Pittsburgh

Steelers

Bernard, a projected day two pick in the 2026 draft, also visited the Browns and Raiders earlier in the draft process. The 22-year-old tallied 64 receptions for 862 yards and seven touchdowns for Alabama last season, earning a Senior Bowl invite, though he did not partake in the event. He led Alabama in receptions for two straight seasons and has the production to be an impactful receiver at the next level. The Steelers and Falcons are both looking for WR2s while the Browns and Raiders need any pass-catching help they can get with young offenses. All four teams should be in play to draft Bernard once the second round begins.

Boston, who made a top-30 visit with the 49ers in late March, had 62 receptions for 881 receiving yards (14.2 yards per catch) and was tied for ninth in the FBS with 11 receiving touchdowns in his final collegiate season. Boston would make sense for the wideout-needy Steelers, who recently acquired Michael Pittman Jr. from the Colts. Alongside Pittman and DK Metcalf, Boston would create a big-bodied trio of receivers for Aaron Rodgers, who is expected to return for a second season under center for Pittsburgh. The Steelers hold the 21st pick in the 2026 draft.

Per McFadden, Green met with Raiders representatives after his impressive Pro Day showing last week. Green performed very well in the speed, agility and jumping drills. He also tied the Duke Pro Day bench press record with 36 reps. The Raiders representatives expressed their “love for his athleticism” during the meeting. He has also reportedly met with the Eagles, Bears, Steelers and Packers. Green spent 2022-2024 playing at Dartmouth before joining the Blue Devils last year. In 2025, he totaled 30 combined tackles, 11 solo tackles, four TFLs, 22 quarterback pressures and four sacks.

In what could be a clumsy April Fool’s joke, reports of Rodgers meeting with the Broncos circulated on Wednesday, prompting several Denver beat writers to shoot down the unsourced rumors. Rodgers, 42, has been in touch with Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy in recent weeks and appears primed for one more season under center for Pittsburgh. The Broncos, meanwhile, are expecting Bo Nix to be ready for training camp following the ankle injury he sustained in the postseason. Nix’s starting job appears to be in no jeopardy.

McCarthy also said he hopes to develop 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard, mentioning making tweaks to the 24-year-old’s footwork to help him “win from the pocket.” While Steelers owner Art Rooney II said he hopes to have Aaron Rodgers’ return decision by draft weekend, the team will need long-term plans at the quarterback position. In his first year as Steelers head coach, McCarthy will aim to develop Howard and also add his own selection from the 2026 rookie class. DeFabo reports the Steelers have met with Miami’s Carson Beck at the NFL Combine and at the team’s facility. Drew Allar, Ty Simpson, Cole Payton, and Taylen Green are also mentioned as options by DeFabo. As the Steelers await Aaron Rodgers for a second straight offseason, evaluation for a younger quarterback room will be underway.

Clark will be veteran depth as the Lions figure out where they’ll be early in the season with Kerby Joseph (knee) and Brian Branch (Achilles) being in doubt for Week 1. Clark played 437 defensive snaps for the Steelers last year and was an exceptional run defender, notching an 83.1 PFF run defense grade.

Johnson, of course, finds himself behind Jaylen Warren and free-agent signing Rico Dowdle, so perhaps the slate is clean but that doesn’t exactly mean he’s going to find carries. Johnson’s in a precarious position on the depth chart at this point. He certainly doesn’t have much expected fantasy value this year without injuries ahead of him, and his dynasty stock is well down from where it was last offseason.

McCarthy has continually pumped Howard up since being named Steelers head coach. He did also note today that he’d carry five quarterbacks if he could. We expect Howard to be Pittsburgh’s No. 2 quarterback unless they add someone high in the draft. Considering how frail Aaron Rodgers is at this point, Howard probably has a reasonable chance to play football at some point in 2026 if he remains the No. 2 quarterback. That said, this isn’t a “make sure he’s rostered” in dynasty-caliber endorsement.

McCarthy, who coached Rodgers in Green Bay, has been in touch with his former quarterback throughout the offseason. “I’m confident,” McCarthy said of Rodgers’ potential return to the team. “But at the end of the day, it’s a personal decision. I think we’re in a good space.” Steelers owner and president Art Rooney II, meanwhile, said he expects Rodgers to decide whether he wants to re-sign with the Steelers sometime before the 2026 NFL Draft, which begins on April 23. Rodgers, 42, remains the team’s best quarterback option after proving passable as an NFL starter in 2025. If Rodgers signs on for another season under center, Pittsburgh’s offense will remain a run-first, quick-hitting offense designed to keep Rodgers upright and healthy.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reports that Rodgers told Rooney and Steelers general manager Omar Khan that his decision-making process “wasn’t going to take as long this year as [it] did last year.” That said, Rooney concedes that he is “not 100.0 percent sure what that means, but I expect something before the draft.” Dulac notes that Rodgers has not been tied to any other teams this offseason. The stage appears to be set for Rodgers to either run it back in Pittsburgh or call it a career.