First Call: JuJu Smith-Schuster ignites Twitter spat with Eagles; Steelers AFC rival loses QB; Alex Ovechkin out in D.C.

Former Pittsburgh Steeler JuJu Smith-Schuster ignited a post-Super Bowl Twitter spat with some angry Philadelphia Eagles. The Steelers will meet a frequent AFC rival with a new quarterback next year. The Capitals are facing a stretch of games without Alex Ovechkin.

And it was a wild night in the Metropolitan Division as the Penguins were playing on the West Coast.

All that in Wednesday’s “First Call.”

Can’t help himself

For most of his first year in Kansas City, former Steeler JuJu Smith-Schuster avoided all the Tik-Toking, logo dancing and milk crate challenges that attracted some fan and local media criticism during his time in Pittsburgh.

Now that he has won a Super Bowl and is approaching free agency once again, Smith-Schuster seems to have regressed back to his old ways.

On Tuesday, Smith-Schuster took a jab at James Bradberry, the Philadelphia Eagles cornerback who was flagged for holding him on the Super Bowl’s pivotal play. He tweeted a valentine with an image of Bradberry’s face and the phrase, “I’ll hold you when it matters most.”

Happy Valentine’s Day, everybody pic.twitter.com/skXuZVgrYR

— JuJu Smith-Schuster (@TeamJuJu) February 14, 2023

The gag seemed to be a cheap shot, given that Bradberry has been a stand-up guy in the wake of the penalty. He’s even gone so far as to admit that the officials made a good call on the disputed flag.

Smith-Schuster’s prank didn’t sit well with Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown. He fired back at Smith-Schuster online and stuck up for Bradberry.

“First off congratulations. Y’all deserve it,” Brown wrote. But he added: “This is lame. You was on the way out the league before Mahomes resurrected your career on your 1 year deal Tik-Tok boy. He admitted that he grabbed you but don’t act like your like that or ever was. But congratulations again!”

First off congratulations. Y’all deserve it .This is lame. You was on the way out the league before mahomes resurrected your career on your 1 year deal Tik-Tok boy . He admitted that he grabbed you but don’t act like your like that or ever was. But congratulations again! https://t.co/Z3SpMXnP4K

— AJ Brown (@1kalwaysopen_) February 14, 2023

Philadelphia’s C.J. Gardner Johnson also took a run at Smith-Schuster on Twitter. Smith-Schuster returned a volley at both Eagles.

Glad you were finally able to get all that off your chest after all these years. Good game bro https://t.co/2JNdB6uYqU

— JuJu Smith-Schuster (@TeamJuJu) February 14, 2023

Big , also I told you in the game to stop all that talkin because we were gonna come back and win that game. Now help me decide which finger I need to get sized for this ring https://t.co/Xv97nrRBQW

— JuJu Smith-Schuster (@TeamJuJu) February 15, 2023

I’m going to assume Philadelphia is going to be off of JuJu’s short list of teams that may consider him in free agency.

Also on the market

Speaking of Bradberry, he’s a free agent as well. And it doesn’t sound like a certainty that he’ll be back with the Eagles.

“I don’t know what they are planning on over there, and I didn’t want to ask about it because I just wanted my mind to be on football,” Bradberry said, via Kevin Cooney of the Associated Press. “But we’ll talk about it soon.”

Bradberry admitted he is trying to walk the line between figuring out if he wants to cash in on a big pay day or if he wants to stick with the Eagles because the team still may have a chance to win the Super Bowl next year.

“It’s kind of hard to put a percentage on which one is more important,” Bradberry said, via a tweet from Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94 WIP. “It’s kind of just based upon case-by-case scenario. Those two things are probably the most important to me—being on a good roster, having the ability to get to the playoffs and win in the playoffs. But also I don’t want to play for cheap.”

Bradberry defended a team-best 17 passes and had three interceptions. He was a second team All-Pro.

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New face

When the Steelers travel to face the Las Vegas Raiders next year, they’ll be facing a new quarterback. On Tuesday, nine-year veteran QB Derek Carr was released.

The move was expected after Carr was benched for the final two regular-season games of the 2022 season. He then left the team as Jarrett Stidham led the last two contests, both losses.

Carr made four Pro Bowls. He is also the franchise’s all-time leader in most passing yards (35,222), touchdowns (217) and QB rating (91.8).

The Raiders had to make a decision on Carr before Wednesday. That’s when Carr’s $32.9 million base salary for the 2023 season would have become guaranteed along with an additional $7.5 million of future earnings. Carr had a no-trade clause and was prepared to exercise it, preferring to hit free agency, and he was not willing to extend the deadline to facilitate a move.

The termination of his contract makes Carr a “street free agent.” So he is allowed to sign anywhere immediately even though league-wide free agency doesn’t begin until March 15.

Carr has a passer rating of 98.6 with 1,179 yards, a completion percentage of 64.1, nine touchdowns and four interceptions in four games against the Steelers in his career. He was 2-2 in those starts.

Without Ovechkin

The Washington Capitals are going to have to play the foreseeable future without forward Alex Ovechkin.

The franchise said that the star winger is leaving the team to attend to a family matter. He is expected to be gone for at least the rest of the week, if not longer.

General manager Brian MacLellan made the announcement before the team’s morning skate Tuesday. No further details were released. However, as the AP pointed out, “if Ovechkin needs to go home to Russia — where his parents and other family members live — (there) are travel restrictions in place amid the country’s war in Ukraine. There are no direct flights between North America and Moscow.”

The Capitals hosted the Metropolitan Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night and lost 3-2. Ovechkin entered play with 32 goals, tied for eighth-most in the NHL.

Tense Tuesday

As the fifth-place Caps were losing to the first-place Hurricanes and the fourth-place Penguins were winning 3-1 in San Jose, a few other Metro contenders were in action Tuesday.

The second-place New Jersey Devils picked up two points in Columbus, by virtue of a 3-2 win over the Blue Jackets. The sixth-place New York Islanders lost in a 3-2 shootout at home against the Islanders.

So here’s a look at the Metro standings as of Wednesday morning.

1. Carolina Hurricanes (78 points)

2. New Jersey Devils (75)

3. New York Rangers (70)

4. Pittsburgh Penguins (63)

5. Washington Capitals (62)

6. New York Islanders (61)

As of now, the Penguins and Capitals hold the two wild-card spots in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins visit the Islanders on Friday.