Post-Gazette Sports Network: Pittsburgh Steelers, Pirates, Penguins and more

In his weekly Pirates mailbag podcast, Post-Gazette insider Noah Hiles answers reader questions. Among them: Should we be concerned about Bryan Reynolds long term after a down season? How will Don Kelly manage his starters' and bullpen's workloads differently than Derek Shelton did? Why does Alexander Canario still have a roster spot? What is the most important stat to consider for a new pitcher o...

Live around 5 p.m. Eastern, Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise reacts to recent comments by Steelers coach Mike Tomlin in which he suggested his defense has "historic" potential. Why would Tomlin -- who's known for choosing his words carefully -- make such a bold declaration publicly? Is he trying to motivate or set a standard for his unit let by Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt and Jalen Ra...

In this clip from the Wednesday edition of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Edgar Snyder & Associates, host Adam Bittner welcomes Post-Gazette insider Christopher Carter to ponder the losers at Steelers training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. Could Robert Woods miss the team at receiver, having possibly been surpassed on the depth chart by names like Roman Wilson and Scot...

In this clip from the Wednesday edition of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Edgar Snyder & Associates, host Adam Bittner welcomes Post-Gazette insider Christoper Carter to ponder winners from Steelers training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. Why was Payton Wilson able to meet sky-high expectations at middle linebacker? How has Darnell Washington asserted himself in the pas...

Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise gives his thoughts on the Cam Heyward contract dispute with the Steelers live around 5 p.m. Eastern. Does Heyward really have leverage after the moves GM Omar Khan and coach Mike Tomlin made to solidify the defensive line this offseason? From drafting Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black to signing free agents like Daniel Ekuale, does the team have the necessary...

Post-Gazette Pirates insider Colin Beazley recaps the last week in Pirates minor league action, including top prospect Konnor Griffin and High-A Greensboro's 27-4 win on Saturday. Colin gives some insight from his recent trip to Triple-A Indianapolis and shares updates on all four full-season affiliates. Then he highlights nine standout Pirates prospects: Hunter Barco, Jase Bowen, Esmerlyn Valdez,...

On the Tuesday edition of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Edgar Snyder & Associates, Post-Gazette sports columnist welcomes insider Ray Fittipaldo to react to Cam Heyward's comments about his contract dispute with the Steelers. Did Heyward have valid critiques of dealing with GM Omar Khan's front office, a year after signing a contract extension? Why don't his comments seem to have...

Did Rudolph deserve more consideration as the starter from coach Mike Tomlin and GM Omar Khan prior to the signing of Aaron Rodgers? Are his preseason results worth taking seriously, especially without key offensive pieces like DK Metcalf and Jonnu Smith in the lineup? And if Aaron Rodgers struggles to lead OC Arthur Smith's offense, how quickly should Tomlin consider turning to Rudolph? Paul tack...

Post-Gazette Pirates insider Noah Hiles examines what the club's starting rotation will look like next season. While the organization boasts notable arm talent, many pitchers also have an unfavorable injury history. With workload restrictions expected to be a big part of the equation, Hiles looks to see who can exactly be expected to take on a true season's worth of innings in 2026. Noah gives his...

On the Monday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, Post-Gazette insiders Christopher Carter and Ray Fittipaldo discuss burning topics heading into the final week of Steelers training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. Is depth at receiver still a concern behind DK Metcalf? Or have Roman Wilson and Scotty Miller done enough in the eyes of GM Omar Khan and coach Mike Tomlin to resist a f...

On the Sunday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Edgar Snyder & Associates, Post-Gazette Steelers insiders Christopher Carter and Brian Batko break down the team's 31-25 win over the Jaguars on Saturday night. Which players helped their case for a roster spot and which ones saw their stock fall? Did Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson make the most of their opportunity with A...

Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey joins host Adam Bittner to talk about Paul Skenes' future in Pittsburgh. Is a contract extension with the National League Cy Young candidate a legit possibility? Or does he have little incentive to sign unless GM Ben Cherington can prove an ability to put a winning roster around him? And would owner Bob Nutting even approve such an expenditure if Skenes w...

In this clip from the Friday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Edgar Snyder & Associates, host Adam Bittner and Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey wonder whether the Steelers defense can live up to the hype that's grown for the unit throughout training camp. Has the unit made enough changes to be elite? From adding veterans like Darius Slay Jr. and Jalen Ramsey to...

In this clip from the Friday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Edgar Snyder & Associates, host Adam Bittner and Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey react to coach Mike Tomlin's long list of 15 Steelers veterans who are being held out of the NFL preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Is it smart to rest names like Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, Jonnu Smith, J...

Live around 5 p.m., Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise reacts to a report that DL Cam Heyward is holding in at Steelers training camp in pursuit of a restructured contract. Does the defensive captain deserve a new deal after signing an extension just a year ago? Especially at his advanced age for his position of 36? Should GM Omar Khan and coach Mike Tomlin be devoting even more resources to...

Post-Gazette insiders Christopher Carter and Brian Batko recap practice at Steelers training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. They detail notable veterans who will miss the NFL preseason opener Saturday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, including T.J. Watt, Jalen Ramsey, Jaylen Warren, DK Metcalf and others, according to coach Mike Tomlin. They also note the progress of the offense in pra...

In his weekly Pirates mailbag podcast, Post-Gazette insider Noah Hiles answers reader questions. Among them: Why haven't top prospects Bubba Chandler and Hunter Barco been called up already, and will they be soon? Is the front office not as high on Billy Cook and Nick Yorke as we may have thought? Is there anything for fans to buy into heading into next season? Are the Pirates discussing a contrac...

Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise gives his thoughts on the Steelers preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars this weekend live around 5 p.m. Eastern. Will Broderick Jones prove he's ready for left tackle duties, as the the young offensive line that also includes Zach Frazier, Mason McCormick & Troy Fautanu seeks to find its way? How will Kaleb Johnson run the ball as he jockey...

Pirates insiders Noah Hiles and Colin Beazley discuss the state of the club's starting pitching staff and bullpen after their series loss to the San Francisco Giants at PNC Park. With the rotation showing signs of fatigue after short starts by Johan Oviedo, Mike Burrows and Andrew Heaney, plus a few key arms like Dennis Santana and Isaac Mattson taking on new roles in the bullpen, Noah and Colin d...

Post-Gazette insiders Gerry Dulac and Ray Fittipaldo recap practice at Steelers training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. They break down the latest Will Howard injury news, which is that the rookie QB is expected to miss the entire NFL preseason with a broken hand, opening up reps for names like Mason Rudolph and Skyler Thompson. They also analyze the punting battle between Cameron Johns...

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers speaks with assembled media ahead of practice at Steelers training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. He speaks on his growing chemistry with receiver Roman Wilson as he looks to find his place in the receivers room alongside Calvin Austin III and DK Metcalf; his relationship with OC Arthur Smith that's included long meetings in the evening; his thoughts on backup...

On the Wednesday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Edgar Snyder & Associates, host Adam Bittner welcomes Post-Gazette insider Christopher Carter to analyze the team's increasing volume of injuries during Steelers training camp. How much will Will Howard's hand injury -- which reportedly will keep him out at least three weeks -- stymie his progress in challenging Mason Rudo...

Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise reacts to the day in Pittsburgh sports news live around 5 p.m. Eastern. He gives his thoughts on whether Steelers GM Omar Khan and coach Mike Tomlin have cultivated enough depth this offseason. Yes, they made aggressive moves for big veteran names like Aaron Rodgers, Jalen Ramsey, Jonnu Smith and DK Metcalf to surround existing stars like T.J. Watt, Cam Hey...

Post-Gazette Steelers insiders Christopher Carter and Ray Fittipaldo break down Tuesday's training camp practice, which, for the first time since they arrived in Latrobe, was dominated by the offense. Is this a sign of things to come from Aaron Rodgers and his unit after performing well during the "seven shots" drill? What does it mean for the wide receiver corps that Rodgers formed a co...

Post-Gazette Pirates insider Colin Beazley recaps the last week in Pirates minor league baseball, including where the nine MLB trade deadline acquisitions made by GM Ben Cherington slotted in in the Pirates' top-30 prospects list. Former Reds farmhand Sammy Stafura made a strong debut in Bradenton after the Ke'Bryan Hayes trade, earning a promotion to Greensboro. While former New York Yankees pros...