Western Pennsylvania's trusted news source
First Call: Joe Flacco 'welcomed' trade to Bengals; Steelers and Ravens make roster moves | TribLIVE.com
Steelers/NFL

First Call: Joe Flacco 'welcomed' trade to Bengals; Steelers and Ravens make roster moves

Tim Benz
8933611_web1_AP25162717650620
AP
Cleveland Browns quarterbacks Joe Flacco (left) and Shedeur Sanders talk during June 11 minicamp practice in Berea, Ohio.

“First Call” for Wednesday has some roster moves for the Pittsburgh Steelers. We get Joe Flacco’s reaction to his trade away from Cleveland to Cincinnati.

The Baltimore Ravens are trying to press some buttons. And a pair of former Pirates pitchers are squaring off in the Major League Baseball playoffs.


Comings and goings

The Steelers went through some roster shuffling Tuesday. Here’s a quick recap.

ProFootballTalk.com reports that linebacker Jon Rhattigan is getting plucked off the Steelers’ practice squad by the Las Vegas Raiders. Rhattigan played six special teams snaps for the Steelers in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks. He was signed in Pittsburgh after failing to make the final roster cuts in Carolina.

The Steelers also worked out edge rusher K.J. Henry, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. Henry was drafted by Washington in 2023. That season, he appeared in 10 games, registering 19 tackles, 1.5 sacks and two pass breakups.

The Clemson product was waived the next year and has since been a member of the Bengals, Cowboys, Eagles and Browns.

The Steelers also terminated ILB Ja’Whaun Bentley from the practice squad. That was necessary after the club signed running back/kick returner Raheem Blackshear on Monday.


More sports

Browns' defense presents challenge for Steelers' new-look jumbo package running scheme
Tim Benz: From 'big picture' to little details, new Penguins coach Dan Muse shows promise in Game 1
Steelers to try luck against another rookie quarterback in Cleveland's Dillon Gabriel


Flacco fine with move

According to Cleveland.com, Browns quarterback Joe Flacco didn’t have a problem with being traded to Cincinnati on Tuesday.

In fact, according to writer Mary Kay Cabot, he welcomed the move.

“Flacco didn’t ask for the trade, but he certainly welcomed it when the Browns talked to him about it on Tuesday, a source told Cleveland.com,” Cabot wrote. “The last thing he wanted to do was ride the bench here for the rest of the season, with the Browns needing to see what they have in their two rookies, (Dillon) Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, before the 2026 draft. They have two first-round picks in that seemingly rich QB class, their own and that of the 4-1 (Jacksonville) Jaguars.”

Flacco started the first four games of the season for Cleveland. They went 1-3. He posted just a 60.3 passer rating.

The Bengals are hoping to get Flacco ready to start versus the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Jake Browning has started all three of the defeats since Joe Burrow got hurt in Week 2. His touchdown-to-interception ratio is 6:8, and he posted a 70.5 passer rating.

The Steelers host Cleveland this Sunday. They visit the Cincinnati Bengals next Thursday.


Gotta try something

After three straight losses, the 1-4 Baltimore Ravens are shaking things up.

First of all, they are signing veteran defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

Gardner-Johnson started the first three games of the season for the Houston Texans. He totaled 15 combined tackles, then was released Sept. 23. He won a Super Bowl with Philadelphia last year.

The Ravens also traded pass rusher Odafe Oweh. The former Penn State Nittany Lion and a future seventh-round draft pick are heading to the L.A. Chargers in exchange for defensive back Alohi Gilman and a 2026 draft pick.

Baltimore saves $8 million by making the move. Oweh was playing on his fifth-year option. He had 10 sacks last year. He doesn’t have any so far this year.


Familiar foes

Since the Pirates never make the playoffs, their fans are reduced to tracking how former Buccos do in the postseason.

Wednesday’s National League Divisional series between the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers is projected to feature a starting pitching matchup between two ex-Bucs hurlers.

Quinn Priester will take the hill for Milwaukee. Jameson Taillon will counter for the Cubs. The Brewers hold a 2-0 lead in the series. They’ll move on to the NLCS with a victory. Milwaukee hasn’t been that far in the playoffs since 2018.

Priester was 13-3 with a 3.32 ERA and 132 strikeouts during the regular season. Taillon went 11-7 with a 3.68 ERA and 98 strikeouts.

Taillon was the starting pitcher when the Cubs closed out their Wild Card series against the San Diego Padres in Game 3 last week. He tossed four innings of shutout baseball.

Priester’s last start was Sept. 26 when he gave up three runs in five innings against the Cincinnati Reds.

The game is at Wrigley Field, where the Cubs were 50-31. But the Brewers won 45 games on the road. That was the highest total in Major League Baseball this season.


Listen: Tim Benz and Joe Rutter wrap up Mike Tomlin’s press conference

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.

Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.

Get Ad-Free >

Categories: Sports | Steelers/NFL | Breakfast With Benz | Tim Benz Columns
Sports and Partner News