Jason Kelce Reveals ‘Makeshift’ Steelers Fandom Instead of Hometown Browns – NFL Tracker

JULY 14 – MAKESHIFT – Despite the Cleveland Browns being the hometown team for the now-retired former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce when he was growing up, he was actually a fan of their AFC North rival.

In a recent interview with Nevada Sports Net, the future Pro Football Hall of Famer revealed that he grew up a Steelers rather than his hometown Browns.

“Jerome Bettis, he was my favorite player growing up,” Kelce said. “That’s who I wanted to be, I wanted to be a running back and just loved watching him play. I was born in Cleveland, and I even became a makeshift Steelers fan when the Browns left to become the Ravens.

“It’s like sacrilegious in Cleveland, everybody was like, ‘How are you a Steelers fan now?’ I’m like, ‘We don’t have a team anymore, this is my favorite player.'”

It may be quite a surprise from the Cleveland Heights native, and if he already wasn’t liked by Browns’ fans it certainly won’t endear him now.

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JULY 13 – RAVENS’ HARBAUGH OUT? – We’re not yet to the 2024 training camp, but one media outlet already thinks an AFC North head coach is on the hot seat in 2025.

Marissa Myers of The Wright Way Network predicts if Harbaugh and the Ravens falter at all in 2024, a change could be made at the top the following season.

“On the surface, this statement may seem wild especially considering that Harbaugh has a 172-109 record to go along with a Super Bowl ring,” Myers wrote. “That Super Bowl win came back in the 2012 season. A lot has changed in the NFL since then, and it’s clear that Harbaugh has not correctly adjusted. Over the last 11 seasons, the Ravens under Harbaugh have won just three playoff games while losing six.

“The Ravens will continue to be a good regular season team with Harbaugh, but they’ve reached their ceiling. It’s time for the Ravens to move on and find a new head coach to fully maximize their potential.”

This seems like a tremendous stretch in two ways. There’s little chance the Ravens experience a significant decline in 2024, and even if they did, Harbaugh’s win-loss record has most assuredly gained him some clout with owner Steve Bisciotti.

JULY 13 – RANKINGS – As we’ve previously written, CBS Sports recently released their head coach ranking. But there was a catch: coaches are ranked according to their success in “big games.” Which obviously means the postseason.

Despite being integral to transforming the Cleveland Browns from a perennial bottomfeeder to a playoff contender, coach Kevin Stefanski was put in the “inexperienced” category. This means Stefanski, along with 17 other coaches, was not ranked. So, if Stefanski isn’t ranked, what about his AFC North counterparts?

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is the first AFC North rival featured on the list, slotting in at No. 11. The 17-year coach was put in the rather exclusive category of “endangered champions,” which, as the name suggests, are coaches who’ve previously won a Super Bowl but have struggled since.

Then comes Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor, who finds himself in the “lightning in the bottle” tier, which is those who were a “legitimate” title contender but only in a “small stretch.” Taylor ranked just above Tomlin at No. 10.

This leaves Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh as the only other AFC North coach remaining. As you may have guessed, he is ranked inside the top five, sitting at No. 4. The 61-year-old is in the second highest tier, “forever on the doorstep,” which are those who perennially make the playoffs and even advance when they reach them.

So, in reality, CBS Sports only ranked the top 14 coaches. However, if Stefanski wants to be among them in the next iteration of these rankings, then it is clear he needs to not just make the playoffs but advance in it.

Browns Coach Kevin Stefanski’s ‘Inexperience On The Big Stage’ Affects Odd Ranking

JULY 13 – EXCITED—Even while the Pittsburgh Steelers finished last season with a 10-7 record, which was good enough to see them earn a spot in the playoffs, last year feels like a disappointment. not only because the Steelers were blown out in their Wild Card matchup versus the Buffalo Bills but also because they had many flaws that could’ve derailed their season entirely.

The biggest one is their sub-par quarterback play. Former first-round pick Kenny Pickett wasn’t living up to his draft status with his performance on the field, while injuries were also an issue. Pickett couldn’t consistently stay on the field, and his backups, Mitch Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph, also didn’t provide solutions to an offense that ranked near the bottom of the league in many statistical categories.

These offensive struggles led to the Steelers’ overhaul at quarterback. They got rid of Pickett, Trubisky, and Rudolph altogether before signing the previously embattled Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson before trading for another struggling former first-round pick, Justin Fields.

However, despite neither Wilson nor Fields being guaranteed solution to the Steelers’ quarterback issues, running back Najee Harris is still optimistic about the upcoming season.

“Feeling good,” Harris said in a recent interview with DAZN Boxing. “We did good this offseason. Obviously, we picked up our two quarterbacks, so we’re excited about it. We think we’re going to have a lot of good things happening this year.”

Will these supposed quarterback upgrades be enough to help the Steelers fight their way through a tough AFC North? That remains to be seen. Obviously, the Cleveland Browns will hope not.

JULY 12 TOO CHEAP? The Bengals have paid Joe Burrow.

Will they do the same with wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins?

One NFL scout, speaking via the Athlon Sports 2024 Preview magazine, which is now available on newsstands, thinks Cincy ownership might be too “cheap” to do it.

“Yes, the Brown family still has a cheap reputation among agents and players,” the scout said, predicting that “Chase will get done … (but) I could see them letting Higgins walk after this year.”

JUNE 10 WILSON WINS? Is Russell Wilson’s comeback going to include him leading the Steelers to AFC North glory?

Rich Eisen can see it …

“If Russ shows up like DangeRuss Wilson in Seattle and can channel those first few years in Seattle and utilize this opportunity fully aware, who else might give him another one if it does’t work out? Knowing Justin Fields is sitting right there, and he has this opportunity, and he makes the most of it and goes through that Week 11 through (the) end of the season gauntlet successfully,” Eisen said. “What a story it would be.

“What a monster storyline it would be for one of the most passionate fanbases in sports.”

Yeah … Though Cleveland would much prefer a “monster story” featuring, you know, a different “comeback QB.”

JULY 10 TEE TRADE? The Kansas City Chiefs are building their receiver corps, and here comes an idea that could make a really make a difference in the AFC.

In a recent article by Thomas Valentine of PFF, he lists one move that every AFC team should make ahead of training camp. For the reigning Super Bowl champions, he thinks they should make a big splash and trade for Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins.

Do we think this is reality? Nah. But we will say this, from a Browns perspective: Get Tee out of the AFC North!

Cleveland has a lot of challenges in this division in terms of trying to climb back into the playoffs. … so any issues encountered by Cincy … benefits the Browns.

JULY 10 – EXCITED—The AFC North was the best division in the NFL last season. Nothing proves that more than it made history by becoming the first division in the Super Bowl era, where all four teams finished with a winning record.

And potentially, to the fear of Cleveland Browns fans, it could be even tougher as their rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals, head into the season with their starting quarterback, Joe Burrow, fully healthy.

However, it isn’t just the fact that he is returning that could scare the Bengals’ rival fans in the AFC North, but also because, as he revealed in a recent podcast appearance, he feels he has something to prove.

“That’s what happens when you get hurt though. You don’t play football. People forget about you,” Burrow said during his Pardon My Take podcast appearance. “That’s part of the game. If you’re not out there and people aren’t watching you, then there’s nothing to talk about. So I’m going to give people something to talk about this year. I’m excited about it.”

Burrow has proven himself to be one of the league’s top quarterbacks when he is healthy. At his peak, he led the Bengals to the doorstep of a Super Bowl in 2021, as he threw for 4,611 yards, 34 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions while completing a career-best 70.4 percent of his throws.

Can he stay healthy? That is the big question surrounding the Bengals as they look to rebound from their 9-8 season that saw them finish last in the AFC North.

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JULY 9 – Since the viral photo of him in a walking boot, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has been trying to put to rest any injury concerns.

Despite stating he is “great” in a text to a reporter, Prescott once again outright dismissed any notion that he is dealing with a foot injury when speaking with reporters at his annual football camp on Tuesday.

“Literally, it’s absolutely nothing. People are reaching, trying to make things that they aren’t. I’m getting older,” Prescott said of the walking boot. “Have to take care of my body. Have to be smart. If I can take precautions and lessening something by putting on a boot, I’m gonna do it. So, sorry that it caused such a whirlwind.”

Prescott said that the boot was just a precaution. His right ankle, the same one that was surgically repaired in 2020, was sore after training.

The Cowboys will kick off their training camp in Oxnard, California, on July 25, where they will begin preparing for their Week 1 game versus the Cleveland Browns.

JULY 8 – YARD SALE… KIND OF— As the Cleveland Browns’ AFC North rival, the Cincinnati Bengals, carry out their renovations for Paycor Stadium, they are offering fans a unique opportunity to bring a piece of their stadium home.

As first reported by WCPO.com, the Bengals have sold 200 televisions that were used inside the stadium and are set to have another 150 monitors go on sale later. But it isn’t only the fact that these TVs were previously used inside Paycor Stadium that makes it unique; it is also because of the pricing.

The team is offering discount deals. Fans can purchase these TVs for as low as $30 to as high as $60, which is way below market value, to say the least, especially for some of the TVs that feature 85-inch screens.