodgers. He has put up 70 touchdown passes against 27 interceptions and has thrown for 9,592 yards.
“I’ve got so much respect for him, and anytime he gives me pointers, stuff like that, obviously you want to get feedback from a legend like that,” Love told the team’s website. “A-Rod was obviously at a different level, so it’s something I had to build up into. But it was cool to be able to watch him do some things, and it just gave me perspective on how to play the position and how to be able to handle a lot of different things.”
Green Bay came to Pittsburgh in 2023 with Love as the QB. He went 21 of 40 for 289 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions. The Steelers won 23-19.
At 108.1, Love is seventh in the NFL in passer rating so far in 2025. He has 10 touchdowns and just two interceptions.
Best of the best
After a convincing 5-1 win over Vancouver on Tuesday, the Penguins (5-2) are in Florida to take on the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers on Thursday night.
So far in 2025-26, though, at 4-4-0, these aren’t the same Panthers that have won the last two titles. How could they be given the losses they’ve endured to their roster?
Captain Aleksander Barkov is expected to be out for the year with two torn knee ligaments. Forward Matthew Tkachuk is probably on the shelf until December thanks to surgery to repair a torn adductor muscle and sports hernia. Tomáš Nosek is injured (knee) too. The club also lost Nate Schmidt (D), Nico Sturm (F) and Vítek Vaněček (G) during the offseason.
Brad Marchand has tried to pick up the scoring burden with eight points in eight games. The team just beat his former club, the Boston Bruins, 4-3, to end a four-game losing streak.
The Panthers failed to score more than two goals in each of those losses. At 2.38 goals per game, only the Rangers and Flames are scoring at a worse rate than Florida.
Florida still generates a lot of shots, 222 so far this season. That’s fifth-most in hockey.
Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via X. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.
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