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The end of preseason has always been the unofficial beginning of fall in my eyes. As I stare out my window, I can see a hint of color becoming more prevalent in the trees, the sun is setting earlier with each passing day, and the pumpkin coffee I have sitting next to me tastes like I’ll be turning on Halloween 6 later on in the day.

The preseason is now complete for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and they will now have until Sunday night at 6:00 EST to trim their roster down to 53 players. And while the journey will end for many, it appears one player on the bubble has a spot secured. Plus, a pair of rookie receivers show exactly why they were drafted, and several defenders will make it very difficult to let them go.

It’s the morning after game day. Let’s dive in.

The Steelers should not keep four quarterbacks

After the Steelers’ 28-27 loss to the Bills to close out the preseason, head coach Mike McCarthy was asked if all four quarterbacks did enough to secure a roster spot.

“Very accurate evaluation on your part,” McCarthy said via Brooke Pryor. “We’ve got two vets to win with, and two guys we’re excited about their future.”

Of course, nothing is official at the time of writing, but it certainly appears as if the Steelers will keep all four quarterbacks on their roster, which makes next to no sense. It would be one thing if Will Howard blew them away in exhibition play – he didn’t. He finished the preseason 26-of-40 with two touchdowns to three interceptions. For what it’s worth, both touchdowns he threw were a screen pass that Germie Bernard took 13 yards after making the first tackler miss, and practically a handoff to Lake McRee who dove over several players to get into the end zone.

That’s not to see there weren’t good throws. The pass to Robert Tonyan on the goal line in Week 1 against the Packers was his best throw of the preseason, and he made a 16-yard completion to Ben Skowronek over the middle in Week 2. However, if he really popped, the Steelers wouldn’t feel the need to keep Mason Rudolph.

Howard was comfortably the fourth-best quarterback for the Steelers throughout the summer. The logical decision would be to cut him and then sign him to the practice squad when no one claims him. Everyone in the Will Howard camp is so certain he would get claimed by another team, but that’s highly unlikely to happen. About 25-35 players total get claimed during roster cutdown. Last year, there were 29 players claimed. The year before that – 27, per Saad Yousuf of The Athletic. The high since 2015 is 44 players. The low is 17, which came back in 2020. Howard didn’t do anything in exhibition play to warrant a team putting in a claim for him. He would quickly have a home back on the Steelers’ practice squad should that be the route they would go.

Instead, they will likely keep Howard, assuming he doesn’t go on IR with an injury he suffered against the Bills. Even if he does go on IR, though, eventually they’d have to take him off, which would lead to the team eventually carrying four quarterbacks. Who’s the player that will lose their helmet because of it? Robert Spears-Jennings? Doneiko Slaughter? Both of whom have had tremendous summers. If Howard gets a spot over someone who can contribute elsewhere, it’s roster building malpractice.

Germie Bernard is WR3

I’ve seen enough from Bernard – he absolutely should be the starting slot receiver. The Alabama product has shown more this preseason than Roman Wilson has going on three seasons. It’s great that Wilson looked good in camp. It means nothing, though, when he does nothing come game time.

Bernard showcased exactly why the Steelers traded up to get him, making Max Hairston miss on a screen pass and taking it the rest of the way to the end zone. He finished his preseason with five catches for 64 yards and a touchdown. And as impressive as his first (unofficial) touchdown was, it may not have been his best play of the preseason. In Week 1 against the Packers, he caught a ball on the right sideline made several defenders miss, and picked up 25 yards.

The best thing the Steelers could do at receiver right now is give Bernard the No. 3 spot on the depth chart, see if they can get a late-round pick swap in exchange for Roman Wilson, and sign a veteran to be the No. 4 wide receiver Brandin Cooks would be the name I’d prefer. He’s still a quality deep threat, and he had a nice pair of seasons under McCarthy from 2023-24, catching 80 passes and 11 touchdowns in that two-year span.

Kaden Wetjen puts exclamation point on preseason

The rookie out of Iowa began the preseason with a 74-yard catch and a touchdown, and he ended it by showing exactly why the Steelers took him in the fourth round.

The two-time Jet Award winner struggled to get anything going in the return game in the first half. In the third quarter, though, he sprung away from the Bills’ punt coverage and returned a kick 45 yards for a touchdown. Should he be able to house at least one kick during the regular season, many will forget about the Steelers reaching in the fourth for a return specialist. While he rode the highs and lows of his first NFL training camp, the highs are very high for one of the best return men in college football history.

Several defenders make their case for roster spots

There will be at least one defender worthy of a roster spot who doesn’t get one – which, again, makes the likelihood of Will Howard having a spot even more irrational.

Devan Boykin had a strong preseason and led the team with nine tackles on Thursday. D’Shawn Jamison has been a practice squad mainstay for Pittsburgh over the last two years and appeared in three games in 2025. He’ll likely be placed on the practice squad again despite a nice preseason. Slaughter and Spears-Jennings are another pair of guys who are on that roster bubble, and one or both could be placed on the practice squad.

Having a lot of quality players is a good problem to have, and Pittsburgh may have one of the deeper set of reserves in the NFL once Week 1 rolls around.

Let us know what you think in the comments. Be sure to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for all the latest news, breakdowns, and more!

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• Jets showing interest in Mike Tomlin, Lamar Jackson in 2027, says NFL insider
• NFL analyst suggests 4 potential trade partners and packages for Joey Porter Jr
• Mike McCarthy open to keeping four quarterbacks

The connection between a quarterback and wide receiver is one of the more storied partnerships in all of sports, and for good reason. So many details go into the artistry that occurs between the two positions on gameday. And if you are looking for proof, just ask one of the best duos in NFL—Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

“When you watch Goff and St. Brown on the field, you can see they’re finishing each other’s sentences — if every sentence was punctuated with a first down,” wrote Henry McKenna of Fox Sports in his recent feature on the pair. “It’s not normal. They can make changes mid-play without even having to look at each other. It goes beyond coaching.”

If you have been watching the Lions for the last several years, then chances are you know exactly what McKenna is talking about.

“I think we’ve been playing for so long together that he understands my body language when I’m running routes,” St. Brown told McKenna. “That he can anticipate throws before I’m even out of the break. He kind of knows, ‘Oh, that’s how it looks when he’s about to break down.’ So he already knows. He can anticipate the throw.”

The article dives into what makes the relationship between the two pros so special, including frequent visits to St. Brown’s favorite sushi restaurant near their Los Angeles area offseason homes. You can read the entire article from McKenna right here.

And now onto the rest of the best Lions content from this week.

• If you didn’t already see, Chris Long and The Greenlight Podcast were in Allen Park recently, and they got some excellent interviews in with St. Brown, Goff, and defensive end Aidan Hutchinson.

• After a long, strange journey, the NFL’s Pro Bowl is finally gone.

• Kory Woods of MLive was on the ground to cover the annual, “Jamo Day,” which is an event put on by Lions receiver Jameson Williams and his foundation that helps get families ready to go back to school.

• In case you missed it, Tina Nguyen of WXYZ Detroit interviewed Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard.

• If you are someone like me who is always thinking of what shoes to rock on Lions’ gamedays, you may be interested to know that two Lions’ themed shoes are dropping ahead of the 2026 NFL season.

Last but not least, we have two posts from The Feed. The first is from Critical Perspective where the author dives into some possible roster gymnastics we may see from the Lions after their final preseason game against the Colts on Saturday. And the second is by tomi02118 that examines the Lions’ decisions around the backup quarterback position behind starter Jared Goff.

Edmonton Oilers GM Stan Bowman provided Sportsnet’s Mark Spector with an update on the injuries to Matt Savoie and Frederik Andersen.

It was revealed on Thursday that four players would miss training camp. Savoie and Andersen were among them, with Mattias Janmark and Alec Regula the others. For Savoie and Andersen, it was expected that October might be a return month, although no exact timeline was provided. 

Bowman indicated that Savoie is expected to return much sooner than Andersen, with the Oilers taking a cautious approach with their 36-year-old goaltender and refusing to rush him back before he’s ready.

There is no exact timeline for Savoie yet, but Bowman offered some encouraging news, making it clear the injury is not expected to keep the young forward out for an extended period.

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“It’s not like he’s going to miss half a season or anything like that. It’s going to be much less than that.”

Bowman acknowledged that Savoie will miss some time but said the Oilers aren't overly concerned.

Overall, it sounds like there is considerably more optimism surrounding Savoie’s injury than initially feared, which should come as encouraging news for the Oilers.

Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more. Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.

Most Commanders you’ll see featured during the 2026 campaign won’t play Friday night’s preseason finale against Baltimore.  

Head coach Dan Quinn made the crystal clear this week, saying frontline players would get heavy reps in Wednesday’s joint practice against the Ravens to cap their training camp.  

That means the cast you see Friday at M&T Bank Stadium will feature those battling for spots near the bottom of the 53-man depth chart and the practice squad.  

That doesn’t mean this upcoming game is without merit, though you must look a little harder to find it. Most of the hay’s in the barn evaluation-wise, but finishing with a flourish may help some roster hopefuls secure a spot.  

Notice how you don’t see quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis or defensive back Tyler Owens listed. I think those guys are already in.  

There are a few players worth highlighting here that could improve their stock and standing by punctuating the preseason with a strong performance.  

DL Ricky Barber 

A first-year pro after spending most of last season on the practice squad, Ricky Barber has shown well during training camp. That’s also true of his preseason performances. While the Commanders vastly upgraded their defensive front, Johnny Newton’s torn pectoral muscle has created an opening for a young player like Barber.  

He leads the team with 10 tackles and a sack over the first two preseason games, and was solid when elevated from the practice squad in 2025, especially on this play.  

Barber surely has a practice-squad spot locked up, unless someone snags him off waivers, where he could provide insurance at the position. Barber could earn a spot should the Commanders keep six defensive linemen, though Byron Cowart’s angling for the same gig. A strong finish could help Barber in this instance, to highlight a strong body of preseason work.  

DB Darius Rush 

Credit where credit’s due: This one’s inspired by John Portis’ excellent roster case for Darius Rush, a supreme athlete and special teams maven who clearly cares about the kicking game. A team needs players like that, to champion the often thankless work done on the coverage and return units.  

Showing a little something on defensive coverage in the preseason, even if it’s the tools to develop into a solid player in that area, will strengthen his case to be kept around in Washington. He might not make the 53-man roster, but he could well help this season as a practice squad elevation and continue to earn reps with hard work.  

LB Ale Kaho 

Ale Kaho has had a strong preseason, showing off the athleticism and special-teams prowess worthy of a reserve linebacker spot. 

 It seems like the Commanders like Kaho and have him under strong consideration should they keep a fifth linebacker as I think they will.  

Fellow UCLA product Kain Medrano’s direct competition for that spot and he’s an Adam Peters draft pick with somewhat similar traits. It’s tough to say who has the upper hand at this point – probably Medrano – and this is the type of competition that could go to the bitter end even with most decisions already made. A final evaluation could further prove his worth, though it’s nearly impossible he won’t earn a practice squad spot at minimum.  

WR Jaden Bradley 

The undrafted rookie out of UNLV has been talked about a ton over the course of this Commanders preseason, with mostly positive sentiments from players, coaches and observers alike.  

I mean, what’s not to love about a hard worker who makes plays like this? 

His play would put him in line for a roster spot on this team, but that’s hard to imagine in an impacted position group. There are times, however, when teams take a flier on a young player with upside who plays special teams over a veteran with a defined ceiling.  

Could more wow plays against the Ravens sway general manager Adam Peters to keep Bradley on the 53-man roster. Could Washington get him through waivers and onto the practice squad? Probably, but it’s a risk. Maybe he’s on the initial 53-man and gets moved a week or so later.  

There’s so much worthy competition for the sixth receiver spot, but Bradley has a case he can keep on making Friday night.  

OT D.J. Humphries 

This player doesn’t fit the theme we’ve created for this post. Humphries is an established veteran, albeit towards the end of a standout career. He made it clear to on-site reporters following Wednesday’s joint practice that he’s not a savior at the left tackle spot. He’s here to provide depth behind Brandon Coleman.  

This game will offer a sneak peek of what Humphries can do at this stage, with but a small amount of scheme knowledge under his belt. Keep an eye on his game reps – there might not be many – for an indication of where he’s at after spending most of camp away from an NFL team.  

The Buffalo Bills ended their 2026 preseason 3-0 with a dazzling comeback win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night, and now have 53-man roster decisions to make ahead of Sunday evening.

Which roster-bubble players made a final push to make the team with their performance in the preseason finale, you ask?

My answers below.

EDGE Mike Danna

I’m a staunch advocate of Bruce Nolan’s WAWW philosophy in the preseason, and Danna played a whopping 43 snaps, most of which came in the second half and well into the fourth quarter, so the writing may be on the wall regarding his future on the Bills.

But it would’ve been nearly impossible for Danna to do more with his time on task late in this trio of Bills preseason games. Danna added three tackles, two more pressures, and another tackle for loss to his stellar preseason against the Steelers.

I have no idea if the Bills will have room for Danna on the 53-man roster, and he feels like a potential poaching target on the practice squad. If I was the GM, I’d very much like to have a wily, versatile, thick defensive linemen with gobs of deep playoff experience in my back pocket, and that’s precisely what the 29 year old Danna is.

LB Keonta Jenkins

Am I the only one who visualizes Tremaine Edmunds when watching Jenkins in the Bills No. 49?

In actuality, Edmunds was a first-round pick and stood at 6’5” and 250 pounds. Jenkins was undrafted out of Virginia Tech and is only 6’2” and probably in the 220-230 pound range now. But the long hair out of the back of his helmet and the way he effortlessly glides to the football is very Edmunds-esque.

Jenkins had six tackles against the Steelers, one of a which was a thudding tackle for loss and tacked on a sack in his 24 snaps. Joe Andreessen did not play defense against Pittsburgh, which hints that he’s a lock to make the 53-man roster as the primary inside linebacker contingency plan. But Jenkins put quite the emphatic stamp on a summer in which he demonstrated that his arrow is pointed decidedly upward.

RB Frank Gore Jr.

Gore Jr., now three years into his professional career — it seems less than that, doesn’t it? — feels like a real pro’s pro at this stage, even though we’ve almost strictly seen him in training camp and the preseason.

Making cornerbacks whiff in space on catches in the flat or screens, knifing his way through small crevices between the tackles, and morphing into a small cement wall in pass protection against an A-gap blitz, for the third-straight preseason, Gore demonstrated that he does everything well that teams ask of modern-day running backs albeit not against first-teamers.

And he put multiple exclamation points on film against the Steelers to prove his well-roundedness. The two long gainers on short throws from Shane Buechele, a stick on a pass-pro rep that allowed Buechele to deliver a strike on a deep over, and gritty, just-take-what’s-there runs between the tackles. It was all there from Gore Jr. in this game.

On 15 touches he totaled 72 yards from scrimmage and scored a touchdown.

If Buffalo wants to take the precautionary route with Ty Johnson to begin the season — see: short-term IR — I believe Gore Jr. has done enough to earn an opportunity when the games count.

OG Ar’Maj Reed-Adams

Reed-Adams isn’t going to make the 53-man roster. But I can’t quit him. And that’s partly due to my affinity for him as a prospect. But he was an old-school workhorse MLB pitcher this preseason — the rookie guard logged another 67 snaps in the preseason finale against the Steelers.

And once again, Reed-Adams did not allow a single pressure.

It capped a debut preseason for Reed-Adams without surrendering a single quarterback pressure — he did have a holding call that negated one but otherwise was not flagged.

The nearly 6’6” and 315-plus pounder has absolutely done enough to secure a spot on the practice squad, and I’m incredibly into his upside as, first, a deep-depth option, and eventually, a starter at either guard position on this team.

A few NHL teams have already organized professional try-out (PTO) opportunities ahead of training camp. The Vancouver Canucks were the latest team to dish out a PTO to goaltender Chris Driedger on Thursday. On Tuesday, the Washington Capitals signed goalie Cal Peterson to a PTO, and the Calgary Flames brought in Alex Nylander on a try-out, ending his time in the Toronto Maple Leafs' organization.

Last year, Toronto signed goaltender James Reimer to a PTO, who previously served in the crease for the Maple Leafs from 2010-11 to 2015-16 and was drafted by them in 2006. Reimer's reunion with the team for the 2025 pre-season was for insurance purposes since Joseph Woll wasn't ready to start the 2025-26 campaign.

For this coming season, there has been a lot of change to the Leafs' roster. That's mostly related to GM John Chayka's free agency haul that introduced many new faces to the bottom six, specifically. 

Add Darren Raddysh, Emil Andrae and Gavin McKenna to the additions from July 1, and there aren't many available spots on the team. However, depth goes a long way in the NHL, especially for teams that go on to have successful seasons.

So, here are three PTO candidates for the Maple Leafs going into 2026-27 training camp.

Nick Blankenburg, D

Nick Blankenburg is a viable option to add to Toronto's back end. One thing that's apparent about the Leafs' D-corps is that it is aging and not particularly quick.

With the possible addition of Blankenburg, the Maple Leafs' blueline would get slightly younger, as the right-handed D-man is 28 years old. He's a smaller defenseman, documented at 5-foot-9, but that would make him faster than the average D-man on the Leafs.

He's shown that he can be a regular contributor on an NHL defense. In 2024-25, he played 60 regular-season games for the Nashville Predators, recording four goals and 16 points. The undrafted defenseman averaged 19:33 of ice time that year, finishing fourth on the team.

Blankenburg was solid again this past year, scoring 24 points in 61 games, both career-high numbers for him. He averaged 17:58 of ice time with the Preds and 12:02 in his 12 games with the Colorado Avalanche - he was traded there for a 2027 fifth-round pick in early March.

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Curtis Lazar, C

Curtis Lazar has featured in over 600 regular-season games across 12 NHL seasons and seven different teams. His entire career has been based on being able to adapt to new settings and any role he's given.

If the Maple Leafs brought him in on a PTO, he could serve as bottom-six insurance. It's worth noting that Teddy Blueger, signed on July 1 to a two-year, $5-million contract, was out for a large chunk of this past season with a lower-body injury and suffered setbacks in his recovery. So if he has similar health issues to last year with the Canucks, Lazar wouldn't be a terrible candidate to fill that void, even with Steven Lorentz also on deck.

Lazar is a versatile forward who could essentially play in all three positions in a pinch. He's more than capable as a winger, but has been handy as a center, too.

With the Edmonton Oilers in 2025-26, Lazar took a total of 291 faceoffs, the fifth most on the team, and won 61.2 percent of his draws. 

His best season in the NHL came in 2023-24 with the New Jersey Devils when he notched seven goals and 25 points in 71 appearances on 12:23 of average ice time.

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Adam Boqvist, D

Adam Boqvist would be a very low-risk acquisition for any team. But for the Maple Leafs, if this situation played out perfectly, they could get a player that they could really use.

Boqvist was an eighth overall pick in the 2018 draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. Though he's had a couple of middling seasons, the Swedish defenseman certainly hasn't reached the ceiling he was destined for.

Nonetheless, in the right situation, he could be valuable to Toronto's back end. He's a blueliner who's known for how he plays the puck, labelled as an offensive D-man and puck-mover.

The Leafs' defense has been stale in the department of creativity and offense, and injecting a player like Boqvist could help the team, even in small doses.

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Recently, he hasn't seen much NHL action, featuring in 98 contests from a possible 246 of the past three seasons. His best campaign was with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022-23 when he provided five goals and 24 points in 46 outings, averaging a point about every other game.

A PTO for Boqvist may not pan out, just like any PTO signed across the league, but if it does, that would give Toronto a new look on defense.

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The behind-the-scenes battle between the Winnipeg Jets and goalie Connor Hellebuyck went public on Thursday when the Vezina-winning goaltender released a statement reiterating that he is demanding a trade.

Rumors swirled around Hellebuyck’s future at the NHL Draft, but the situation cooled as the draft weekend rolled on, with reports that the Jets weren’t receiving trade offers they hoped for. When the dust settled there was no trade, as it seemed Winnipeg was going to roll forward with Hellebuyck on their roster in 2026-27 — at least until the trade deadline. Now he’s trying to force his way out quickly, posting the following:

“Winnipeg has been my home for my entire NHL career, and I will always be grateful for my time there. I have never forgotten June 23, 2012. That’s the day Winnipeg took a chance on a goalie playing in Odessa, TX. I gave everything I had from that moment to prove that the Jets made the right decision. Several months ago, I privately requested a trade. I have tried to handle the situation quietly and respectfully while giving the organization time to explore its options. With training camp approaching, I felt it was important to publicly confirm my request. My position has not changed, and I believe moving on is the best path forward for me and my family. I appreciate everything Winnipeg Jets fans have meant to me throughout my career and hope a resolution can be reached soon.”

Initially it was believed that the Florida Panthers would be players for Hellebuyck, but they went in a different direction in June when they acquired Jakob Markstrom from the New Jersey Devils. Now the options on the table are very limited for a goalie with a long-term $8.5M AAV contract coming off a down year. Only a handful of teams can afford Hellebuyck, fewer still need goaltending help, and less still who are confident enough to give up assets the Jets covet to get the deal done.

There remain two realistic scenarios at this point: The Jets accept they’re going to have to take a mediocre package for Hellebuyck to ship him off, or try to mend fences at least until the NHL trade deadline in the hopes a contender is in dire need of goaltending help for a playoff push. Neither option is idea, but here are the teams right now that could reasonably make a play for Hellebuyck.

No. 1: Carolina Hurricanes

The Stanley Cup champs were the most-likely landing spot for Hellebuyck outside of the Florida Panthers, and there were reports the two sides engaged in trade discussions at the draft, but nothing materialized. The assumption is that Carolina played hardball with its offer, which caused things to fall apart.

At this point the Hurricanes hold all the cards to get a deal done. They’re not in urgent need of goaltending help after the emergence of Brandon Bussi last season, paired with Pyotr Kochetkov returning from injury — but if Hellebuyck is able to find his form again it could be the kind of move that establishes Carolina as a perennial cup threat.

The Hurricanes have the cap space to absorb Hellebuyck’s contract, as well as a nice asset in promising defenseman Alexander Nikishin, who is current an RFA. Nikishin wants more money than the Canes are offering, and could end up heading to arbitration — but if he’s willing to accept Winnipeg as a home he could be the centerpiece of a deal in a sign-and-trade scenario.

No. 2: Anaheim Ducks

The Ducks are a team on the rise and looking to make bold moves to improve their team. It’s here where Hellebuyck becomes a fascinating potential option for them. The team re-signed Lukas Dostal a year ago to a $6.5M AAV deal, but he was middling at best in the 2025-26 playoff run which ended in a loss to the Golden Knights in the second round.

The Ducks don’t have enough room to make a deal, but it’s a very narrow margin. They could make a deal here where they send Dostal and some draft capital for Hellebuyck, which would easily make the money work — it’s just a question of whether or not they believe he’s the final piece to get them further in the playoffs.

No. 3: Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres breakout performance in 2025-26 was a beautiful thing to watch, and now the team has pivoted from being a playoff hopeful, to a squad looking to make this a regular occurence. There’s a lot to like about the Sabres as a landing spot, and it’s likely that Hellebuyck would be thrilled with a trad to Buffalo where he can play with his Team USA partner Tage Thompson.

This is another team with a cap sticking point, but like Anaheim, it could open the door for a goalie trade. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is coming off his best season, however he’s still a mid-tier goalie. There’s definitely a scenario here where Hellebuyck is seen as a long-term upgrade.

No. 4: Vegas Golden Knights

If there’s one team desperate enough to do anything to make a deal, it’s the Golden Knights. The team was close to winning a Stanley Cup, with Carter Hart ultimately being the biggest liability they had on the ice.

The primary issue is that the Knights are in cap hell. There would need to be major player movement to make this happen, and at some point the team needs to weigh whether or not Hellebuyck is enough of an upgrade to warrant losing key depth players at two or three positions to make it happen.