The Cook & Joe Show

Steelers analyst Chris Hoke joined the show. Hokie thinks the Steelers opened the door to Joey Porter Jr. faking a back injury by placing him on the PUP list and giving him that excuse. It's a very unfortunate situation that the deal ended so irritatingly. Hokie thinks a lot of people in Porter Jr.'s situation would do the same. He believes Asante Samuel Jr. will start but Daylen Everette will also play.

Nick Kostos of Westwood One thinks the Steelers and Cowboys front offices are the same, but Jerry Jones is louder in talking to the media constantly. He blames Omar Khan and thinks the Steelers should be criticized. Greg Cosell thinks Joey Porter becomes the Cowboys No. 1 corner and has every trait needed to be a good player.  

The Steelers have traded Joey Porter Jr. to the Cowboys for a 2027 sixth-round pick and 2028 second-round pick. Who won the saga? The Steelers definitely weren't winners. Porter Jr. won't get a new contract from the Cowboys this year. The Porter Jr. contract saga was one of the worst contract disputes in Steelers history. Joe thinks there have been so many players who have quit on the franchise over the years.

The full Pomp and Joe Show, with Bob Pompeani, Joe Starkey, and Austin Bechtold, from Wednesday, September 30th, 2026

Hour 1 with Bob Pompeani, Joe Starkey, and Tyler Kennedy: The Penguins begin the NHL season tonight in Philadelphia! Philly is a difficult place to play and a hostile environment. TK shares a story on how Dan Bylsma didn't want him to fight the Flyers in a certain game. Is Sergei Murashov going to start tonight? Jeff Patton of Baseball Card Castle joined the show. The General has a Derrick Harmon rookie autograph card and a Tyler Kennedy rookie card.

Hour 2 with Bob Pompeani and Joe Starkey: What are you most excited to see with the Penguins tonight? Bob thinks the Penguins are going to make the playoffs. Kyle Dubas may need to rethink things if the Eastern Conference is strong this year and the Penguins could miss. 2026-27 Penguins Time Capsule. Steelers insider Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show joined the show.

Hour 3 with Bob Pompeani and Joe Starkey: The Cowboys are interested in Joey Porter Jr. but it doesn't appear anyone wants to pay the Steelers asking price. Ben Roethlisberger said the Bengals became the Bungals again. Dan Graziano wonders if the Steelers could trade Will Howard or Drew Allar. MLB analyst Matt Clement joins as we grade the 2026 Pittsburgh Pirates.

Hour 4 with Bob Pompeani and Joe Starkey: Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com joined the show. Browns fans are feeling much better about Deshaun Watson after he threw the game-winning touchdown against the Panthers. Watson is in a much better spot right now with the surrounding pieces and Watson's health. Pirates insider Jason Mackey joined the show. Jason gives it a 35-40% chance the Pirates bring back Brandon Lowe.

Jason gives it a 35-40% chance the Pirates bring back Brandon Lowe. Lowe is going to go to free agency. Jason said Lowe told his agent to shut down negotiations, but Lowe would come back to Pittsburgh. Jason thinks trading Mitch Keller would need to include a player like Edward Florentino or a top 100 prospect! Jason thinks Braxton Ashcraft is the player he would realistically try to extend in the offseason. 

Browns fans are feeling much better about Deshaun Watson after he threw the game-winning touchdown against the Panthers. Beating the Steelers is the quickest way to win over Browns fans. The Browns have a theatrical environment during primetime games that the players feed off of. If Deshaun Watson plays well it's his job. Matt Clement doesn't think Brandon Lowe's market is going to be as great as people think.

MLB analyst Matt Clement joined the show. Joe thinks that if you make the playoffs, you should get a home game, even in a three-game series. Bob and Matt didn't like the one-game wild card. Matt grades the Pirates season a B-. Bob gives them a D. Joe grades them a C-.

The Cowboys are interested in Joey Porter Jr. but it doesn't appear anyone wants to pay the Steelers asking price. Ben Roethlisberger said the Bengals became the Bungals again. Bob has been invited to Ben's house. Dan Graziano wonders if the Steelers could trade Will Howard or Drew Allar. Kaboly thinks that's insane. Mark thinks the Steelers are going to beat the Browns. Bob says Steelers 34-10! 

Steelers insider Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show joined the show. We discuss lots of things that had nothing to do with Steelers-Browns. 

What are you most excited to see with the Penguins tonight? We are pumped to watch Sergei Murashov and the potential that he brings. Bob thinks the Penguins are going to make the playoffs. Kyle Dubas may need to rethink things if the Eastern Conference is strong this year and the Penguins could miss. 2026-27 Penguins Time Capsule.

Bob joins the show! One Penguins fan wants the Penguins to have an enforcer after getting pushed around a little in the preseason. Tyler Kennedy shares how he felt safe when having enforcers on his team. Penguins over/unders with Tyler Kennedy. He thinks the Penguins will make the last wild card. TK says under 71.5 points and won't average a point per game! Jeff Patton of Baseball Card Castle joined the show.

The Penguins begin the NHL season tonight in Philadelphia! Philly is a difficult place to play and a hostile environment. TK shares a story on how Dan Bylsma didn't want him to fight the Flyers in a certain game. Is Sergei Murashov going to start tonight? Sidney Crosby (22 seasons) will become the longest-tenured Pittsburgh sports athlete of all time.

The full Pomp and Joe Show, with Joe Starkey and Austin Bechtold, from Tuesday, September 29th, 2026

Hour 1 with Joe Starkey: Patrick Graham said that Derrick Harmon is a "dude" on the Steelers defense and like some of the best defensive lineman he's coached over his career. Joe is buying into Derrick Harmon and Max Iheanachor potentially becoming star players. Joe views Troy Fautanu as a franchise piece. The Steelers listing Joey Porter Jr. as a full participant seems like a setup for Porter to play on Thursday night and if he doesn't, it's not their call. Nick thinks Jalen Ramsey is going to play despite his arm being in a sling at practice with a wrist issue.

Hour 2 with Joe Starkey: Eli Heidenreich didn't get a helmet on Sunday and we want to see him play Thursday. Aaron Rodgers thought Jaylen Warren played a great game. Warren has never carried the ball more than 20 times in his career. Austin wants to see Warren average 20 carries per game and get more of the share compared to Dowdle. A trip to Joe Starkey's mailbag.

Hour 3 with Joe Starkey: The Ravens stunned the Cowboys with a last-second field goal to win. The Ravens secondary played terrible against the Cowboys, but the Cowboys played two conservative on offense. Kyle Hamilton is playing at a Defensive Player of the Year level. The Bengals special teams let them down and players at the bottom of the roster cost them. The Bengals defense looked similar to last year and didn't send pressure. Cincinnati plays the Jaguars then the Dolphins before the bye week.

Hour 4 with Joe Starkey: Pirates players were all vocal that Brandon Lowe needs to come back. Lowe told Michael at Pirates Faith Night that his favorite baseball moment was playing Opening Day at PNC Park! Konnor Griffin needs to take the next step and become an elite player. Jerry Jones said there have been trade discussions with the Cowboys in general, when asked about the Cowboys potentially trading for Joey Porter. Jerry said he was trying to avoid tampering. James Franklin and Pat Narduzzi took the high road when talking about their relationship and past games about each other.

Most ESPN analysts have the Brewers winning the World Series. The Giants are cutting Odell Beckham Jr. Jerry Jones said there have been trade discussions with the Cowboys in general, when asked about the Cowboys potentially trading for Joey Porter. Jerry said he was trying to avoid tampering. James Franklin and Pat Narduzzi took the high road when talking about their relationship and past games about each other.

Michael said veteran players should be frustrated by how the season didn't end in the postseason. Pirates players were all vocal that Brandon Lowe needs to come back. Lowe told Michael at Pirates Faith Night that his favorite baseball moment was playing Opening Day at PNC Park! Konnor Griffin needs to take the next step and become an elite player.

The Bengals special teams let them down and players at the bottom of the roster cost them. The Bengals defense looked similar to last year and didn't send pressure. Cincinnati plays the Jaguars then the Dolphins before the bye. Joe Burrow is 1-34 when trailing with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter. The Bengals need to do better running the ball. 

The Ravens stunned the Cowboys with a last-second field goal to win. The Ravens secondary played terrible against the Cowboys, but the Cowboys played two conservative on offense. Kyle Hamilton is playing at a Defensive Player of the Year level. The Ravens almost lost on a controversial pass interference call. The Ravens play the Titans this week.

We don't understand why Patrick Graham had Watt, Heyward, and Highsmith off the field on the final drive. Would Eli Heidenreich had scored on Jaylen Warren's two long runs? We don't think so. Jack Johnson signing with the Penguins was one of the worst deals in Pittsburgh sports history. Derek Bell was bad too. Joe thinks this is going to be a long season for Penn State.

Eli Heidenreich didn't get a helmet on Sunday and we want to see him play Thursday. Aaron Rodgers thought Jaylen Warren played a great game. Warren has never carried the ball more than 20 times in his career. Austin wants to see Warren average 20 carries per game and get more of the share compared to Dowdle. Warren should be the starter. Should the Steelers bring back Patrick Queen? 

The Steelers listing Joey Porter Jr. as a full participant seems like a setup for Porter to play on Thursday night and if he doesn't, it's not their call. Nick thinks Jalen Ramsey is going to play despite his arm being in a sling at practice with a wrist issue. Brandin Echols is in concussion protocol and the Steelers may need to start Doneiko Slaughter. Nick thinks Daylen Everette is going to emerge into a time share with Asante Samuel. Max Iheanachor had a great first game.

Patrick Graham said that Derrick Harmon is a "dude" on the Steelers defense and like some of the best defensive lineman he's coached over his career. Joe is buying into Derrick Harmon and Max Iheanachor potentially becoming star players. Joe views Troy Fautanu as a franchise piece. He is now starting to think positively about the team for the future.

The Steelers claim sole possession of first place in the AFC North with a wild 30-27 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium. The Fan Morning Show, The Pomp & Joe Show, and The PM Team break down Mike McCarthy's offensive adjustments, highlighted by Troy Fautanu and Brock Hoffman solidifying the right side of the line. Plus, full reaction to Aaron Rodgers' vintage touchdown throws to Ben Skowronek, Roman Wilson, and DK Metcalf, Jaylen Warren's dominant 150+ total-yard performance, and Sebastian Joseph-Day's game-sealing fumble recovery after a clutch strip-sack on Joe Burrow.

The full Pomp and Joe Show, with Bob Pompeani, Joe Starkey, and Austin Bechtold, from Monday, September 28th, 2026

Hour 1 with Bob Pompeani and Joe Starkey: The Steelers beat the Bengals 30-27 and had a great bounce back game for the offense. The Bengals struggle to win games when trailing in the fourth quarter. Aaron Rodgers played great. What did you take away from the win over Cincinnati? Adam Schefter reported that the Lions and Cowboys are calling on Joey Porter Jr. Emmanuel in Carnegie thinks the Steelers-Browns game is a "believe" game where we could start to believe in the Steelers.

Hour 2 with Bob Pompeani and Joe Starkey: The decision to bring Aaron Rodgers back paid off, and Rodgers went toe to toe with Joe Burrow. Rodgers can still play and have great days, but isn't going to consistently be an elite QB anymore. Joe thinks the Steelers having Watt, Highsmith, and Heyward off the field on the final play didn't make sense. Mike McCarthy said he wrote down 31 points as the number the Steelers needed to reach.

Hour 3 with Bob Pompeani and Joe Starkey: Jaylen Warren was incredible for the Steelers and had 176 yards from scrimmage. Warren is one of the Steelers' best offensive players and we want him to be the featured back, but can't be overused. Stars and Stiffs from the first meeting between the Bengals and Steelers. Troy Fautanu and Max Iheanachor played great. The Bengals made two huge special teams gaffes.

Hour 4 with Bob Pompeani and Joe Starkey: Around the NFL after Week 4 of the 2026 campaign. Grading the Steelers offense against the Bengals. Aaron Rodgers and Jaylen Warren receive an A. The offensive line receives an A. The pass rushers didn't have much of a chance to get to Joe Burrow. Patrick Queen played GREAT. The Pirates finished 82-80.

The Pirates finished 82-80. The players want Brandon Lowe back and Joe thinks it means Lowe would come back to the team. Jared Jones predicted 90-95 wins next year. Paul Skenes, Ben Cherington, and the injuries all contributed to the Pirates underachieving. 

Around the NFL after Week 4 of the 2026 campaign. The Browns beat Carolina. The Chargers nearly beat the Bills, but are now 0-3. The Lions barely beat the Jets and the Jets are a decent team. The Colts beat the Texans and Houston is now 0-3. Grading the Steelers offense against the Bengals. Aaron Rodgers and Jaylen Warren receive an A. The offensive line receives an A. The pass rushers didn't have much of a chance to get to Joe Burrow. Patrick Queen played GREAT.

Troy Fautanu and Max Iheanachor played great. The Bengals made two huge special teams gaffes. Derrick Harmon was the star at the end of the game and force a fumble. Harmon only played 42% of the snaps. Darnell Washington had a 47 yard gain. Jaylen Warren was the Steelers best player.

Jaylen Warren was incredible for the Steelers and had 176 yards from scrimmage. Warren is one of the Steelers' best offensive players and we want him to be the featured back, but can't be overused. Warren has battled injuries and was limited in practice this week. This is a good start for the Steelers compared to what people thought. The Vikings traded JJ McCarthy to the Giants.

Mike McCarthy said he wrote down 31 points as the number the Steelers needed to reach. The continuity looked much better. Joe takes it as not expecting the defense to stop Joe Burrow, and the Steelers could score a ton of points against Cincinnati. Mike Tomlin has been great on TV!

A ref threw a flag on DK Metcalf a few seconds after DK Metcalf held a defender and the ref was 30 yards down the field. It was a very, very late flag. Bob thought the call could go either way and Joe thought it was a hold. The decision to bring Aaron Rodgers back paid off and Rodgers went toe to toe with Joe Burrow.Joe thinks the Steelers having Watt, Highsmith, and Heyward off the field on the final play didn't make sense. It worked, but it didn't make any sense. 

Max Iheanachor had a great game. Adam Schefter reported that the Lions and Cowboys are calling on Joey Porter Jr. Emmanuel in Carnegie thinks the Steelers-Browns game is a "believe" game where we could start to believe in the Steelers. We hear from Steelers fans after the win!