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Welcome to the Thursday edition of the Pick Six newsletter!

I didn’t think it would ever happen, but the Aaron Rodgers free agency watch might finally be coming to an end. We are currently on Day 67 (at least I think it’s Day 67; there’s a 50% chance I lost count), and it appears Rodgers might actually sign a new deal with the Steelers this weekend.

We’ll have the just in on that in this newsletter. Although the Rodgers watch may soon be ending, we can skip straight to “schedule release watch.” I think the NFL is still targeting next week for a possible release (May 13 or 14), but until we have an official date, it’s possible the release gets delayed a week to May 20 or 21.

Alright, let’s stop talking about the schedule and get to the rundown so we can talk about Rodgers.

As always, here’s your reminder to tell all your friends to sign up for the newsletter.

1. Aaron Rodgers drama could soon be coming to an end: Here’s everything we know

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When it comes to speculation about Aaron Rodgers’ future, it has been a wild week. We’ve had a Cardinals receiver trying to recruit Rodgers, we’ve had the Cardinals’ coach being asked about possibly signing Rodgers, and now, we have a report that Rodgers might end up signing with the Steelers by the end of the weekend.

Here’s the just in:

  • Rodgers could be signing with the Steelers in the next few days. The Rodgers drama could end as soon as Friday. According to 93.7 the Fan in Pittsburgh, the four-time NFL MVP is expected to fly into Pittsburgh on Thursday night and sign a deal with the team at some point over the weekend, so that could happen at any point between Friday and Sunday. According to NFL Network, there’s no deal in place yet, but the two sides will have “further discussions” about getting a contract done. Of course, this is Rodgers we’re talking about, so you can’t be sure it’s going to happen until it actually happens, but this will be something to keep your eye on over the weekend. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Steelers want an answer from Rodgers about his future by the start of OTAs on May 18, and it looks like they’re going to get that. 
  • What might be holding up the deal. If the two sides are having “further discussions” about a contract, that could mean Rodgers would like to actually make some money this year. Last season, Rodgers gave the Steelers a discount by signing a one-year deal worth just $13.65 million. This year, the Steelers used the unrestricted free agent tender, which guarantees him a 10% raise to $15 million for 2026, but he might want more than that.
  • Kendrick Bourne is trying to recruit Rodgers to Arizona. Earlier this week, the Cardinals wide receiver started the process of recruiting Rodgers to Arizona by sending the QB a simple six-word message, “Come on we waiting on you.” The Cardinals have four quarterbacks — Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew, Kedon Slovis and third-round rookie Carson Beck — but Rodgers would be a sizable upgrade over any of them, which probably explains why Bourne is trying to get the 18-year veteran to Arizona. 
  • Mike LaFleur addressed the Rodgers situation this week. During an appearance on “The Jim Rome Show,” the Cardinals’ new coach was asked about the possibility of Rodgers landing in Arizona. “Honestly, right now, we’re focused on the guys that we’ve got coming in,” LaFleur stated. “We’ve got the unit that we have — Gardner, Jacoby and Slovis — and then we drafted Carson Beck in the third round. We’ve got a room we are excited to work with, and that’s solely where my focus is.”

Rodgers could put an end to all the speculation and rumors by signing with the Steelers, so it will be interesting to see what happens over the next 72 hours.

2. Ranking the worst QB rooms in the NFL: Browns in a class by themselves

The modern NFL has turned into a quarterback league. Most teams in the NFL can only go as far as their QB, and for some teams, that’s a good thing. However, it’s also a bad thing for the teams who haven’t been able to get their QB situation figured out this offseason. 

With that in mind, Garrett Podell decided to rank the worst QB rooms in the NFL. 

Let’s check out the top three teams on his list (and being No. 1 is actually a bad thing, because it means you’re the worst). 

1. Browns (Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, Taylen Green). There is no quarterback room more chaotic than that of the Browns.

2. Jets (Geno Smith, Cade Klubnik, Brady Cook, Bailey Zappe). The Jets have three first-round picks in the 2027 NFL Draft: their own, the Indianapolis Colts’ and the lowest first-round pick between the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers. If New York can stink for just one more year, they may have the ability to draft Texas’ Arch Manning, Oregon’s Dante Moore or another hotshot quarterback who has a meteoric rise like Fernando Mendoza’s in 2027.

3. Steelers (Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, Drew Allar). At the moment, two-thirds of the Steelers’ quarterback room has yet to throw a pass in the NFL’s regular season. McCarthy wouldn’t have drafted Allar on Day 2 if he didn’t believe in his potential. Perhaps McCarthy sees Allar as a quicker decision-maker than Rudolph or Howard. However, Rodgers gets his starting job back if he comes back to Pittsburgh.

If Rodgers ends up signing with the Steelers, then they’d likely end up dropping out of the top three on this list. If that’s the case, the Cardinals would move up from fourth to third. 

Podell ranked a total of 10 teams, and if you want to see his full rankings, we’ve got that here. 

3. One reason for optimism for each team after free agency and the NFL Draft

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If you were depressed at the end of the 2025 season because your favorite team didn’t win the Super Bowl, I have some good news for you: Bryan DeArdo will do his best to put you in a good mood. With free agency and the NFL Draft in the rearview mirror, DeArdo came up with one reason why each team should feel optimistic entering the 2026 season. He even gave a reason for the Seahawks, who are probably already feeling optimistic. 

Let’s take a look at what he stated about four different teams:

  • Browns: They revamped the offense. There’s a lot to like about Cleveland’s offseason. The team hired coach Todd Monken, who comes to the Browns after two years working with Lamar Jackson. The Browns also acquired three projected starting offensive linemen in free agency before selecting former Utah standout offensive tackle Spencer Fano with the ninth overall pick. The Browns then drafted two projected starting receivers in Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion.
  • Vikings: They landed a proven QB. After watching Sam Darnold win a Super Bowl in Seattle, Minnesota acquired Kyler Murray in an effort to finally solidify its quarterback position. As Darnold did in 2024, the Vikings hope Murray can revitalize his career in Minnesota in 2026.
  • Giants: A winning culture in the Big Apple. After nine straight losing seasons, the Giants needed drastic changes, especially in culture. That’s exactly what they have in John Harbaugh, who is determined to quickly bring the Giants back to championship contention. With Harbaugh heavily involved, the Giants added a slew of proven veterans during free agency, including several former Ravens.
  • Falcons: They have the league’s best running back in Bijan Robinson. If nothing else, Falcons fans have the luxury of watching a generational talent every week. Robinson made a strong case last season to be regarded as the NFL’s best running back.
  • Seahawks: They’re ready to defend their title. Despite losing a few key members of their championship team, the Seahawks filled those vacancies and appear ready for another Super Bowl run. 

If you’re an eternal optimist, then you’ll want to see all 32 of DeArdo’s reasons for optimism, and you can do that here. 

4. NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds: Fernando Mendoza not the favorite

As soon as the NFL Draft ended, the oddsmakers didn’t waste much time unveiling odds for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Time is money and oddsmakers hate losing money, which is why they don’t waste time.

Now, let’s get to the good stuff: Here are the six players who have odds of +1000 or better to win the award:  

Player Team Position Odds
Jeremiyah Love Cardinals RB +250
Fernando Mendoza Raiders QB +350
Carnell Tate Titans WR +500
Jordyn Tyson Saints WR +600
Jadarian Price Seahawks RB +750
Makai Lemon Eagles WR +950

Zach Pereles broke down the race, and there’s one player he believes has the best value: Carnell Tate. 

  • Why Tate is Zach’s best bet: Love has the shortest odds, and for good reason. He’s a special talent with the ability to turn any touch into a touchdown. But +250 leaves us wanting a bit; the Cardinals are not going to be good this season, and a big reason for that is an underwhelming offensive line. … Mendoza might not play very much…. So we land on Tate, and not only via process of elimination. Tate is exactly what the Titans and Cam Ward need; he’s a ready-made pro, a player who runs good routes, presents a big catch radius and strong hands and brings physicality. He can win downfield, intermediate and short. And most importantly, he brings a level of simple professionalism to Tennessee. He will be in the right places at the right times.
  • Breech’s early best bet: Jadarian Price. If I was going to bet on someone right now, I’d probably go with Jadarian Price. After watching Jaxon Smith-Njigba light things up last season, opposing defenses are going to focus on stopping him, which should open things for Seattle’s rushing attack. With Kenneth Walker III gone — he was Seattle’s leading rusher last season — and Zach Charbonnet coming back from an ACL tear, that should open the door for Price to get plenty of action in 2026. 

We’ve got some more best bets, and you can check those out here. 

5. Top 10 remaining free agents still on the market

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Free agency has been going on for nearly three months now, and although most of the biggest names have already been signed, there is definitely still some talent left on the market. Going into March, Pete Prisco ranked the top 100 free agents in the NFL, and as of Thursday, 14 of those players are still available, including five players ranked in Prisco’s top 50. 

Let’s check out the 14 names, along with where they ranked on Prisco’s list: 

1. WR Jauan Jennings (34th on Prisco’s overall list)
2. EDGE Joey Bosa (37th)
3. LB Bobby Wagner (43rd)
4. WR Stefon Diggs (44th)
5. OG Joel Bitonio (48th)
6. WR Deebo Samuel (53rd)
7. EDGE Von Miller (67th)
8. EDGE Jadeveon Clowney (71st)
9. CB Rasul Douglas (74th)
10. QB Aaron Rodgers (75th)
11. EDGE Cam Jordan (76th)
12. WR Keenan Allen (78th)
13. TE David Njoku (89th)
14. LB Matt Milano (91st)

Any team in the market for some pass-rushing help could find a bargain right now with Miller, Clowney or Jordan, who all recorded at least 8.5 sacks last year. 

6. Extra points: Travis Hunter likely to play more cornerback

It’s been a busy past few days in the NFL, and since it’s nearly impossible to keep track of everything, I put together a quick roundup for you.

  • Jaguars offer interesting Travis Hunter report. It looks like there’s a new plan in place for Hunter. The Jaguars’ two-way star, who played 324 offensive snaps and 162 defensive snaps last year, is expected to see an uptick in snaps on the defensive side of the ball, according to general manager James Gladstone. “He is set to play both sides of the ball,” Gladstone stated during an appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show,” via NFL.com. “The piece that I think we can expect to see is actually an uptick in corner usage. Last year it was a higher volume, higher percentage of wide receiver usage than it was corner. I think we can expect to see that corner percentile and count go up.” So Hunter will continue to play both ways, but it looks like he’ll be playing more defense than he did last year. 
  • Drake Maye says Mike Vrabel won’t be a distraction. The Patriots head coach missed the final day of the NFL Draft to enter counseling, but Drake Maye doesn’t think Vrabel’s situation will be a distraction during the season. “No, I don’t,” Maye stated. “I mean, he’s our head coach. I think he’s done a great job of talking to us and talking us through it. I’m just looking forward to getting back to work and getting ready.” Vrabel took a step back during the draft after photos surfaced of him with former NFL reporter Dianna Russini at a hotel in Arizona. (The photos were taken just before the NFL’s Annual League Meeting in late March.) The problem for the Patriots is that more photos have been surfacing almost every week over the past month, and there’s a chance this situation won’t go away any time soon. 
  • Russell Wilson has an offer from the Jets, but he might not take it. After visiting the Jets last week, Wilson now has an offer from the team, but right now, it’s not clear if he’s going to accept it. The Super Bowl-winning QB also has a TV offer on the table, so it’s possible he might end up retiring to take that. “They offered me, and I’m trying to figure out what the next best thing is for me to do,” Wilson told the New York Post on Wednesday. “I still know I can play ball and do that at a high level, but I also have the opportunity to do TV, so we’ll see what happens.” The 37-year-old Wilson has played for three different teams over the past three seasons (Giants, Steelers, Broncos).