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The Steelers and Joey Porter Jr. have completely butchered the contract situation and we are now at a boiling point as Porter will sit out again tomorrow night. Chris said this has become the biggest distraction the Steelers have dealt with since Le'Veon Bell in 2018. There are a few differences, but certainly similarities. Who do fans blame more for all of this? 93.7 The Fan Sports Director Jeff Hathhorn joined the show. Jeff confirmed to us that Joey Porter Jr. was as healthy as he's been all season, according to the Steelers practice reports, up until we got the news today that he would be out tomorrow night. Jeff talked about Porter accruing a season and how he's only a few games away from that, despite not playing a down. Jeff told us Omar Khan is public enemy #1 in the locker room because many players feel as if Porter is being ‘hosed' by the organization. Jeff expects to see something happen this weekend with Porter, but then again, who knows? Jeff thinks a 2nd round pick is in play along with a Day 3 selection if a team makes the deal for Porter. Jeff hasn't heard a single bad thing about Sergei Murashov, who many Penguins fans have high hopes for heading into the season. Jeff won't predict a slide for Sidney Crosby because he's simply still too good. Will the Penguins be a playoff team again?
We said at the beginning of the show things may reach a boiling point with Joey Porter Jr. pretty soon, and here we are – we didn't even get halfway through the show. What are the Steelers options? It feels like a trade is inevitable. We referenced other players in the past that used injuries to stay out of games in the midst of a contract dispute. ALL ACCESS w/ Aditi – Aditi said the Steelers are in a tough spot because they acknowledged the ‘back' injury being a real thing for Joey Porter Jr. all along, which does give the player the ability to declare when it flares up. What is the market for Porter right now? Aditi is tired of talking about this. She said she has gotten no indication that a team is willing to give up a 1st round pick for Porter's services. Aditi said Deshaun Watson hasn't been great, but we should not sleep on the other talent on the Browns offense, like their pair of rookie receivers. Aditi praised the work of Watson throughout the off-season and found it ridiculous that there was ever a QB conversation in Cleveland. Aditi believes Watson knows this is his last shot to prove he can be a quarterback in the league. Donny Football Debrief – Who is out for the Browns tomorrow night when the Steelers head to Cleveland?
ESPN thinks the Steelers should be on upset alert tomorrow night in Cleveland. Should they be? They haven't won there in 5 years – since the final year Ben Roethlisberger was the team's QB. The winner tomorrow night will be in possession of 1st place in the AFC North, at least for the time being. Should we be afraid of the Browns like we have been for the last few years? Does it make a difference that the Steelers have Mike McCarthy instead of Mike Tomlin? BREAKING: Joey Porter Jr. ruled out against the Browns tomorrow night. Does this signify the end of his Steelers career? Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk joined the show. Mike thought things were trending up for Joey Porter Jr. playing in the game tomorrow night. Mike said to make no mistake – this is a hold-in and it always has been. What other options do the Steelers have here? Mike said the team could fine him, suspend him, etc. as long as they can prove it's not a real injury. If they suspend Porter, does it really help them? Should the Steelers wait on this a little bit? At some point, if it isn't already, the situation will get really awkward because the Steelers continue to use the ‘back' injury to keep him out. Did the Steelers make a mistake from the outset by backing up the injury? Mike went back to the Steelers tradition of not negotiating in-season, but said if they wanted to get it done, they would. The Steelers are asking for a 1st or 2nd round pick, but will they get that? Should the NFL revisit the ability to challenge a pass interference penalty? Mike talked about some of the shameful flops we have seen from receivers and corners this season.
The Joey Porter Jr. saga has continued to be the biggest story surrounding the Steelers, on or off the field. How much are teams snooping around the situation? What are the Steelers willing to take for a deal to happen? The Cowboys and Lions have reportedly shown interest, but are either of them willing to give up a 1st round pick? What should the Steelers be willing to do to recoup a 1st round pick? The guys are getting tired of this clouding over any discussion about the team. Tomorrow seems to be the limit on the whole thing and if Porter doesn't play, he probably never suits up again for the Steelers. Should the Steelers take the easiest deal for Joey Porter Jr. or keep waiting until the season gets closer to the trade deadline? Former Penguin Tyler Kennedy joined the show. Tonight is opening night for the Penguins as they begin this season where last season ended – Philadelphia. Why is Kyle Dubas already mad about talking about Evgeni Malkin and his contract? TK thinks the Penguins could use ‘load management' with Geno and they will just have to see where things go. Tyler addressed the hype around Sergei Murashov, who will finally get his shot to show he can be a starting goaltender in the NHL. Tyler thinks Murashov is ready and will be good for the Penguins as quickly as this season. TK waffled on the idea of Sidney Crosby continuing his point per game streak, but knows he will look dumb anytime he bets against Sid. TK believes Egor Chinakhov will reach 30 goals this season. What will Elmer Soderblom do after winning Donny a lot of money last season?
93.7 The Fan Sports Director Jeff Hathhorn joined the show. Jeff confirmed to us that Joey Porter Jr. was as healthy as he's been all season, according to the Steelers practice reports, up until we got the news today that he would be out tomorrow night. Jeff talked about Porter accruing a season and how he's only a few games away from that, despite not playing a down. Jeff told us Omar Khan is public enemy #1 in the locker room because many players feel as if Porter is being ‘hosed' by the organization. Jeff expects to see something happen this weekend with Porter, but then again, who knows? Jeff thinks a 2nd round pick is in play along with a Day 3 selection if a team makes the deal for Porter. Jeff hasn't heard a single bad thing about Sergei Murashov, who many Penguins fans have high hopes for heading into the season. Jeff won't predict a slide for Sidney Crosby because he's simply still too good. Will the Penguins be a playoff team again?
ALL ACCESS w/ Aditi – Aditi said the Steelers are in a tough spot because they acknowledged the ‘back' injury being a real thing for Joey Porter Jr. all along, which does give the player the ability to declare when it flares up. What is the market for Porter right now? Aditi is tired of talking about this. She said she has gotten no indication that a team is willing to give up a 1st round pick for Porter's services. Aditi said Deshaun Watson hasn't been great, but we should not sleep on the other talent on the Browns offense, like their pair of rookie receivers. Aditi praised the work of Watson throughout the off-season and found it ridiculous that there was ever a QB conversation in Cleveland. Aditi believes Watson knows this is his last shot to prove he can be a quarterback in the league.
We said at the beginning of the show things may reach a boiling point with Joey Porter Jr. pretty soon, and here we are – we didn't even get halfway through the show. What are the Steelers options? It feels like a trade is inevitable. We referenced other players in the past that used injuries to stay out of games in the midst of a contract dispute.
Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk joined the show. Mike thought things were trending up for Joey Porter Jr. playing in the game tomorrow night. Mike said to make no mistake – this is a hold-in and it always has been. What other options do the Steelers have here? Mike said the team could fine him, suspend him, etc. as long as they can prove it's not a real injury. If they suspend Porter, does it really help them? Should the Steelers wait on this a little bit? At some point, if it isn't already, the situation will get really awkward because the Steelers continue to use the ‘back' injury to keep him out. Did the Steelers make a mistake from the outset by backing up the injury? Mike went back to the Steelers tradition of not negotiating in-season, but said if they wanted to get it done, they would. The Steelers are asking for a 1st or 2nd round pick, but will they get that? Should the NFL revisit the ability to challenge a pass interference penalty? Mike talked about some of the shameful flops we have seen from receivers and corners this season.
BREAKING: Joey Porter Jr. ruled out against the Browns tomorrow night. Does this signify the end of his Steelers career?
ESPN thinks the Steelers should be on upset alert tomorrow night in Cleveland. Should they be? They haven't won there in 5 years – since the final year Ben Roethlisberger was the team's QB. The winner tomorrow night will be in possession of 1st place in the AFC North, at least for the time being. Should we be afraid of the Browns like we have been for the last few years? Does it make a difference that the Steelers have Mike McCarthy instead of Mike Tomlin?
Former Penguin Tyler Kennedy joined the show. Tonight is opening night for the Penguins as they begin this season where last season ended – Philadelphia. Why is Kyle Dubas already mad about talking about Evgeni Malkin and his contract? TK thinks the Penguins could use ‘load management' with Geno and they will just have to see where things go. Tyler addressed the hype around Sergei Murashov, who will finally get his shot to show he can be a starting goaltender in the NHL. Tyler thinks Murashov is ready and will be good for the Penguins as quickly as this season. TK waffled on the idea of Sidney Crosby continuing his point per game streak, but knows he will look dumb anytime he bets against Sid. TK believes Egor Chinakhov will reach 30 goals this season. What will Elmer Soderblom do after winning Donny a lot of money last season?
The Joey Porter Jr. saga has continued to be the biggest story surrounding the Steelers, on or off the field. How much are teams snooping around the situation? What are the Steelers willing to take for a deal to happen? The Cowboys and Lions have reportedly shown interest, but are either of them willing to give up a 1st round pick? What should the Steelers be willing to do to recoup a 1st round pick? The guys are getting tired of this clouding over any discussion about the team. Tomorrow seems to be the limit on the whole thing and if Porter doesn't play, he probably never suits up again for the Steelers.
McCarthy's Mouthfuls – What did Mike McCarthy say to the media earlier today? Mike McCarthy said ‘we hope' Joey Porter Jr. will play on Thursday night. If he doesn't, are we at a place of no return with this whole situation? How will the Steelers rebranded offensive line fare against a Browns defense that may be a little bit underrated?
The Pirates biggest off-season question is what will happen with Brandon Lowe? Brandon's wife posted on Instagram after the season and included ‘Pittsburgh, we enjoyed our time here' speaking in the past tense. Is that a tell tale sign that Lowe is gone? There shouldn't be much of an expectation that Lowe will be back in Pittsburgh due to a multitude of factors within the game. How much would fans be willing to pay to keep Brandon Lowe with the Pirates? Donny Football Debrief – The USC broadcast crew video from the hit on Dante Moore Saturday afternoon is… something.
The Steelers saw a nice jump up in the NFL Power Rankings from Week 2 to Week 3. It was nearly unanimous, with all of the major publications pushing the Steelers up several slots after beating the Bengals. Are the Steelers more like the team we saw Sunday or the one we saw against the Patriots? Does Thursday night look like a truly big game? Audibles & Analytics podcast host Jon Ledyard joined the show. Jon has been critical of Derrick Harmon so far in his career, but he had to give him his flowers for what he did to finish the game Sunday. He liked Harmon coming out of the draft, but felt like he had some limitations to becoming a truly ‘great' player. A prospect Jon loved in this past draft was Max Iheanachor and he is really happy with what the tape looks like following his first start. Jon thinks it's actually a blessing that Iheanachor doesn't have a lot of football under his belt because he didn't learn any bad habits. Jon thought Aaron Rodgers turned back the clock a little bit on Sunday, but it's still not great when he gets out of structure at this stage of his career. He doesn't think Rodgers has gotten a ton of help from his receivers this season, but Sunday was an all-around solid performance. Jon was really encouraged by Mike McCarthy on Sunday because the paly calling was like nothing we have seen in Pittsburgh in years. Jon liked the team's commitment to the run game, and wants Jaylen Warren and Darnell Washington on the field as much as possible. Looking at Thursday night's game, Jon thinks the Browns still have a pretty good defense even after losing Myles Garrett. Jon wants to see the same commitment to the ground game in this game if the Steelers want to buck their recent trend in Cleveland. Jon doesn't think Deshaun Watson is playing good football despite the Browns having a 2-1 record. Conversely from Rodgers, Jon feels like Watson is playing better out of structure and is still bad within it. Bucco Auction House 2026 Review.
Jerry Jones has made it known – he wants Joey Porter Jr. He did his weekly hit on the Audacy station in Dallas and made it clear he is always looking to wheel & deal and make his football team better. The Cowboys are 1-2, but the division is still wide open so early in the season. Would you do the deal? What would the deal have to look like? Fans may be gun shy due to the George Pickens trade going south. Would Porter fit in the Cowboys defense? Who cares – Jerry doesn't. The Steelers are on a short week, so yesterday was just a walk-thru practice. However, Joey Porter Jr. was listed as a ‘full participant' for the first time this season. Do the Steelers still need Porter more than he needs them? NHL writer Sean Gentille from The Athletic joined the show. The Penguins season begins tomorrow night – yes, already – in Philadelphia, where last season came to an end. Why doesn't Kyle Dubas want to talk about Evgeni Malkin and his contract? Sean said Malkin was incredible last year and that gets lost in the shuffle across the league. Sean doesn't think it's realistic to see Kris Letang change the way of his game this late into his career, but he can still be a viable option on the second defensive pairing. Like the Steelers, Sean thinks the Penguins are trying to thread the needle of a team that is trying to rebuild while also still winning. Sean said the presence of Sidney Crosby changes the calculus for the Penguins because he is still too good for the team to be bad. Sean expects that to stay the same as long as Crosby is on the roster. The Penguins didn't land Jason Robertson this off-season, but they did acquire his brother, and Sean believes Nick Robertson can be a 20+ goal player for them. Sean labeled Declan Carlile as a ‘classic Dubas guy' that will likely start on the top defensive pairing aside from Erik Karlsson. The odd deal of the off-season was the Penguins signing Ville Koivunen to an 8-year deal seemingly out of nowhere – is that a dangerous deal for Pittsburgh? Sean thinks the Penguins finish 5th in the Metro, but do not make the playoffs.
The Pirates biggest off-season question is what will happen with Brandon Lowe? Brandon's wife posted on Instagram after the season and included ‘Pittsburgh, we enjoyed our time here' speaking in the past tense. Is that a tell tale sign that Lowe is gone? There shouldn't be much of an expectation that Lowe will be back in Pittsburgh due to a multitude of factors within the game.
Audibles & Analytics podcast host Jon Ledyard joined the show. Jon has been critical of Derrick Harmon so far in his career, but he had to give him his flowers for what he did to finish the game Sunday. He liked Harmon coming out of the draft, but felt like he had some limitations to becoming a truly ‘great' player. A prospect Jon loved in this past draft was Max Iheanachor and he is really happy with what the tape looks like following his first start. Jon thinks it's actually a blessing that Iheanachor doesn't have a lot of football under his belt because he didn't learn any bad habits. Jon thought Aaron Rodgers turned back the clock a little bit on Sunday, but it's still not great when he gets out of structure at this stage of his career. He doesn't think Rodgers has gotten a ton of help from his receivers this season, but Sunday was an all-around solid performance. Jon was really encouraged by Mike McCarthy on Sunday because the paly calling was like nothing we have seen in Pittsburgh in years. Jon liked the team's commitment to the run game, and wants Jaylen Warren and Darnell Washington on the field as much as possible. Looking at Thursday night's game, Jon thinks the Browns still have a pretty good defense even after losing Myles Garrett. Jon wants to see the same commitment to the ground game in this game if the Steelers want to buck their recent trend in Cleveland. Jon doesn't think Deshaun Watson is playing good football despite the Browns having a 2-1 record. Conversely from Rodgers, Jon feels like Watson is playing better out of structure and is still bad within it.
The Steelers saw a nice jump up in the NFL Power Rankings from Week 2 to Week 3. It was nearly unanimous, with all of the major publications pushing the Steelers up several slots after beating the Bengals. Are the Steelers more like the team we saw Sunday or the one we saw against the Patriots? Does Thursday night look like a truly big game?
NHL writer Sean Gentille from The Athletic joined the show. The Penguins season begins tomorrow night – yes, already – in Philadelphia, where last season came to an end. Why doesn't Kyle Dubas want to talk about Evgeni Malkin and his contract? Sean said Malkin was incredible last year and that gets lost in the shuffle across the league. Sean doesn't think it's realistic to see Kris Letang change the way of his game this late into his career, but he can still be a viable option on the second defensive pairing. Like the Steelers, Sean thinks the Penguins are trying to thread the needle of a team that is trying to rebuild while also still winning. Sean said the presence of Sidney Crosby changes the calculus for the Penguins because he is still too good for the team to be bad. Sean expects that to stay the same as long as Crosby is on the roster. The Penguins didn't land Jason Robertson this off-season, but they did acquire his brother, and Sean believes Nick Robertson can be a 20+ goal player for them. Sean labeled Declan Carlile as a ‘classic Dubas guy' that will likely start on the top defensive pairing aside from Erik Karlsson. The odd deal of the off-season was the Penguins signing Ville Koivunen to an 8-year deal seemingly out of nowhere – is that a dangerous deal for Pittsburgh? Sean thinks the Penguins finish 5th in the Metro, but do not make the playoffs.
Jerry Jones has made it known – he wants Joey Porter Jr. He did his weekly hit on the Audacy station in Dallas and made it clear he is always looking to wheel & deal and make his football team better. The Cowboys are 1-2, but the division is still wide open so early in the season. Would you do the deal? What would the deal have to look like? Fans may be gun shy due to the George Pickens trade going south. Would Porter fit in the Cowboys defense? Who cares – Jerry doesn't.
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.
Aaron Rodgers balled out against the Bengals yesterday, and callers think that the quarterback is returning to his old form. More callers chime in on Rodgers and the Steelers as a whole. PM Team Professors. The guys grade performances from different members of the Steelers in the game yesterday. Donny gives Max Iheanachor an A+ grade for his debut performance. Mullsy agrees and also gives the rookie an A+. Jack gives Roman Wilson a C+ for his performance yesterday, Mullsy gives him a B.
Aaron Rodgers balled out against the Bengals yesterday, and callers think that the quarterback is returning to his old form.
Max Iheanachor drew rave reviews after his first career start, and even Mike McCarthy was very complimentary of the rookie tackle in his press conference today. Mullsy is very excited about the future with Imax, and is very encouraged by his debut. He had the least amount of pressures allowed in the game amongst Steeler offensive linemen. More on Max Iheanchor in his debut yesterday. Callers chime in on the topic as well. Donny Football Debrief/Donny Football's Game Balls.
The Steelers came off the deck and beat the Bengals yesterday. It felt different and it looked different. The team put up 30 points just a week after barely netting a field goal. Aaron Rodgers turned back the clock. Jaylen Warren paced the offense with 7.5 yards/attempt and 127 total on the ground. Mike McCarthy was ‘in his bag' in what was easily the best the team has looked all season. The change made to the right side of the offensive line proved to pay dividends for the Steelers, with a rookie shining in his first start. Calls. PM Team Plays of the Game.
Max Iheanachor drew rave reviews after his first career start, and even Mike McCarthy was very complimentary of the rookie tackle in his press conference today. Mullsy is very excited about the future with Imax, and is very encouraged by his debut. He had the least amount of pressures allowed in the game amongst Steeler offensive linemen.
PM Team Plays of the Game full 670 Mon, 28 Sep 2026 19:04:30 +0000 9jkdAmxLx9vFj4WL00nLLmrOCBVmIIH3 nfl,pittsburgh steelers,sports The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller nfl,pittsburgh steelers,sports PM Team Plays of the Game with Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller 2024 © 2021 Audacy, Inc. Sports https://player.amperwavepodcasting.com?feed-link=https%3A%2F%2Frss.am
Initial reaction to the Steelers win yesterday full 1220 Mon, 28 Sep 2026 18:44:28 +0000 IpOE4ERnI1geHWzN8Q3HdRictrwcO4dj nfl,pittsburgh steelers,sports The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller nfl,pittsburgh steelers,sports Initial reaction to the Steelers win yesterday with Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller 2024 © 2021 Audacy, Inc. Sports https://player.amperwavepodcasting.com?feed-link
9-25 PM Team 5pm Hour PM Team Tale of the Tape. The Hodgepodge of Nothingness. Ross Tucker, color analyst for the Steelers-Bengals game this Sunday on KDKA joins the show! He is proud that Poni thinks the Steelers will win the game. He wants to be at a WPIAL game tonight but also likes the team dinners they have before a broadcast. He is a fan of Amarius Mims, much to Mullsy's delight.
9-25 PM Team 4pm Hour Mark Kaboly is in the studio! What are his thoughts on the Joey Porter Jr situation? Mark says that "everything is on the table". JPJ has received public support from his teammates. Mike McCarthy was not happy with so many JPJ questions. Mark says McCarthy does not like to be questioned about injuries. He is an NFL Head Coach. Jamel Dean is questionable along with Michael Pittman Jr, Jaylen Warren, and JPJ. Rico Dowdle is the only player ruled out. Mark didn't read Aaron Rodgers' comments as a shot at Mike McCarthy or throwing him under the bus. Mark isn't sure if there is any beef between the two since he is not in the locker room. Poni brings up each time Rodgers has contradicted McCarthy after McCarthy speaks. They seem to be passive aggressive darts. Kaboly grades Callas' rap. A different approach to the rap this week. Poni grades it as a D+ and a "filler song" on an album. Mark actually likes it and grades it a B. This might be Callas' St. Anger. Upon further review, it is catchy. Mark reacts to the 'Tomlin Hangover' report. Mark confirms that all Tomlin quotes that were displayed are completely gone. Mark says "I was wrong about the Pirates, but I am going to take a victory lap for it" regarding them finishing with 81+ wins.
9-25 PM Team 3pm Hour Tom Pelissero has an update on a potential trade of Joey Porter Jr. If the Lions lose to the Jets following another poor defensive effort, would the Lions overpay for JPJ? Donny Football Debrief. The trailer for the John Madden movie came out and it looks as bad as we thought it would. The Other Side: James Rapien joins the show to talk Steelers-Bengals!
9-25 PM Team 2pm Hour: The Steelers reportedly have a Mike Tomlin hangover. With Tomlin, the Steelers always thought they had a chance to win the game. Do they have that feeling with Mike McCarthy? Poni says the team would be prepared for the Bengals this Sunday if Tomlin were here. He is not so sure the same would be said under McCarthy. Aaron Rodgers called McCarthy out after last week's game, something that never happened with Tomlin. Mullsy thinks it is more of an Aaron Rodgers hangover because of the mediocre offense. Is McCarthy trying to erase Tomlin's standards and sayings? Earl Hebner, phone calls, and do they think the Steelers have a Mike Tomlin hangover Fair Game with Nick Farabaugh!
The Steelers are only 1-1, but after their offensive showing against New England, many fans are worried the season could be over before it begins, especially if they lose a home game to the Bengals.
What grade does Paul Skenes deserve for 2026? After he blamed the World Baseball Classic for a down year, is it fair to expect the regular, dominant Skenes in 2027? What is his future like in Pittsburgh? Poni appreciated the fans giving Skenes a standing ovation after his start today. We heard from Joey Porter Jr., who decided to speak to the media after practice today. Porter denied requesting a trade and denied ever getting a second opinion on his ‘back' injury. 93.7 The Fan baseball analyst Matt Clement joined the show. Matt recapped what he thought of Paul Skenes in 2026 – the worst of his 3-year career. Matt said pitchers still think about wins and losses even though it's grown to be pretty irrelevant by baseball's standards. Matt said Skenes probably can't wait for the off-season to begin so he can't immediately get back in the lab and ready for 2027. Signing Brandon Lowe would be atop Matt's wish list, even if it doesn't seem like a big chance of happening. Matt explained why getting Mitch Keller off the books could open a lot of doors for the Pirates going into 2027. Skenes Soundbites – What did Paul Skenes to the media following his final start in 2026?
Even though the Pirates are going to finish better than .500, they will miss the playoffs. Let's go back to March though and see if people's expectations changed. The offense was fantastic in the first half of the season, but couldn't overcome injuries in the second half. Can Konnor Griffin reach MVP levels next season? Are we already counting them out on re-signing Brandon Lowe? Pirates insider Jason Mackey joined the show. Jason isn't sure if the Pirates will give Brandon Lowe a fair offer, but expects multiple teams to ‘get stupid' and give him a monster deal. Would it be stupid? Jason is glad Paul Skenes finally blamed the World Baseball Classic on why 2026 didn't go as planned. Konnor Griffin doesn't have to be the MVP, but Jason thinks he needs to be at least an .800+ OPS player because they will need a step up assuming they lose Lowe. Jason said the Pirates need power if they lose Lowe and can't go into the year thinking Jared Triolo is their everyday 3B. Jason said the Pirates should be a playoff team in 2027 based on the steps taken this season. Camilo Doval was DFA'd because there was ‘no shot' he would be tendered in the off-season. Jason said they would have kept Doval, but his production wasn't worth the price they would be paying in arbitration. Jason gave his take on a few young guys finishing the season strong. Where will Spencer Horwitz and Ryan O'Hearn fitting into things next season? Joey Porter Jr. was listed as ‘limited' with a ‘conditioning' diagnosis on Thursday's Steelers practice report. /// Manager's Minute – What did Don Kelly say to the media after the Pirates win?
Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo from the PG joined the show. Ray said he doesn't really feel like there is an end coming soon to the Joey Porter Jr. story. Ray believes at some point the Steelers will need to put their foot down on the entire situation. It's pretty clear that the players still support Porter in the midst of a contract dispute that is keeping him off the field. Ray backed up what we saw in the clips this week – we will likely see a different pairing on the right side of the Steelers offensive line. Spencer Anderson suffered an injury in the Patriots game, but has been toughing through practice this week. Ray thinks it could get ugly from the crowd on Sunday if the Steelers go 3 & out on offense to start the game. Ray told the guys the backfield situation will be just fine, but Rico Dowdle could miss the game Sunday. Are we jumping on DK Metcalf too early after a rocky start to 2026? Ray was impressed by Germie Bernard in the loss at New England and hopes we see more of him as the season moves on. How scary are the Bengals if Joe Burrow can stay healthy? KDKA TV's Bob Pompeani joined the show. Bob reacted to Joey Porter Jr. speaking today and the latest with the situation. Are the Bengals a bad opponent for Porter to make his return against? Bob said the Browns may not be as easy an opponent as we think for Porter, either. The Pirates have won at PNC Park to clinch a .500 or better season, but Bob isn't ready to say it was a good season. Pomp would understand if the Pirates move on from Ben Cherington, but acknowledged that they won't. Bob said 2027 MUST be the year they return to the postseason. Bob said he would offer Brandon Lowe a 3-year, $75M contract, but isn't sure if that's enough. Bob liked what he saw from Oneil Cruz this season and has high hopes going to next season. Bob said Paul Skenes gets a D grade on the season given the absurd expectations coming into the season. Bucco Postgame – The Pirates beat the Cardinals, 2-1, this afternoon at PNC Park. They will be .500 or better since today was their 81st win. They have also clinched 3rd place in the NL Central, but will not make the playoffs. How do we feel about the 2026 Pirates?
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