Steelers insider Gerry Dulac thinks Jon Gruden could be the replacement if the door is ever open. Poni threw out a few names that could be the realistic OCs of the future, including Jay Gruden and Jim Caldwell. Poni said Mike Tomlin trusts both names. Chris said Caldwell would be his easy choice of the two.

Happy Birthday TJ Watt. 

Aditi Kinkhabwala from the NFL on CBS joined the show. The guys asked if CBS shows Matt Canada more during broadcasts because they are aware of his status with the team and the city. Aditi also tuned into the Pens game last night and thinks the chants to fire Canada at that venue are overdoing it at this point. She said if people want Canada gone so badly, they have to admit that it is more about Mike Tomlin. Aditi said there is more to the touchdown reaction than what CBS showed us on the broadcast. Aditi agreed that she would rather be a team like the Bengals, who could be back on the right track but are 2-3 with 2 division losses rather than 3-2 and have the offense looking the way it does for the Steelers. Aditi ranted about the Steelers lack of identity on offense without having a single rushing touchdown this season. Aditi would not dismiss the story about Byron Leftwich being blown off by the Steelers. 

Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk joined the show. Poni told Mike about the name mentioned in a Steelers insider chat earlier today about a Matt Canada replacement – Jon Gruden. Mike thinks it would be a very risky move to bring a guy like that in after the leaked emails, etc. but maybe the Steelers can pull it off. Mike doesn’t think Art Rooney cares about any chants made at any sporting venue, but there is the element of keeping fans happy. The guys asked Mike what can truly change during the bye week after the Steelers made such a big deal of that being their turnaround spot last season. Mike reiterated how much he likes George Pickens and why he’s an easy centerpiece to the Steelers offense. 

The guys broke down what Matt Canada said to the media earlier today. 

Former Penguin Tyler Kennedy joined the show. TK talked about the Pens opening night loss and his thoughts on the team that was on the ice. He gave his thoughts on Connor Bedard, the next big thing who made his debut with the Blackhawks. He talked about what playing a new phenom means to someone like Sidney Crosby and what having another big star means to the league. TK thinks they can be a good team – a playoff team – but not a Stanley Cup team. The guys asked how the players will adjust to playing with Erik Karlsson and how Karlsson will adjust to playing with them. 

93.7 The Fan personality Chris Mack joined the show. Chris previewed the next episode of “Oh Momma!” when he sits down with the captain of the 2008 Steelers defense, James Farrior. 

It is NHL Opening Night. Poni has guaranteed the Penguins will win the Stanley Cup. Chris said not so fast, but thinks they should absolutely win a playoff series and possibly the Eastern Conference Final. The guys talked about the big moves of the off-season, led by Kyle Dubas trading for Erik Karlsson. 

Are the Pens too old to make a true run for a title? They are yet again the oldest team in the league, but are they built the right way to make it happen? 

Penguins winger Rickard Rakell joined the show. Rickard talked about his relationship with Erik Karlsson, who is the Penguins’ big off-season addition. He said he’s always been a superstar player. Rickard talked about what he has been working on to get better. Rickard said he feels hungry and is excited about what the Pens can do this season. He talked about his dream growing up about playing pro hockey and how he made it happen. Rickard said the NHL has become a much faster league, which is different from the game that was more about strength when he first entered. Rickard said Mats Sundin and Peter Forsberg were two players he watched a lot growing up. 

Kenny Pickett seems to like where the Steelers are going into the bye week. Do you? Chris said it’s a terrible offense and he doesn’t like where they are. 

Chris posed a question to Poni and Donny. The guys debated if the Steelers would be better off how they are now or at 2-3 with Kenny Pickett looking more like a stud. 

Ben Roethlisberger can see that Kenny Pickett is bailing from pockets too quickly. Kenny offered a rebuttal and said he has the athleticism to make plays outside of the pocket. 

One of our top callers shared his excitement for hockey season. 

Should the Steelers answer the phone when Byron Leftwich calls? Even if it’s known why he’s calling, why not at least answer and be open to new ideas? 

The hockey season begins tonight. How much more interesting are the Penguins with the acquisition of Erik Karlsson? Chris said there is a freshness because the team didn’t make the playoffs last season.

It looks like Diontae Johnson will be back when the Steelers take the field in LA in 2 weeks. Kenny Pickett said he is excited to see Johnson’s return. Chris thinks it will be a huge help for the young QB because of how open Johnson is able to get. Caller defended Lamar Jackson and called him the best QB in the AFC North. 

Donny predicted Connor McDavid to win MVP and said the Pens are an Eastern Conference Final team. 

Was the Erik Karlsson move the perfect shot in the arm for the Penguins? How far can this team go? The guys said they loved the move to get one of the best players in hockey and how it can pay off in a big way. They both credited the organization for not settling with what they had.