Pittsburgh Steelers: Chuck Clark Becomes Latest Former Raven to Join Steelers
The list of former Baltimore Ravens who have joined the Pittsburgh Steelers keeps growing.
Veteran safety Chuck Clark signed with the Steelers last week, joining linebackers Patrick Queen, Malik Harrison, Jeremiah Moon, and safety DeShon Elliott as former Ravens on Pittsburgh's current roster.
Clark said seeing so many former teammates on the other side of the Ravens-Steelers rivalry will smooth his transition.
"It's definitely cool to come in and see familiar faces," Clark said via Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "Just coming into a new building like the new kid in school, honestly. It feels good coming in and knowing guys who are already here."
Harrison, who signed with the Steelers during free agency, put in a good word for Clark.
"He's a guy that you want on the team," Harrison said. "I still learn from him, still ask him questions. Chuck is a hard worker. He knows what he's doing. He's gonna bring hella effort and energy."
How Clark fits into Pittsburgh's secondary remains to be seen. Elliott and Juan Thornhill have been taking first-team reps at safety during training camp, with Clark on the second team alongside Sebastian Castro or Miles Killebrew. Versatile Pro Bowl defensive back Jalen Ramsey could also swing between corner and safety.
However, Clark was an astute and dependable player during his six-year run in Baltimore (2017-22) before signing with the New York Jets during free agency in 2023. Clark played 1,248 consecutive defensive snaps with the Ravens before he departed, then suffered a torn ACL in training camp with the Jets and missed the entire 2023 season. The 30-year-old Clark had 69 tackles in 12 games with the Jets last season and said he's healthy again.
"I got hurt. That's part of the game," Clark said. "You play this game, things are gonna happen. I was clean for so long, but you got to take what comes with the game, the ups and the downs.
"This is a first for me, coming in this late, having to pick up the playbook. I know football. That's one thing, for sure. It's just putting terminology to it and the defensive scheme and concepts, but I know where to be."
In other Steelers roster news, they released veteran running back/returner Cordarrelle Patterson.
Cincinnati Bengals: Shemar Stewart Joins Camp As Trey Hendrickson Continues Holdout
Now that Shemar Stewart has signed and joined practice, the biggest concern for the Cincinnati Bengals is their contract negotiations with Trey Hendrickson.
According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, talks continue between the Bengals and Hendrickson, who is holding out after leading the league in sacks last season (17.5).
"My understanding is the sides are still talking. There is some back and forth," Pelissero said, via Dave Clark of the Cincinnati Enquirer. "The total dollars should not really be a complicated matter here. The market is pretty well set after Maxx Crosby and Danielle Hunter and Myles Garrett got their deals.
"This is about the Bengals' longstanding policy that they don't guarantee money beyond Year 1. They only guarantee the signing bonus. Well, they broke that with Joe Burrow. They broke that with Ja'Marr Chase. Are they going to do the same thing with Trey Hendrickson? If they don't, if they won't give him any future guarantees, Hendrickson's made it very clear: He's not playing this season on his existing contract."
Meanwhile, Stewart took his first practice reps on Sunday after being the league’s final first-round pick to sign. The rookie edge rusher hopes to catch up on the offseason time he missed. The Bengals are counting on the 17th-overall pick from Texas A&M to strengthen their pass rush and overall defense.
"Now I've got to make my mark. I can't tell you how long I've been dreaming about this," Stewart said via Geoff Hobson of CincinnatiBengals.com. "Both sides just found some even ground. We both thought it would be beneficial for us to stop arguing and just get me back on the field."
Cleveland Browns: Shedeur Sanders Isn't Worrying About Lack of Reps
With Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel vying for the Browns' starting quarterback job, practice reps are hard to come by. Sanders had not taken any first-team reps during the first three days of camp, according to various reports, but he's focusing on making the most of the action he gets.
"I feel like that it's not in my control, so I'm not going to think about that or even have that in my thought process of why it is," Sanders said via Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com. "There's a lot of people who want to have the opportunity to be at this level, and I'm here and I'm thankful to have the opportunity. So, whenever that is, that is.
"It doesn't make me feel down or left out because I know who I am as a person. I know who I am as an individual and I know what I could bring to this team. So, I can never feel less than any circumstance."
Head Coach Kevin Stefanski said the quarterback rotation would be reassessed before Week 2.
"Listen, I think the big thing for me is putting our guys in a position where we can evaluate them," Stefanski said via Pro Football Talk and the Browns’ website. "I think they did a great job in the spring. All four of those guys, I will continue to put them in some situations, but ultimately, we'd love to make decisions sooner than later."
