BREAKING: Pittsburgh Steelers to Sign QB Russell Wilson – AFC North Tracker
Keep up to date with all the latest BREAKING news around the AFC North with the Baltimore Ravens division Tracker.
MARCH 10 WILSON SIGNING WITH PITTSBURGH Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson has been told by his team that he is out the door. Many teams in need of a franchise signal-caller are showing interest, and that includes the Baltimore Ravens’ AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers.
Wilson met with the Steelers on Friday and per Josina Anderson, the visit went “great” and he reportedly spoke with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith for hours.
On Sunday night, per Adam Schefter, the two sides agreed to terms for a one-year deal that’s team-friendly. The Broncos will reportedly pay $38 million of his salary.
Wilson joins an AFC North division that already includes elite quarterbacks in Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow and Deshaun Watson.
MARCH 8 BENGALS TAG TEE The Cincinnati Bengals placed the franchise tag on wideout Tee Higgins, extending the time the team can negotiate a long-term deal with the Clemson product.
If they can’t reach an agreement, Higgins will play next season on the tag for a guaranteed $21.8 million.
Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin told Bengals Wire, “We want him on the roster. As soon as we got the salary cap numbers, there was no point lingering on this.”
Head coach Zac Taylor said the team wasn’t going to let Higgins get away.
“He’s one of the top receivers in this league, and we don’t want that just walking out of the building. So when you’ve got an opportunity to put a tag on him and keep him in the building and let him play at least another season for us, I think that’s critical,” Taylor said.
MARCH 2 XAVIER WORTHY IMPRESSES DECOSTA Texas Longhorns wideout Xavier Worthy set a new 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine on Saturday, and Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta was on hand to witness it live.
He was clearly impressed by the speed of Worthy, as evidenced by his real-time reaction.
Worthy was clocked with the lighting-fast time of 4.21 seconds on his second try, passing John Ross III’s record by .01 seconds. The Longhorns receiver reached 24.21 miles per hour according to Next Gen Stats.
FEB 27 NFL TRADE DEADLINE COULD MOVE In 2023, the NFL trade deadline came after Week 8, and some teams would like it adjusted.
Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry appeared on PFT and said he and other teams have proposed pushing the deadline back two weeks for 2024, to after Week 10 of the regular season.
The extra time could give teams more time to decide if they should be buyers or sellers, and put the NFL deadline more in line with other leagues on the schedule.
Any change requires the approval of 24 of the 32 teams at the league meetings in March.
FEB 26 HIGGINS TAGGED BY BENGALS The NFL free agent wide receiver pool is less crowded as of Monday morning as the Cincinnati Bengals have officially placed the franchise tag on wideout Tee Higgins.
That’s one less open market target for teams like the Ravens, who will most likely be active in their search for a wideout this offseason.
That still leaves big names like Mike Evans and Calvin Ridley, as well as Baltimore incumbent Odell Beckham Jr. who are all set to become free agents when the new league starts on March 13.
The Ravens could also address the need in April’s NFL Draft.
FEB 24 SHERMAN ARRESTED Former NFL cornerback and current analyst Richard Sherman has reportedly been arrested for DUI per Fox 13 in Seattle.
Washington State Patrol confirmed to Fox 13 that the ex-NFLer was arrested early Saturday morning, and the King County Jail roster indicates Sherman was booked at 4:51 a.m.
Sherman has served as an analyst on Amazon Prime Thursday Night Football for the past two seasons and joined FS1’s Undisputed last year.
Sherman spent time with the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers during an 11-year career.
FEB 22 AMAZON NFL DEAL WORTH $150M CNBC reports that Amazon has agreed to pay the NFL $150 million for the rights to stream a Wild Card game during the opening weekend of the 2024 playoffs.
That news comes on the heels of Peacock paying $110 million to broadcast the Chiefs-Dolphins Wild Card game last season, bringing in a record number of streamers.
The Saturday night contest brought in an average of 23 million viewers and 16.3 million devices streaming at once, doubling the record for a single day in the history of Peacock.
Amazon currently pays an average of $58.8 million per game to stream Thursday Night Football.
FEB 17 LEFTY DRIESELL PASSES AWAY Former Maryland Terrapins men’s basketball coach Lefty Driesell passed away his family announced on Saturday. He was 92.
Maryland announced they would honor Driesell with a moment of silence before their Saturday matchup with No. 14 Illinois. They’ll also break out 1970s throwback uniforms previously worn on Jan. 21 when the Terrapins honored Driesell.
Driesell coached Maryland from 1969-1986 and ushered the Terrapins into national prominence until the death of All-American Len Bias
FEB 8 FLACCO WINS CPoY Former Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has won Comeback Player of the Year at the NFL Honors Awards ceremony Thursday night.
In late November, Flacco was signed to the Browns’ practice squad, following a season-ending injury to starting quarterback Deshaun Watson. He was then named the starter for Week 13 against the Rams after Dorian Thompson-Robinson suffered a concussion.
Flacco started five games for the Browns and went 4-1 as a starter before the playoffs. He completed 123 of 204 passes for 1,616 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions while completing 60.3 percent of his passes.
Leading the Browns to the postseason, Cleveland matched up with the resurgent Texans in the Wild Card round and lost 45-14.
Flacco completed 34 of 46 passes for 307 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in his first postseason game since 2015.
JAN 10 MACDONALD TO TENNESSEE? After the firing of Mike Vrabel in Tennessee, the Titans have requested permission from the Ravens to interview defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald for the vacancy.
Macdonald is in his second season as the Baltimore defensive coordinator after arriving from Michigan where he served in the same capacity under Ravens coach John Harbaugh’s brother, Jim.
JAN 8 WASHINGTON WANTS WEAVER The Washington Commanders need a new coach after firing Ron Rivera, and they are looking locally at potential replacements.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Commanders have requested an interview for Baltimore Ravens defensive assistant Anthony Weaver.
Weaver, 43, was a second-round pick by the Ravens in 2002 and played four seasons in Baltimore. He returned to the team to coach the defensive line in 2021 and has been on John Harbaugh’s staff for three seasons. In 2022, he was promoted to assistant head coach.
JAN 5 IRVIN RIPS COOK’S BALTIMORE RECIPE The Playmaker isn’t a fan of contemporary’s recent audible.
Former Dallas Cowboys star Michael Irvin, perhaps sour over rejection, used Friday’s episode of Fox Sports’ “Undisputed” to tear Dalvin Cook’s decision to sign with the Baltimore Ravens over his former employers. Multiple reports linked both the Ravens and Cowboys to the four-time Pro Bowler’s services but he made his move to Charm City official on Friday. That didn’t sit well with Irvin, who felt that Cook would’ve been able to make a more noticeable impact on Dallas’ fortunes.
“I think it’s a poor decision on Dalvin Cook’s part,” Irvin said. “Why and how are you going to prove your worth when (Baltimore is) already where they are (as a rushing offense)? How can you tell these other teams that you (create) an impact?”
To Irvin’s point, Cook may be looking to impress in a relatively short period considering the the dwindling market for seasoned running backs, no matter how impressive their resumes may be. Whereas Cook is set to join a Baltimore rushing attack that has gotten over the losses of JK Dobbinson and Keaton Mitchell with a steady attack of Gus Edwards and Justice Hill (not to mention the dual-threat talents of Lamar Jackson), Dallas is ailing in the run game: incumbent leading rusher Tony Pollard has struggled in his first days as the undisputed top backfield option and backups Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaught are both nursing injuries.
DEC 19 RAVENS ADD FORMER TERP TO PRACTICE SQUAD Per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, the Baltimore Ravens are bringing a former Maryland Terrapin back to the Chesapeake, as running back Jake Funk will be added to the team’s practice squad. Combined with the return of Melvin Gordon to the active roster, Baltimore (11-3) continues to adjust its rushing attack in the wake of Keaton Mitchell’s season-ending injury.
Funk racked up 2,070 yards from scrimmage over four years with the Terps and was later chosen in the seventh round of the 2021 draft by the Los Angeles Rams. As a rookie, the Gaithersburg native appeared in 10 games during Los Angeles’ run to Super Bowl LVI, primarily partaking on special teams. Funk previously played four games with the Indianapolis Colts this season.
DEC 16 BENGALS WIN THRILLER OVER VIKINGS, KEEP PRESSURE ON RAVENS The first of three NFL games on Sunday, as the Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Minnesota Vikings 27-24 in an overtime thriller.
Cincinnati, once left for dead after Joe Burrow went down for the season, has now won three straight games thanks to the steady hand of backup quarterback Jake Browning.
With their hot streak, the Bengals are keeping pace in the very crowded AFC playoff picture. Saturday’s win propels them up to the No. 6 seed with an 8-6 record, at least for the time being. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts, and Denver Broncos, who also entered the day at 7-6, play later, with the former two facing each other. The Houston Texans and Buffalo Bills, who also have the same record, play on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Bengals also keep the pressure on the AFC North-leading Baltimore Ravens, who hold the conference’s top seed at 10-3. The Ravens are two games ahead of the Cleveland Browns for the division lead, but with all four teams still alive for the division title, Baltimore can’t afford to get complacent.
No matter what happens, it’s sure to be a thrilling end to the season.
DEC 15 STALEY OUT, RAVENS COORDINATOR A POSSIBLE REPLACEMENT? On the heels of a 63-21 thrashing by the Raiders on Thursday Night Football, the Chargers have fired their coach, Brandon Staley, and general manager Tom Telesco.
Staley went 24-24 in parts of three seasons with the Chargers. He previously served as an outside linebackers coach for the Chicago Bears (2017-18) and Denver Broncos (2019) before becoming the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams (2020).
With the vacancy, as with most NFL teams searching for new a coach, the Chargers could be looking for successful coordinators from other organizations. That should include both Ravens coordinators.
Baltimore’s offensive coordinator, Todd Monken, 57, is in his first season with the team and has turned around an offense that struggled the past couple of seasons. Monken has pro experience elsewhere as the Jaguars wide receivers coach from 2007-2010, the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator from 2016-2018, and the Browns’ offensive coordinator in 2019.
The Ravens’ defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, heads one of the best defenses in the league but has no other pro experience with any other team. Macdonald is on the young side at 36, but will no doubt get a shot at some point.
Macdonald’s entire pro coaching career has been with the Ravens except for the 2021 season when he spent the year as Michigan’s defensive coordinator before returning to Baltimore in the same capacity in 2022.
DEC 13 WALLACE WINS AFC SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK Baltimore Ravens return specialist Tylan Wallace is taking home some hardware.
On Wednesday, Wallace was announced as the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after returning the game-winning punt for a touchdown in overtime against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
Wallace was replacing the injured Devin Duvernay, who left the game with a back injury. Duvernay was placed on injured reserve, meaning Wallace will have to step into the role further on Sunday when the Ravens visit the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday Night Football.
DEC 12 RAVENS CONTROL DESTINY FOR NO. 1 The Baltimore Ravens are in full control of their postseason destiny after Monday night’s Week 14 closer.
With the Miami Dolphins’ improbable 28-27 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Monday, Baltimore (10-3) is in full control of its postseason fate and holds the inside track for the top overall seed and the first-round bye that comes with it. They currently lead the Dolphins (9-4) by one full game and are up by two on fellow division leaders Kansas City (8-5) and Jacksonville (8-5) after their respective losses to Buffalo and Cleveland. Baltimore will earn the top seed by winning each of its final four games and currently has Miami beat on the strength of victory tiebreaker if it were to come into play.
The road to the top seed won’t be easy: Baltimore is set to face the AFC South leader Jacksonville on Sunday night (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC) before a Christmas Day showdown with the NFC-leading San Francisco 49ers. The Ravens and Dolphins are also poised to do battle on New Year’s Eve, shortly after Miami faces the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys.
DEC 10 WALLACE WINS FOR RAVENS The Baltimore Ravens are winners today by a score of 37-31 after an overtime punt return from Tylan Wallace, who filled in for the injured Devin Duvernay.
DEC 9 NFL CLEARS BENGALS OF WRONGDOING ON BURROW INJURY REPORT Per a report from Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the NFL has determined that the Cincinnati Bengals were in full compliance with injury report procedures when it came to quarterback Joe Burrow’s status for the Nov. 16 game against the Baltimore Ravens.
Burrow, the Bengals’ franchise thrower, suffered a season-ending wrist injury in the 34-20 loss in Baltimore. He did not appear on the pregame injury report but video later emerged of Burrow wearing what appeared to be some sort of covering on the hand/wrist that was later injured. Burrow has since claimed it was a compression sleeve to prevent swelling on high-altitude flights.
DEC 7 HURST SPEAKS ABOUT INJURY Former Baltimore Ravens tight end Hayden Hurst, the team’s first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Amnesia by an independent neurologist, according to a social media post from his father, Jerry Hurst.
Hurst, 30, took a hit in Chicago against the Bears on Nov. 9 while playing for the Carolina Panthers, and that contact apparently caused the injury.
“Slow recovery, don’t know when he’ll be back,” Jerry Hurst tweeted. “Prayers appreciated.”
On Thursday, Hurst himself updated his status via social media, “While it was scary, it is NOT career ending. I’m starting my return to play this week, so fingers crossed I make it back for the last few weeks! God Bless & Keep Pounding !!!!”
DEC 4 STEELERS SIGNING MCSORLEY First it was former Raven Joe Flacco signing with the rival Browns. Now, another former Ravens signal-caller is heading to an AFC North foe as the Steelers are expected to add former Baltimore quarterback Trace McSorley to their practice squad.
Steelers starting quarterback Kenny Pickett had ankle surgery on Monday necessitating the move. McSorley, 28, was drafted by Baltimore with the No. 197 overall pick in 2019. He played in just three games in two seasons, completing three of 10 passes for 90 yards and a touchdown.
DEC 1 BROWNS STARTING FLACCO SUNDAY VS LA Joe Flacco is officially back to influence the AFC North playoff picture.
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Flacco, the most prolific passer in Baltimore Ravens history, will get the starting nod for Cleveland’s crucial interconference showdown against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX). Flacco, added to Cleveland’s system last week in the wake of quarterback injuries, was elevated to the top spot after rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson was placed in concussion protocol.
Flacco is best known for his days in Baltimore and has made regular season appearances with Denver and the New York Jets after his departure in 2018. During his storied career with the Ravens, Flacco posted an 18-3 record as a starter against Cleveland. Former XFL star PJ Walker will serve as Flacco’s backup.
NOV 29 FORMER RAVENS QB FLACCO MOVING UP FOR BROWNS Former Baltimore signal caller Joe Flacco has found a new home in Cleveland. After the season-ending injury to Deshaun Watson, the Browns were left thin at quarterback.
Coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed on Wednesday that Flacco will be called up from the practice squad and will be the backup to Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who is in concussion protocol. If Thompson-Robinson can’t go, the 38-year-old Flacco will get the start against the Rams on Dec. 3.
NOV 26 PIERRE-PAUL FINDS NEW HOME Former Baltimore Ravens pass-rusher Jason Pierre-Paul is expected to be joining the Miami Dolphins practice squad following Jaelen Phillips’ Achilles injury in their 34-13 win over the New York Jets on Friday, per a report from NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.
The former 2010 first-round pick spent last season with the Ravens, playing in 14 games while totaling 26 tackles, five for a loss, three sacks, three quarterback hits, and an interception.
Since then, Pierre-Paul briefly spent time with the New Orleans Saints, where he played in just one game before being picked up off their practice squad by the Dolphins.
NOV 24 DEL RIO FIRED After yet another embarrassing performance by the Commanders defense – this time to division rival Dallas – Washington has fired its defensive coordinator, Jack Del Rio according to multiple reports.
The Commanders just suffered an embarrassing 45-10 loss to the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day. Washington has also fired its defensive back coach Brent Vieselmeyer. Del Rio was in his fourth season as the DC in Washington and has faced criticism throughout much of his tenure.
Head coach Ron Rivera has always backed Del Rio, but now, with Rivera’s own job on the line, decided to make the move. Rivera, who is also a defensive coach, will likely handle the defensive playcalling moving forward.
Del Rio served previously as the head coach of the Raiders for three seasons and head coach of the Jaguars for nine.
NOV 21 CANADA FIRED It’s a shakeup in the AFC North that everybody saw coming.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have announced that offensive coordinator Matt Canada has been “relieved of his duties as offensive coordinator.” … in other words, fired.
“Matt Canada has been relieved of his duties as offensive coordinator,” head coach Mike Tomlin wrote in a statement released first thing Tuesday morning. “I appreciate Matt’s hard work and dedication, and I wish him the best moving forward in his career.”
This season, the Steelers are 6-4 and in third place in the division, which is led by 8-3 Baltimore. But the Pittsburgh offense has been poor, ranking 28th in yards per game, 30th in yards and 28th in points per game.
NOV 19 FINES, FINES, EVERYWHERE THERE’S FINES The NFL is adding to its own self-imposed silly scrutiny with what seems like an increase in fines against players who … haven’t done anything wrong.
The latest foolishness? On Saturday, the league handed down a fine of $10,927 to Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. What did O
