AFC North

The Pittsburgh Steelers are "still undecided" about whether they'll retain Russell Wilson or Justin Fields as their quarterback for 2025, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport.

The NFL insiders added that "It's possible another veteran QB becomes available that would entice the Steelers from moving on from both players."

Rapoport reported on Dec. 8 that Wilson "appears to be the leading candidate."

At the time, Pittsburgh had gone 5-1 with the 36-year-old as the starter, and he had thrown for 1,626 yards and 10 touchdowns to three interceptions. Re-signing him seemed like a logical move.

A four-game losing streak to end the regular season and a 28-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Wild Card Round put a damper on everything and raised questions over Wilson's value moving forward.

Then came a report on Feb. 4 by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac about "philosophical friction" between Wilson and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. The Steelers beat writer cited sources who asserted Wilson's decline toward the end of the year coincided with Smith insisting more that he not change plays at the line of scrimmage.

"Wilson's desire to attack with the pass and throw down the field clashed with Smith's run-first mentality, causing philosophical friction between the two," Dulac wrote.

We're learning a lot about the Pittsburgh Steelers..@MarkKaboly is reporting that Artie Smith and Russell Wilson didn't have a very good working relationship #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/xcXaL4Tuoy

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 15, 2025

One criticism of Smith when he coached the Atlanta Falcons was that his offenses lacked a ton of imagination, and he had shown a clear preference to the running game. True to form, the Steelers had the fourth-most carries (533) in the NFL.

Still, it's worth pointing out that Wilson is now a perfect 3-for-3 in terms of feeling like his teams aren't letting him open up the passing game.

Strong stuff from the very detailed ⁦@DKPghSports⁩ on the Russell Wilson-Arthur Smith spat. Calls the PG Russ was handcuffed narrative “nonsense”. Says it was a PR campaign by Wilson’s agents. Russ has played his last down for the Steelers. pic.twitter.com/0RE7AzgXzl

— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) February 7, 2025

That was one of many issues that preceded Wilson's trade from the Seattle Seahawks to the Denver Broncos in 2022. His fit with Sean Payton in the Mile High City was even worse. Now, the same narrative is coming to the fore in Pittsburgh.

Based on Pelissero and Rapoport's report, we can't rule out a reunion between Wilson and the Steelers. That will require he and Smith to get on the same page, though.

As Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb approaches his first free agency, he is holding out some hope to stay in Cleveland.

The 29-year-old spoke about his pending unrestricted free agency and acknowledged that his history with the Browns makes staying with the franchise his preference.

"Of course," Chubb told the Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal. "This is where I was drafted. This is where I've played the last seven years."

However, Chubb also said that he wasn't exactly sure how the process will go but that he would not like it to be drawn out.

"I'm not sure how it'll work," Chubb said, per Easterling"This is the first time I've been a free agent. But I'd like to get it done sooner than later."

Chubb has played seven NFL seasons but has only played 10 games across 2023 and 2024 due to a knee injury suffered in Week 2 of 2023. That kept him out until Week 7 of 2024 and a broken foot suffered in Week 15 ended his 2024 season.

He had 332 yards and three touchdowns on 102 carries for Cleveland in 2024. He has 6,843 career rushing yards and 51 touchdowns and has eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards four times.

NFL free agency is set to begin March 12.

The price to acquire Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett will be steep and it looks like the amount of suitable destinations will be limited.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported that people around the NFL believe trading for Garrett should require "at least two quality picks" and that the list of suitors will be limited due to his "desire to join a contender."

People I've talked to about Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett's trade market agree that his immense talent should garner at least two quality picks in return -- either two first-rounders, or a first-rounder and a high-level Day 2 pick package. They also agree the list of potential suitors would be condensed due to his desire to join a contender after requesting a trade. I've spoken to several teams that openly admit they will probably reach out to Cleveland, with the expectation that the Browns will say no to any offer. Cleveland has no plans to budge on its stance that Garrett won't be moved. Obviously, that can change; Cleveland has a savvy front office that's measured but aggressive, so perhaps the trade value will eventually be too hard to pass up. But this could drag on for a while. Sources maintain that Garrett is not motivated by money, but rather solely by a desire to win. After all, Garrett would have no problem getting a new deal from Cleveland or elsewhere. He has 14-plus sacks in each of the past four seasons and is a free agent in 2027.

---

This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis.

For more from Bleacher Report on this topic and from around the sports world, check out our B/R app, homepage and social feeds—including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase acquired a new accessory to commemorate his remarkable 2024 season.

The 24-year-old shared a video on his Instagram story of his new chain, which displays the words "uno" and "triple crown" on the front alongside "1708," which was his receiving yards total for the 2024 season. The back of the chain shows Chase making a one-handed grab while acknowledging that he was the NFL's triple-crown winner for receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

Ja’marr Chase new Chain 👑👑👑 pic.twitter.com/uiKSPA8z4E

— Wincy (@WincinnatiPod) February 7, 2025

Chase played in all 17 games in 2024, making 127 catches for 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns. In addition to leading the league in all of these categories, Chase also set his career high in each category while being named first-team All-Pro and finishing eighth in MVP voting and third for the Offensive Player of the Year award.

He becomes the first player since Cooper Kupp in 2021 to win the receiving triple crown and joins Kupp, Steve Smith (2005), Sterling Sharpe (1992), and Jerry Rice (1990) as the only receivers to win the triple crown in NFL history.

This effort helped the Bengals escape a 1-4 start to eventually finish 9-8 but Cincinnati still finished just outside the playoff field. Still, it was a remarkable season for Chase that comes just as he is set to play on his fifth-year option unless the Bengals are able to extend him.

Get ready to see some Terrible Towels in Ireland next season.

The NFL announced Friday that it will play a game in Dublin, Ireland, during the 2025 campaign. It remains to be seen who will be the opponent, but the Pittsburgh Steelers will be the designated home team.

Ar Aghaidh Linn 🇮🇪☘️

The NFL is coming to Dublin, Ireland and the @steelers are the designated team! pic.twitter.com/kpAemsOUvc

— NFL UK & Ireland (@NFLUKIRE) February 7, 2025

---

This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis.

For more from Bleacher Report on this topic and from around the sports world, check out our B/R app, homepage and social feeds—including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Myles Garrett has spent his entire NFL career playing in a cold-weather city for the Cleveland Browns, and he isn't afraid to keep suiting up in the cold at his next destination if he is traded.

"I don't mind snow," he told TMZ Sports. "I just want to win. That's the main thing."

Garrett's desire to find a winning team was clear when he requested a trade from the Browns on Monday with a statement that said, in part, "While I've loved calling this city my home, my desire to win and compete on the biggest stages won't allow me to be complacent. The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl."

Breaking: Reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year and #Browns star Myles Garrett has requested a trade.

Exclusive statement: pic.twitter.com/LgS5YCeCnP

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 3, 2025

Despite the clear message, a spokesperson for the Browns told Tom Withers of the Associated Press, "we aren't entertaining trade offers for Myles."

That could always change as the offseason progresses, but Cleveland surely doesn't want to lose any leverage in trade discussions at this point since the star pass-rusher is signed through the 2026 campaign.

And Garrett saying he is fine going to a cold-weather city actually improves the team's overall leverage by not limiting the number of potential suitors it can talk to if and when it does start negotiating possible trades.

His ultimate destination will be a major storyline during the upcoming offseason, as Garrett is one of the best defensive players in the league and coming off another season that saw him selected to the All-Pro First Team and Pro Bowl.

It was his sixth Pro Bowl selection and fourth First-Team All-Pro nod, adding to a resume that also includes the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year and seven seasons of double-digit sack totals.

If he has to chase an eighth season of double-digit sacks in the snow, he is more than fine with it.

Derrick Henry's first season with the Baltimore Ravens resulted in 1,921 rushing yards, 16 touchdowns and a playoff berth, so it shouldn't come as a major surprise that he wants to run it back beyond just next season.

"I want to retire a Raven," he told The Athletic's Dianna Russini during the NFL Honors red carpet.

Henry, 31, is only under contract through the 2025 season, though the Ravens have expressed interest in potentially exploring a contract extension.

"I think he proved he had a lot left in the tank. We'll look at that, it's a good question," general manager Eric DeCosta told reporters in January when asked if the team was considering an extension that might also reduce his $12.8 million cap hit next season. "I'm just so grateful Derrick chose us last year."

The veteran running back has proven to be quite the bargain on the two-year, $16 million deal he signed with Baltimore last offseason. His $8 million in average annual value ranks just 11th in the NFL at the running back position, per Spotrac, well below players like Christian McCaffrey ($19 million), Jonathan Taylor ($14 million) and Saquon Barkley ($12.5 million).

One concern for the Ravens when it comes to an extension is Henry's age, however. Running backs are generally in danger of losing a step and becoming less effective after the age of 30, and while Henry showed little signs of that last season, at some point the wear-and-tear on his body will take a toll.

He's led the NFL in rushing attempts in four different seasons (2019, 2020, 2022, 2023), has over 300 touches in five of the past six years and has at least 230 touches in seven straight seasons. Even in 2021 he had 221 carries in just eight games, a shocking workload in the NFL's running-back-by-committee age, before a broken bone in his foot cost him nine regular-season contests.

So any extension probably wouldn't add more than a year or two to Henry's current deal. But his epic 2024 season was proof enough that he isn't slowing down just yet.

A federal grand jury in Cincinnati charged three men in connection to the burglary of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow's home.

According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Ohio (h/t ESPN's Ben Baby), Jordan Francisco Quiroga Sanchez, 22, Bastian Alejandro Orellana Morales, 23, and Sergio Andres Ortega Cabello, 38, were charged after an indictment on Monday.

The three men, all of whom are Chilean and believed to be part of a South American theft group, were charged with transporting stolen goods interstate and falsifying records in a federal investigation, per Baby.

"Our investigation remains ongoing as these individuals seem to be the alleged tip of the iceberg of South American Theft Groups committing crimes throughout our district and elsewhere," U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker said in a statement. "We owe it to the victims, whether they are or are not professional athletes, to follow the evidence into these alleged criminal networks and hold the law-breakers accountable."

Additionally, the three men are facing felony charges in Ohio after their initial arrest in January, according to Baby.

In recent months, a number of athletes across the NFL, NBA and other professional sports leagues have dealt with break-ins. Amid the slew of robberies, the FBI in December issued a warning to sports leagues about professional athletes being targeted by organized theft groups who burglarize their homes while they're playing games or traveling.

In the warning, the FBI noted that organized groups from South America use tactics such as social media and other publicly available information to target athletes. The FBI also said the groups use advanced technology like Wi-Fi jammers to bypass security systems.

Burrow's home was robbed in December. Athletes such as Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes and Luka Dončić have also dealt with break-ins in recent months.

Myles Garrett's trade request is not a contract ploy, as the Cleveland Browns are "fully comfortable" paying him a new contract, SportsCenter's Jeremy Fowler explained:

Latest on Myles Garrett. I’m told this is not a contract ploy - he simply wants to win. @SportsCenter with @itsthebaldgirl pic.twitter.com/lvyJjOVXFk

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) February 3, 2025

"I was told that this is not a contract ploy from Myles Garrett," Fowler said. "The Browns are fully comfortable paying Myles Garrett a new contract. Sometimes you see players make a trade request, the bigger play is to get more money. This is not a money thing, this is solely a winning issue. So what he says in his statement is exactly true, there's no hidden agenda here."

After the Browns finished the season 3-14, Garrett's intention is to join a winning team. Fowler was also informed that no amount of aggressive spending by the Browns to add talent during the offseason would sway Garrett's decision.

The reigning Defensive Player of the Year officially requested a trade from the Browns on Monday following heavy speculation about the player's future.

In a statement shared by NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, Garrett expressed his desire to move elsewhere before the 2025 NFL season.

"As a kid dreaming of the NFL, all I focused on was the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl -- and that goal fuels me today more than ever," Garrett wrote. "My love for the community of Northeast Ohio and the incredible fanbase of the Cleveland Browns has made this one of the toughest decisions of my life. These past eight years have shaped me into the man that I am today.

Breaking: Reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year and #Browns star Myles Garrett has requested a trade.

Exclusive statement: pic.twitter.com/LgS5YCeCnP

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 3, 2025

The 29-year-old recorded 40 solo tackles this season, along with 14 sacks, which ranked second in the league, marking his seventh consecutive double-digit sack season. He also added three forced fumbles.

Last week, Cleveland's general manager made it clear that they had no interest in trading Garrett, saying, "You can put that on the record," per NFL's Eric Edholm. He added that the team intended to sign him to an extension.

According to Rapoport, Edholm's stance has not changed following Garrett's official trade request.

Garrett signed a five-year, $125 million extension in 2020, with a salary cap hit of $19.7 million in 2024 and $20.4 million in 2026. With a $5 million roster bonus due to Garrett on March 16, it's clear his trade desires are not motivated by money.

Since being drafted by the Browns in 2017 with the No. 1 overall pick, Garrett and Cleveland have made just two playoff appearances and hold a 53-78 record, including a winless season during Garrett's rookie year.

The six-time Pro Bowler has made it clear that he's ready to move on to greener pastures, and if the Browns front office does not accommodate his request, it could lead to a rough 2025-26 season for both Garrett and Cleveland.

Myles Garrett could be on his way out of Cleveland as the star defensive end requested a trade from the Browns on Monday.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Garrett cited his "desire to win and compete on the biggest stages" as his reason for wanting out of Cleveland, which went 3-14 this season.

The market for Garrett will undoubtedly be massive. One executive even said they would give up "two first-round picks and more to land Garrett," per Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports.

As teams prepare to put their offers in, here's a look at where each team stands in terms of salary cap heading into the 2025 season, per Spotrac:

---

• New England Patriots: $124.1 million
• Las Vegas Raiders: $95.2 million
• Washington Commanders: $82.4 million
• Arizona Cardinals: $71.3 million
• Chicago Bears: $66.9 million
• Los Angeles Chargers: $64.7 million
• Minnesota Vikings: $61.1 million
• Detroit Lions: $56.9 million
• San Francisco 49ers: $50.4 million
• Tennessee Titans: $49.8 million
• Cincinnati Bengals: $49.8 million
• New York Giants: $47.1 million
• Green Bay Packers: $44.6 million
• Pittsburgh Steelers: $43.2 million
• Los Angels Rams: $40.2 million
• Denver Broncos: $37.3 million
• Jacksonville Jaguars: $33.7 million
• Indianapolis Colts: $31.1 million
• Philadelphia Eagles: $24.9 million
• Carolina Panthers: $22.7 million
• New York Jets: $15.8 million
• Kansas City Chiefs: $15.7 million
• Baltimore Ravens: $8.9 million
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $5.7 million
• Houston Texans: $1.8 million
• Dallas Cowboys: $-2.4 million
• Atlanta Falcons: $-8.6 million
• Buffalo Bills: $-10.5 million
• Miami Dolphins: $-15.9 million
• Seattle Seahawks: $-25.3 million
• Cleveland Browns: $-27.5 million
• New Orleans Saints: $-51.1 million

---

Any team in the NFL would benefit by adding Garrett, but not every squad has the assets to land him in a trade.

The Chicago Bears, armed with the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, could be interested in getting into the Garrett business. It wouldn't be the first time the Bears scored a star edge-rusher, as they landed Khalil Mack in a blockbuster deal back in 2018.

Chicago's biggest need this offseason is help on the offensive line. If the Bears hold on to the No. 10 pick, that's likely what they'll use it for, but it might be worth trading if it means landing Garrett.

The Kansas City Chiefs could also get into the mix for Garrett to ensure their championship-level defense doesn't face any setbacks this offseason. Garrett stated that his desire to be traded comes from a place of wanting to compete for a championship. Who else would be better to join than the team on the brink of winning three straight?

The Chiefs don't have any high picks in this year's draft by nature of being one of the best teams in the league, but they could give Cleveland a haul of selections to make up for their lack of a top-10 pick.

The New England Patriots possess the No. 4 pick in this year's draft, which they could trade to the Browns to give them a pair of selections in the top five. Furthermore, New England has a few quarterbacks on its roster it could include in a trade such as rookie Joe Milton, who impressed in his limited action this season.

The Patriots might not be a Super Bowl contender yet, but they could give Garrett a massive contract next offseason with their seemingly endless cap space.

Teams can go ahead and prepare their offers in the coming weeks, but it seems the Browns won't be listening to them just yet as a team spokesperson said, they "aren't entertaining trade offers for Myles," per Tom Withers of the Associated Press.