Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Every Friday right around now, we bring on Mr. Ray Fittipaldo of the Post-Gazette. And what a man he is, Charlie Borges. Ray, how you doing today?
Good morning, Joe. How are you? You got me?
I got you. You're on YouTube. You should watch the show out there. If you can on YouTube, go to YouTube.com or go through our website, 937thefan.com. Ray also on the Sullivan Super Service fan hotline, Pittsburgh's trusted plumbing and HVAC provider for over 50 years. And fan Twitter brought to you by South Hills Kia Peters Township. Visit them at SouthHillsKia.net.
What did you make of Charlie Batch saying that this is about money with Aaron Rodgers? That's what his, I guess his sources must be telling him, because that's what he's saying on his podcast, that Aaron Rodgers wants $30 million for this season. What did you make of that, Ray?
Joe, I have not heard that, but I did find it a little bit odd that when he went on McAfee, He made it a point to mention that he hadn't had an offer yet from the Steelers. I think everyone, and I'm not going to speak for the Steelers, but I think a lot of people thought it was going to operate the way it did last season. Do you want to play when you make that decision? Yes.
Okay, then here's the contract. And he was very amenable to the Steelers having more ā
dollars to spend elsewhere on his roster like money was not a big deal for him last year so I don't know maybe I'd have a hard time believing that he would want to jump from 15 to 30 million um but I think everyone thought that yeah I mean if he's going to come back they might have to pay him 18 or 20 but 30 I I don't know if the Steelers would go to 30 to be honest with you
So that's interesting. I mean, doesn't Rodgers have them over a barrel right now? If they're willing to go to 20 or a little above 20, don't you kind of have to go to 30 if that's what he's looking for?
I don't know about that, Joe. I think the Steelers, you know, from the front office on down, I think they understand that they have to get their future franchise quarterback at some point anyway. And whether you start the clock on that, you know, in April of 2026, or, you know, in January of 2027, I think they've come to the realization that it's not going to be perfect whenever it does happen.
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Chapter 2: What does Ray Fittipaldo say about Aaron Rodgers' contract situation?
What's your spidey sense in your sources saying?
Yeah, I mean, Joe, it's really interesting. No pro day visits this week. So they kind of they were out at pro days. I'm sorry. They were no top 30 visits this week. They were out at pro days. So I think you'll see the pro days are, excuse me, the top 30 visits heat up again at the end of the next weeks after the owners meetings are over. So not a lot of new information, to be honest.
I think I'm still receiver guard or safety. I think it's going to be one of those three positions. And, you know, I keep mentioning this, you know, you know, the receivers, a lot of these guys were, you know, top 10 receivers.
Definitely top 20 before this process started and whether it's a bad 40 time or whether it's injury concerns like you have with Jordan Tyson, you're seeing some of these receivers fall. So I still think if the Steelers sit at 21 and they don't move up and they can get one of these top four or five receivers in this draft, I think they would have a hard time not making one of those picks.
It's still a really big need, even after they traded for Michael Pittman.
Ray Fittipaldo on the Sullivan Super Service fan hotline. They're going to go into next season with all three of their top edge rushers, do you believe, Ray? Herbig. I was going to say Herbig, Fittipaldo, and Watt.
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Chapter 3: Why hasn't Aaron Rodgers received an offer from the Steelers?
It's Herbig, Highsmith, and Watt.
Yeah, I think so. I mean, it's a really interesting situation, Joe. Herbig is ā he could start for, I think, a lot of other teams in the NFL. You know, his market is kind of slashed a little bit because he is a 3-4 outside linebacker, and he's an undersized one at that. But I would bet there are, you know, five to ten teams out there that would want to acquire him.
either in a trade or in free agency, you know, next year at this time. So he's in a very enviable spot. That guy, if he stays injury-free, is going to cash in at some point. It's just a matter of, you know, does it happen with the Steelers in the form of a contract extension or does he end up hitting the market next year and, you know, making it, you know, in free agency?
And, you know, the Steelers, if that happens, they can ā probably get a pretty nice comp pick in return. I would imagine that would be like a third-round comp pick. And the tricky thing for them is Watt and Highsmith are both under contract through the 27th season.
So how do you dole out a big-money contract to Nick Herbig knowing that he's going to be a reserve for at least two more years unless you would make a move with one of those other guys? And I just haven't heard anything concrete that they would ever be willing to make a move with T.J. Watt or Alex Highsmith.
Ray Fittipaldo brought to you by LGKG, Western PA Super Lawyers. They try cases and insurance companies know it. Ray, you were quoted and now you're a headline, I believe, over at Steelers Depot as saying you think Omar Khan's going to be trading into next year's draft to get more picks. Can you expound upon that, please?
Well, that was something that we talked about on our Post Gazette YouTube page on our North Shore podcast earlier this week. And it came up because the Cleveland Browns have this proposal where they want the rule to change where you could trade draft picks up to five years in advance rather than three. Yeah. So right now the rule is three.
So that's the proposal that we'll be hearing a lot more about next week at the owner's meetings. And, you know, if you look at it, Joe, we talked about this at the top, they still don't have their future franchise quarterback. And, you know, there's Arch Manning next year, you know, Lenora Sellers, there's, you know, potentially five or six guys who could.
end up being first round picks and you want to have as much ammunition as you can to move up. Let's say the Steelers are 10 and seven again, and they're picking around the same spot in the draft, you know, between 20 and 24, you're going to need a lot of ammunition to go out and to move up and get a quarterback. So that's why it's topical.
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