Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been quite busy through the free agency period and the draft, much like many other teams have been. However, the team has made numerous strides to improve its roster, which includes signing former Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson and trading for former Bears quarterback Justin Fields.
Though grading or predicting how draftees will do can be viewed as premature, the Steelers did do a good job at boosting their offensive line. The team plans to run the ball with effectiveness, and putting together a stellar offensive line is the sure-fire way to ensure running lanes are opened up to aid a good rushing attack.
Though the Steelers beefed up the offensive line through the draft, one area where the team still needs work is at wide receiver. Receiver George Pickens had a good year with 1,140 receiving yards, but the next closest was Diontae Johnson, who secured 717 yards.
George Gojkovich/Getty Images
Johnson has since been traded to the Carolina Panthers, leaving the receiving room the Steelers currently have as majorly lacking. The dropoff from Johnson’s 717 receiving yards falls to 370 yards, which belonged to running back Jaylen Warren.
The Steelers clearly need help at wide receiver, and they have since been attached to huge names and rumors. The biggest rumor is that they were actively attempting to trade for San Francisco 49ers star receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk leading up to the draft.
Steelers general manager Omar Khan has since addressed these rumors. He appeared on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee show to discuss Pittsburgh making a play for a big receiver.
Khan was asked by McAfee if there was any truth to the Steelers attempting to land these receivers. Khan simply stated, “I heard about it [rumors about trading for 49ers receivers]… but there is nothing going on.”
Khan could be playing the role of the naive general manager when he knows full well who the Steelers are attempting to land, or they truly might not be trying to trade for anyone at the moment. Training camp and preseason could lead to the team exploring options at wide receiver far more, though it would be believed Khan would attempt to land someone far before that.
Apart from the rumors that Aiyuk and Samuel could still be traded, Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins is also a possibility. Higgins stated he wanted a trade after the Bengals were unwilling to give him a new contract. He did recently state that he expects to be with the team in 2024, and his not being traded right before or during the draft means Cincinnati likely feels the same.
The Bengals are also a division rival of the Steelers, so it would be highly unlikely they would allow Higgins to go to the team they would be directly competing with for a playoff berth in 2024. Still, Khan could come up with a deal for Higgins that Pittsburgh would be hard-pressed to pass on. Either way, Khan could be throwing up a smokescreen to throw other teams off the trail of the Steelers landing a premier wide receiver.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Sidney Crosby left the Pittsburgh Penguins’ game against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday and did not return.
The team initially did not disclose why Crosby was ruled out of the game, but coach Dan Muse told reporters postgame that Crosby has a lower-body injury. Crosby left the ice and went to the locker room early in the second period. The Penguins went on to beat the Senators in a shootout, 4-3.
Pittsburgh also played Thursday’s game without Evgeni Malkin, who has missed the last two games with an upper-body injury. It remains unclear how long he will be out, with the team only saying Malkin is “day-to-day,” according to a post on X from March 24.
Crosby returned to Pittsburgh’s lineup on March 18 against the Carolina Hurricanes after missing four weeks due to a lower-body injury suffered during the Olympic tournament. Crosby was injured during Team Canada’s quarterfinal win over Team Czechia after a hit by Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas.
Crosby was placed on injured reserve and missed 11 games. In the five games since returning to the lineup, Crosby has tallied five points. This season, the 38-year-old star for the Penguins has a team-high 28 goals, and he is third on the team with 36 assists.
With 10 games remaining in the regular season, Pittsburgh (36-20-16) sits in second place in the Eastern Conference’s Metropolitan Division with 88 points. The Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Islanders both have 87 points.
A Pittsburgh hospital will be getting a big bonus for selling a $1.5 million-winning Pennsylvania Lottery scratch-off ticket.
UPMC Magee-Women’s Hospital sold the Cash Spectacular ticket, and, as a result, will get a $10,000 bonus.
According to the Pennsylvania Lottery, the Cash Spectacular is a $30 game that offers the top prize of $1.5 million.
As they often do when a big winner such as this one happens, the Pennsylvania Lottery is reminding players that scratch-off prizes are valid for one year from the game’s end-sale date, which can be found on their website.
The Pennsylvania Lottery also said that scratch-offs are distributed at random, so neither the lottery nor the retailers know where winning tickets will be sold.
Since the calendar flipped to 2026, the Pittsburgh area has been one lucky place, with multiple million-dollar or more winning tickets sold since January.
The first came on January 8 when a $1 million scratch-off was sold at a North Huntingdon Township Walmart. The $20 Jackpot Scratch-Off yielded the top prize of $1 million.
Just a week later, again in Westmoreland County, a Match 6 Lotto ticket was sold at the North Huntingdon Sheetz, giving someone a $1.4 million prize.
One of the biggest jackpots of the year came earlier this month in Armstrong County, when one lucky player won $1 million for year for life.
That ticket was sold at a BP gas station on Buffalo Street in Freeport Borough. As a result, the BP got a $100,000 bonus.
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