Bengals
- Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic notes that the Bengals’ potential veteran salary cap cut candidates are not as clear as they have been in past seasons.
- Dehner lists LT Orlando Brown Jr. as a potential candidate, which could save the team $14 million; yet, he doesn’t think Brown Jr. will be cut and that the Bengals will instead draft a tackle with their first three picks to act as a backup for Brown.
- Other candidates mentioned by Dehner include defensive tackles T.J. Slaton and B.J. Hill, OL Cody Ford, and LB Oren Burks.
Steelers
The Texans were the last team to face the Steelers under former HC Mike Tomlin in the AFC Wild Card Round. Houston HC DeMeco Ryans reflected on Tomlin’s decision to leave Pittsburgh, saying he’s glad the coach was able to walk away on his own terms.
“You see a guy who’s had a ton of success and done it at the highest level for 19 seasons not to have a losing record,” Ryans said, via NFL.com. “Part of me is happy that he was able to step away on his own terms. It’s a tough job, it’s one of the toughest jobs.”
Ryans added that he respects Tomlin more than any coach in the NFL and thinks he always did things “the right way.”
“Everybody has all the answers, but no one truly knows all the work, all the sacrifice that goes in, all of the sleepless nights, all of the long hours you put in, all of the time away from family. It’s a lot that goes into it and everybody just jumps on, ‘This guy should be fired. He should be fired. Get him out, get him out,’” Ryans said. “I think the Steelers were the beneficiary of having a really great coach for 19 years and you see that sustained success when you’re able to stick with a guy, you truly believe in a guy that’s a great leader of an organization. He’s done it at a high level, won the Super Bowl, done it with the utmost class and respect. There’s not another coach that I respect more than Mike Tomlin. He’s always done it the right way. I’m thankful that he was able to step down on his terms.”
Steelers
Steelers owner Art Rooney said the team wouldn’t waste a year rebuilding and said the plan is to continue to compete in 2026.
“I’m not going to say, ‘Well, we’re going to take a couple of years to figure this out and then we’ll try to compete,’” Rooney said, via ESPN. “I think you try every year. Some years you have the horses to really get there. Some years you don’t, but you try every year, in my view.”
Rooney acknowledged that the team is frustrated with the lack of postseason success but plans on being back in the playoffs next year.
“It’s been a winning era,” he said. “Always in contention. So I think when you start with that, you have the opportunity to take the next step. I can’t explain kind of the more recent history there. It’s hard to explain given the overall track record. Frustrating for all of us, mostly for Mike, but all in all, I’ll take being in contention every year and having a shot at it.“
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