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The Steelers could go get Aaron Rodgers another weapon in Eagles WR.
It’s been quiet — almost too quiet — in the Aaron Rodgers-led era of the Pittsburgh Steelers. And maybe that’s a good thing. After all, it’s been nothing like the circus that followed his short-lived stint with the New York Jets. In fact, Pittsburgh quietly looks like one of the best teams in the AFC, sitting at 4-1.
With the AFC North dealing with a rash of quarterback injuries, Rodgers has been the division’s lone constant. If that stability holds, the Steelers could make a big splash before the November 1 trade deadline — and give Rodgers another elite weapon.
CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin floated one trade idea that’s raised plenty of eyebrows: the Steelers sending tight end Pat Freiermuth, linebacker Alex Highsmith, and a 2026 third-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for wide receiver A.J. Brown.
It’s not as far-fetched as it sounds. The Steelers’ offense could use an upgrade, ranking 30th in total offense (263.5 yards per game) and 27th in passing (183.5 yards per game) through Week 6. They’re middle of the pack in scoring (16th) at 24 points per game.
But the real question is whether Philadelphia would even consider moving Brown. The three-time Pro Bowler doesn’t seem thrilled lately, and tension between him and the organization has been simmering.
Why the Steelers Would Trade for A.J. Brown
Adding Brown — who has 50 career touchdown catches — would give Rodgers another dynamic pass catcher to line up opposite DK Metcalf, creating one of the NFL’s most explosive receiving duos.
“Why on Earth would the Steelers deal for Brown when they already spent picks and big money to land Brown’s former college teammate, DK Metcalf, this offseason?” Benjamin wrote. “Because they’re all in on winning with Aaron Rodgers this year, and their 4-1 start suggests they’ll remain aggressive in roster-building.”
Metcalf has already been a hit in Pittsburgh, leading the team with four touchdown catches. But outside of him, the passing game has been limited. Calvin Austin III has two touchdowns, while running back Jaylen Warren and tight end Jonnu Smith each have one.
Why the Steelers Would Trade Pat Freiermuth and Alex Highsmith
Trading Freiermuth and Highsmith would be bold but understandable. Freiermuth’s role has shrunk with the addition of Jonnu Smith, who came over in the offseason and has deep ties to offensive coordinator Arthur Smith from their days together with the Atlanta Falcons.
“Freiermuth doesn’t have a major role in Steel City anymore, but he might offer both blocking and pass-catching depth as a potential Dallas Goedert successor,” Benjamin noted.
Through six games, Jonnu Smith has 17 receptions on 20 targets for 89 yards and a touchdown. Freiermuth, meanwhile, has just eight catches for 76 yards and no scores.
As for Highsmith, Pittsburgh’s front seven is loaded with T.J. Watt, Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, and others — giving the team some flexibility.
“Highsmith, meanwhile, is often nicked up but a proven edge rusher (29 sacks, 56 quarterback hits since 2022) to help fill the Eagles’ blatant need there,” Benjamin added. “Philadelphia might also send one of its own reserve pass-rushers, like Azeez Ojulari, back to Pittsburgh in this scenario.”
If the Steelers truly believe they’re Super Bowl contenders with Rodgers, this is the kind of aggressive move that could push them over the top — and make a loaded AFC even more interesting down the stretch.
Vikings Take Cautious Approach with McCarthy’s Return After Injury Setbacks
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy has faced injury setbacks early in his career, missing his entire rookie season and now dealing with issues in his second year. Because of that, the Vikings must approach his situation cautiously.
Veteran quarterback has filled in admirably, leading to a 2-1 record for the Vikings since he took over. Nonetheless, McCarthy is beginning to take part in practice, and so the question surrounding this situation is, when will Minnesota insert the young signal caller under center?
“Good Morning Football” co-host Jamie Erdahl discussed on “The Rich Eisen Show” with guest host Tom Pelissero whether the Minnesota Vikings should go back to McCarthy when he returns from injury or stick with Wentz for the time being.
innesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy has faced injury setbacks early in his career, missing his entire rookie season and now dealing with issues in his second year. Because of that, the Vikings must approach his situation cautiously.
Veteran quarterback has filled in admirably, leading to a 2-1 record for the Vikings since he took over. Nonetheless, McCarthy is beginning to take part in practice, and so the question surrounding this situation is, when will Minnesota insert the young signal caller under center?
“Good Morning Football” co-host Jamie Erdahl discussed on “The Rich Eisen Show” with guest host Tom Pelissero whether the Minnesota Vikings should go back to McCarthy when he returns from injury or stick with Wentz for the time being.
“I do feel that him having the two games experience and then even if it is a long break now he can actually conceptualize what it means to be a starting quarterback,” Erdahl said.
“When he was sitting in meetings last year, he had no concept of what the speed of the game felt like or what the IQ demands were of the playbook. It could be explained to him, but now he’s got a two-game sample size.
“I think he needs to be like 110 percent healthy before we even then add another week and
then get him in there. But they’ve got two games in five days next week coming off a bye, so I think we see Carson for a little bit, and I’m okay with that.”
Vikings Praised for Handling of J.J. McCarthy Injury
Over the offseason, the Vikings handed the keys to the franchise to McCarthy after letting Sam Darnold leave. Nonetheless, Erdahl praised Minnesota for taking their time with the player rather than rushing him to see if he’s indeed their franchise quarterback.
“The easy thing to do would be to just say, ‘All right, there’s all this pressure on us. We’ve got to prove that J.J., we’ve got to prove we picked the right guy out of the six quarterbacks. Let’s push him back out the moment he’s healthy.’ There’s a difference between healthy and ready, which is where I give Kevin O’Connell credit for doing the hard thing.”
Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy Makes Most of Situation
After spending the past few weeks on the sidelines recovering from his latest injury, McCarthy is choosing to make the most of his time away from the field. With veteran quarterback Carson Wentz taking over under center, McCarthy has taken a step back to observe and learn.
While there’s no substitute for in-game reps, he sees value in studying how someone else runs the offense. Speaking with reporters on October 15, McCarthy shared the learning lessons from watching Wentz lead the team as the starting quarterback.
“I would say, you can tell by his experience with the anticipation in the windows, with the quickness of when the ball’s getting out of his hand,” McCarthy said. “Just little things that he does pre-snap that he’s been kind of telling me about.
“We’re reading certain plays, seeing different leverages from certain secondary defenders, and just the timing of everything is something that I’ve been really impressed with and took a lot from.”
