On his weekly mailbag podcast, Post-Gazette Pirates insider Noah Hiles answers reader questions. Among them: Will owner Bob Nutting consider selling the team after its slow start to 2025 and amid relentless scrutiny from fans? Are Billy Cook and Nick Yorke MLB caliber players? Or just more bad trade returns for GM Ben Cherington? Will 2024 first-round MLB draft pick Konnor Griffin be promoted more quickly through the minor league system as a result of his early success? Should Cherington trade from his pitching surplus with names like Mitch Keller, Bubba Chandler and Hunter Barco to acquire more capable bats for his lineup? Will Matt Gorski, Henry Davis and Liover Peguero ever get regular MLB playing time?

Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey joins host Adam Bittner to react to a busy week of Pittsburgh sports news.

Are GM Omar Khan and coach Mike Tomlin signaling an intention to punt on the 2025 season after trading George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys? And allowing names like Najee Harris, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields to leave via NFL free agency in exchange for compensatory picks for the 2026 NFL draft? Or are they still serious about winning if they're keeping T.J. Watt in Pittsburgh and pursuing QB Aaron Rodgers on the open market? And how smart would it be to position for 2026 and its loaded QB class that includes names like Arch Manning, Drew Allar, Nico Iamaleava and LaNorris Sellers?

Our duo tackles those questions, then talks Penguins and Penn State football. Should GM Kyle Dubas regret the team's winning ways to end the season? Which resulted in the 11th overall pick in the upcoming NHL draft? Who are the candidates Jason is mostly looking toward to replace Mike Sullivan as coach? And did Nittany Lions coach James Franklin accomplish what he needed to in the transfer portal this offseason? Adding names like Syracuse WR Trebor Pena and North Carolina linebacker Amare Campbell to a team that hopes to compete for a College Football Playoff national title?

Post-Gazette Pirates insiders Noah Hiles and Colin Beazley break down the Pirates' series sweep, their second in a row, at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals, which concluded Wednesday afternoon with a 5-0 loss, their seventh in a row. The conversation starts with a rundown of the last six years of the Ben Cherington and Derek Shelton era, with some surprise that a season with moderately expectations — internally, at least — has gone the way it has. Is it time for a managerial change or in the front office? Then Noah describes what he saw on his trip to St. Louis and how bad the vibes have gotten in the Pirates clubhouse. What went wrong during the sweep? Is Paul Skenes pitching well enough? What can Pirates bats like Andrew McCutchen, Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds do so the team stops squandering quality starts from pitchers like Skenes and Mitch Keller. Colin and Noah finish by looking ahead at this weekend's three-game set against the Braves and pondering what a successful series looks like.

Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise reacts to the day in Pittsburgh sports news live around 5 p.m. Eastern, primarily the Steelers' decision to trade George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a third-round pick in next year's NFL draft.

How does this move fit into a confusing offseason so far, one that's included big additions in DK Metcalf, Kenneth Gainwell and Darius Slay Jr; big subtractions in the form of Najee Harris, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields; plus a protracted pursuit of quarterback Aaron Rodgers? Are general manager Omar Khan and coach Mike Tomlin serious about competing this year? Or are they looking toward the 2026 NFL draft, in which they now have a basket of picks to pursue a quarterback like Arch Manning, Drew Allar, Nico Iamaleava and LaNorris Sellers?

Paul tackles those questions and more on the football front, then talks Pirates and manager Derek Shelton's future after another series loss vs. the St. Louis Cardinals.

On the Wednesday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Edgar Snyder & Associates, Post-Gazette Steelers insiders Christopher Carter and Ray Fittipaldo react to the team's decision to trade WR George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys.

Why would GM Omar Khan and coach Mike Tomlin make this move now? After the NFL draft? If they thought they might trade Pickens, why didn't they draft a starter-quality receiver to pair with DK Metcalf? Could the team still sign a free agent like Keenan Allen or Amari Cooper? And could internal options like Calvin Austin III, Robert Woods and Roman Wilson step up?

Our duo tackles those questions and more beyond the receivers room. How might the deal impact the team's pursuit of Aaron Rodgers in NFL free agency? And is the team clearly signaling an interest in acquiring a QB in the deep 2026 draft, the could include names such as Arch Manning, Drew Allar, Nico Iamaleava and LaNorris Sellers?

Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise reacts to the day in Pittsburgh sports news live around 5 p.m. Eastern.

He welcomes Washington Wild Things general manager Tony Buselli to analyze the Pirates' most recent losing funk, which included a loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night. Is this team fixable around stars like Paul Skenes, Oneil Cruz and Andrew McCutchen? Does manager Derek Shelton have the right answers? Or could his time in the dugout be running short? And what should general manager Ben Cherington do with struggling hitters like Tommy Pham, Jack Suwinski and Jared Triolo?

On his weekly Chipped Ham & Football podcast, Post-Gazette Steelers insider Brian Batko welcomes Akron Beacon Journal Browns insider Chris Easterling to discuss the AFC North rival's chaotic offseason that has former Steelers at the center of it.

What is going on with Kenny Pickett and the crowded QB room? Where does he fit in with names including Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and lightning rod Shedeur Sanders? Why did GM Andrew Berry and coach Kevin Stefanski decide to sign Diontae Johnson despite his strange journey since last offseason? What's going on with Devin Bush following his arrest? And how will draft picks including Mason Graham, Quinshon Judkins, and Dylan Sampson help the cause? Our duo tackles those questions and more.

Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise reacts to the day in Pittsburgh sports news live around 5 p.m. Eastern.

Is former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger underrated compared to names like Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and others as former Baltimore Ravens rival Terrell Suggs suggested on a podcast recently? Or does he get his just due around the league?

Paul offers thoughts on that topic, plus the continuing fallout from the NFL draft and general manager Omar Khan's selection of names like Derrick Harmon, Kaleb Johnson, Jack Sawyer and Will Howard.

Then later, Paul reacts to the Pirates' weekend sweep at the hands of the San Diego Padres and ponders the future of manager Derek Shelton. Should he be coaching for his job over the next couple of weeks? Will Oneil Cruz, Andrew McCutchen and the offense ever catch up to Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller and the pitching? And is there any hope left for this season with the team already more than 10 games under the .500 mark?

Pirates insider Noah Hiles previews the upcoming series with the St. Louis Cardinals, a team Pittsburgh has actually had some success against this season. Can the Pirates take advantage of what has been bad pitching from the Cardinals? Will Carmen Mlodzinski be making his final start for a while? And what is this series' bold prediction?

On the Monday edition of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Edgar Snyder & Associates, Post-Gazette Steelers insiders Christopher Carter and Ray Fittipaldo analyze the offensive line after GM Omar Khan and coach Mike Tomlin chose not to add to it via the NFL draft.

Is that a sign of confidence in young players including Broderick Jones, Troy Fautanu, Mason McCormick and Zach Frazier? What are reasonable expectations for that group this season as they look to provide better blocking to RBs Kaleb Johnson, Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell? And better protection for QBs including Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and --possibly -- Aaron Rodgers?

Later, the guys take a look at how the CB room is coming together with names like Donte Kent and Darius Slay joining Joey Porter Jr., Cory Tice Jr. and Beanie Bishop. And they take a look at how AFC North rivals including the Ravens, Bengals and Browns performed in the NFL draft, with big names including Shedeur Sanders, Quinshon Judkins, Shemar Stewart and Malaki Starks entering the fray.