First Call: Steelers have 'checked in' on Joe Flacco; Aaron Rodgers may drag decision until the draft

Tuesday’s “First Call” has the latest on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback quagmire. We’ve got fallout from Justin Fields, a potential future with Joe Flacco, plus a long timeline for an Aaron Rodgers decision.

Alex Ovechkin takes another crack at climbing up the all-time goal scoring ladder.

And, on the hoops front, we can now tell you Duquesne’s first opponent in the WNIT.

New tune

Until now, two narratives have come out about why Justin Fields left the Steelers for the Jets.

• The Steelers wouldn’t guarantee him a starting spot.

• The Jets offered a lot more guaranteed money.

Now ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler is advancing a slightly different account of Pittsburgh’s offer.

“They put together an offer for Justin Fields that I was told was very competitive with what the Jets offered him — which was close to two years, $40 million with $30 million guaranteed,” Fowler said Monday on the “Dan Patrick Show.” “Something went off where he chose the Jets. He must’ve felt the love more from the Jets than he did the Steelers, who essentially benched him last year for Russell Wilson.”

Was it “feeling the love” from the Jets? Or was it feeling less pressure to retain the starting job?

I think it’s Choice B.

“I do believe they were all-in on Fields,” Fowler said. “I don’t know if they had Fields ahead of Rodgers, but they were willing to do Fields. Both sides, at one point, were open to it. It didn’t work.”

I get the impression that “all in” for the Steelers is defined by intent but not finances. Players tend to view things the other way around.

No end is near

NFL Insider Ian Rapoport seems to think that Aaron Rodgers may be willing to draw out his speculation for another six weeks.

At least.

”I don’t get the sense Rodgers is in any hurry at all. Could it go all the way until the draft like it did two years ago? Maybe it could,” Rapoport said on Monday on the NFL Network.

From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: Two years ago, we all were still talking about Aaron Rodgers during NFL Draft week. Could history repeat itself? pic.twitter.com/Wg932uKNOv

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 17, 2025

Rapoport was referring to Rodgers’ power play with the Packers and Jets, which resulted in his eventual trade to New York.

Like then, Rapoport suggested Rodgers isn’t feeling pressured to make a call. Since the Steelers, Vikings and Giants all have the cap space, Rodgers can wait until draft week so he can get a better sense of who may be willing to take a first-round quarterback and use that information to his advantage in negotiations.

If Rapoport is right, the Steelers shouldn’t engage Rodgers in this game. Approach the draft with the “grit-your-teeth-and-suck-it-up” mentality that Mason Rudolph will be the starter in Week 1 and draft accordingly.

If the franchise comes out of the draft without a worthy QB, reassess Rodgers’ value at that point.

More sports

• Steelers agree to deal with former Chiefs, Browns safety Juan Thornhill, bring back Isaiahh Loudermilk
• Tim Benz: Most Steelers fans embrace Mason Rudolph’s return for the right reasons
• Paul Skenes strikes out a spring-best 7 as Pirates combine for 16 Ks in win over Twins

Feelin’ fine about Flacco?

According to Albert Breer with SI’s MMQB, the New York Giants interviewed former Ravens and Browns quarterback Joe Flacco.

And the Steelers may have an interest as well.

“Joe Flacco visited the Giants last week — which was a way, I think, for the team to check him out and for Flacco to get his name back in circulation,” Breer wrote. “Yes, he’s 40. But as a one-year solution, at a way cheaper rate than (Kirk) Cousins or Rodgers, I think the guy can still play. And the Browns, Steelers and Vikings think enough of him still to have checked on him.”

Not only did the Steelers “check in on him,” Breer later added that there may be momentum building to acquire him.

“I think there are people there that would rather have Joe Flacco than Russell Wilson,” Breer said Monday (at the 4:44 mark) with Connor Orr on Sports Illustrated’s YouTube channel. “If you need somebody to steady the ship for a year, I don’t think he is a bad option.

Perhaps. Do they want him more than Mason Rudolph, though? I’ll say this: If Art Rooney II wants both quarterbacks to have similar play styles, as he intimated this offseason, he’d have it with those two. Neither of them could move behind that shaky offensive line.

That could be scary.

Flacco played in eight games for the Indianapolis Colts last year (including beating the Steelers off the bench) with six starts. He totaled 1,761 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions. In 11 starts for Pittsburgh, Wilson had 2,482 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions.

The quest continues

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin will try to take another step toward breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goal-scoring record Tuesday night.

Ovechkin is sitting on 887 career goals. Gretzky’s mark is 894. Washington has 15 games left, including the season finale in Pittsburgh.

The Capitals host the Detroit Red Wings at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Washington won the last matchup 5-2, and dropped the first one 4-2. Ovechkin scored in the first meeting but was shut out in the second. He has four goals in eight games this month.

The Wings have lost four in a row on the road. Washington has won six of seven overall. The Caps have 96 points, the most in the Eastern Conference. Detroit is 22nd in goals-against per game at 3.15.

Now we know

It was revealed Sunday that the Duquesne women’s basketball team would be playing in the WNIT.

Now, the opponent is known.

The Dukes (19-12) will host a first-round contest against Longwood on Thursday at 6 p.m. at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. The Lancers are 22-11, having lost in the Big South title game to High Point.

The winner will play Miami (Ohio) in the second round, sometime between March 23-25.

The Dukes made the Sweet 16 of this tournament in 2011 and ’15. Last year, coach Dan Burt’s club beat Monmouth 69-65 in overtime before falling to Purdue, 71-50, to end the season.

LISTEN: Tim Benz & Brian Metzer host their weekly hockey podcast.