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

On the Monday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by FanDuel and Edgar Snyder & Associates, Post-Gazette Steelers insiders Christopher Carter and Ray Fittipaldo react to the start of the so-called "legal tampering" period of NFL free agency. Did GM Omar Khan and coach Mike McCarthy make the right move in bringing back Asante Samuel Jr. at cornerback alongside other se...

Post-Gazette Penguins insider King Jemison breaks down the team's 5-4 overtime win over the Boston Bruins on Sunday and takes a look at how the team is staying afloat without stars like Sidney Crosby (injured) and Evgeni Malkin (suspended). This show is presented by FanDuel. What did that overtime win, capped off by Tommy Novak's goal, mean for the Penguins' season at large? How did Dan Muse's def...

Post-Gazette Pitt insiders Stephen Thompson and Abby Schnable preview the Panthers' ACC tournament opener against Stanford on Tuesday and wonder how many games they'd need to win for coach Jeff Capel to keep his job. This show is presented by FanDuel. What can Pitt do differently this time around, after it lost 75-67 to Stanford on Feb. 25? How can the Panthers slow down freshman Ebuka Okorie, who...

On the Saturday edition of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by FanDuel, host Adam Bittner welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo to talk through the week in NFL mock draft picks for GM Omar Khan's team. How much value would a rugged slot corner like Keiote Scott add to the secondary? What about a player like Treydan Stukes, who could slide between slot corner and safety next...

On the Friday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by FanDuel and Edgar Snyder & Associates, Post-Gazette Steelers insiders Christopher Carter and Brian Batko ponder the moves available to GM Omar Khan and new coach Mike McCarthy following the decision to cut Jonnu Smith and his lucrative contract. Could the front office be looking to make big moves like it did last year for Smi...

Post-Gazette Pirates insiders Colin Beazley and Noah Hiles react to the biggest stories originating from spring training and Grapefruit League play this week in Florida. Did GM Ben Cherington and manager Don Kelly make the right move in trading reliever Kyle Nicolas to the Reds for prospect Tyler Callihan? Can Callihan be expected to contribute in the lineup next to names like Bryan Reynolds, Onei...

On his weekly Chipped Ham & Football podcast, presented by FanDuel, Post-Gazette Steelers insider Brian Batko welcomes former Alabama linebacker and Pittsburgh native Nikhai Hill-Green to take a look at some of his Crimson Tide teammates ahead of the NFL Draft. Hill-Green tells of his story going from Pittsburgh to the elite St. Frances Academy in Baltimore to stops at Alabama, Colorado, Charl...

Live around 5 p.m., Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise reacts to Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers appearing on the Pat McAfee show and offering little insight about his future. Should GM Omar Khan, coach Mike McCarthy and the team be concerned about Rodgers retiring or joining up with another team for 2026? Or is this normal Rodgers gamesmanship? Why was Rodgers non-committal about his fut...

The WPIAL basketball finals are complete, with 12 champions being crowned last weekend. But that's not the end of our coverage! Post-Gazette high school sports editor Keith Barnes and the incomparable Mike White take a look back at the best players, performances and games from the WPIAL finals and look ahead to the state championships, which open on Friday. All this and more on Varsity Xtra podcas...

On the Wednesday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by FanDuel and Edgar Snyder & Associates, host Adam Bittner welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider Christopher Carter to talk through reports that the Arizona Cardinals plan to release QB Kyler Murray unless a trade for him can be found before NFL free agency next week. Should the Steelers be interested in Murray? Or would th...

Live around 5 p.m., Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise explains why he feels the Pirates are still one big bat away from having a dangerous lineup for 2026. Is it too soon to rely on super prospect Konnor Griffin to be a reliable source of power? Can Marcell Ozuna really be counted on to return to his 2024 form? What's a reasonable expectation for an offense led by Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds...

On the Tuesday edition of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by FanDuel, host Adam Bittner welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo to analyze which pending free agents GM Omar Khan and new coach Mike McCarthy may want to keep for 2026. Will Kenneth Gainwell be the top priority? How much might it cost to keep him in the backfield next to Jaylen Warren and Kaleb Johnson? How clos...

Live around 5 p.m., Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise ponders the success -- of lack thereof -- of some recent draft picks facing questions about their future. Is it too soon to label names including Keeanu Benton, Broderick Jones, Roman Wilson as Kaleb Johnson as busts? Or is there still time for them to develop into long-term solutions? Will the transition from Mike Tomlin to Mike McCarth...

Post-Gazette Pitt insiders Stephen Thompson and Abby Schnable identify five key questions coach Pat Narduzzi will have to answer during the Panthers' spring football practices. This show is presented by FanDuel. After breaking onto the scene as an unknown freshman, how will QB Mason Heintschel evolve mentally and physically in his second year under center? Who of Malik Knight, Blue Hicks, C.J. Lee...

On the Monday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by FanDuel & Edgar Snyder & Associates, Post-Gazette Steelers insiders Christopher Carter and Ray Fittipaldo react to the NFL combine and what we may have learned about GM Omar Khan's plan for free agency, which begins next week. Did the volume of meetings with receivers and defensive backs telegraph that the Steelers will f...

Post-Gazette Penguins insider King Jemison breaks down a busy weekend for the team, with a shootout loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday and a dominant, bounce-back win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday. This show is presented by FanDuel. Why did the Penguins' shootout woes continue Saturday at Madison Square Garden, and what can coach Dan Muse do to fix them? Will faceoffs keep being a...

Post-Gazette Steelers insider Christopher Carter recaps the NFL combine from the team's perspective. He explains that Alabama QB Ty Simpson impressed the team's front office, led by GM Omar Khan and coach Mike McCarthy. But that meetings focused most closely on receivers and defensive backs. Some are expected to be Day 1 picks, including Makai Lemon, Carnell Tate, Colton Hood, Jordyn Tyson and KC...

On the Saturday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by FanDuel, host Adam Bittner welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider Brian Batko to sort through the week in NFL mock draft picks for new coach Mike McCarthy's team. Is USC's Makai Lemon a prospect who could fall to the Steelers at No. 21 overall, as he did in some mocks this week? Or is he still a prospect they'd need to trade up...

On the Friday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by FanDuel and Edgar Snyder & Associates, host Adam Bittner welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider Brian Batko to react to the NFLPA's survey results and the latest from the NFL combine. What should we make of the team's failing grades in the union's annual report card, the results of which were leaked to ESPN this week? Does ow...

Post-Gazette Penguins insider King Jemison takes a look at the team's trade of Tristan Jarry and how Kyle Dubas' return keeps looking better and better after their 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night. This show is presented by FanDuel. First, what does Sidney Crosby's injury mean moving forward? Can Evgeni Malkin and the rest of the team continue to put in solid performances like...

Post-Gazette Pitt insiders Stephen Thompson and Abby Schnable take a look at how coach Jeff Capel has been managing his bench and whether that might be contributing to the fatigue we've already seen on the team's West Coast road trip. This show is presented by FanDuel. We saw the Panthers tired late against Stanford on Wednesday, so why isn't Capel playing his bench more? The coach said players li...

Post-Gazette Pirates insiders Jason Mackey and Colin Beazley report from spring training in Bradenton, Fla., and examine a couple of newcomers in Jake Mangum and Jose Urquidy. How has Mangum been able to make a strong first impression since arriving from the Tampa Bay Rays with teammate Brandon Lowe? What's his role? Will he be able to find a spot in the outfield amongst Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds...

Live around 5 p.m., Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise ponders the San Francisco 49ers' Mac Jones as a potential trade target for GM Omar Khan and the Steelers this offseason. Could he be the best option realistically available over veterans like Kyler Murray, Malik Willis or Daniel Jones? Or over NFL draft options like Ty Simpson, Cade Klubnik, Garrett Nussmeier and Drew Allar? How would he...

Post-Gazette Pitt insider Stephen Thompson breaks down the Panthers' 75-67 loss to Stanford on Wednesday night. This show is presented by FanDuel. How did Pitt's turnovers diminish one of their best offensive performances of the season? Why did Roman Siulepa only play 15 minutes? Was it the right move? Could Panthers like Damarco Minor or Omari Witherspoon have done anything to contain Stanford's...

On his weekly Chipped Ham & Football podcast, presented by FanDuel, Post-Gazette Steelers insider Brian Batko welcomes former Steelers receiver Miles Boykin to get his perspective on an array of hot topics facing the team. Why did Boykin decide to retire in the past couple of weeks? What was his reaction to seeing former coaches Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh leave the Steelers and Ravens, resp...