Comments from former Steelers coach Bill Cowher are likely to keep the Aaron Rodgers speculation going in Pittsburgh.

An ex-Steeler is on his way out of New England. Television ratings for the Super Bowl were good — and for some very specific reasons.

We have an idea of how Sidney Crosby will be used by Team Canada if he is healthy enough to skate. And the Pitt hoops team is playing a pivotal game in Texas on Tuesday night.

All that in Tuesday’s “First Call.”

He didn’t say ‘No’

Former Steelers coach Bill Cowher stopped short of dismissing all the talk about Aaron Rodgers coming to Pittsburgh.

Cowher was on “The Dan Patrick Show” on Monday. The Hall of Famer said he expects Rodgers to play again next year, even though Fox’s Jay Glazer reported that the New York Jets are moving on from him as the franchise’s quarterback.

“I think he wants to play. I think there’s going to be a place for him, somewhere,” Cowher insisted. “He’s going to go to his dark place. He’s going to come out. You never know where Aaron’s coming from. But I think if he puts his mind to it, he can still throw it. He can still move around fine. It’s got to be the right place for him. The right situation. I just don’t think he’s going to want to feel like he got run out this year from the New York Jets. I just don’t think he wants to go out on that note. So I’m going to say — somewhere — he’s going to land.”

Patrick asked Cowher if he thought Pittsburgh could be that place.

“Yeah,” Cowher said with a sigh. “I don’t know where they are right now in terms of their quarterback situation with Russell (Wilson) and Justin (Fields). I think a decision has to be made: ‘What’s the future plan, and what is the plan in the interim?’”

If the “interim plan” is just to maintain 9-8 until the Steelers find a “future plan” at quarterback, then Rodgers might be able to do that. Then again, he and the Jets just went 5-12 this year with him playing in all 17 games.

”I think there’s going to be a sense of urgency, taking some guys on the back end of their careers. T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward. They’re in the latter stages of their careers. So they want to win now,” Cowher continued. “That’s a big part of what they want to do, but you’ve also got to have a plan moving forward and at that position. There will be dialogue there, but those will be conversations taking place in that building.”

That said, many of Wilson’s numbers were actually better than Rodgers’were. While Wilson played in fewer games, he put up a slightly better passer rating (95.6) than Rodgers (90.5). Wilson averaged more yards per attempt (7.4 to 6.7). His completion percentage was slightly better (63.7% to 63%). Their yards-per-game numbers were nearly identical (225 for Wilson and 229 for Rodgers).

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Wilson was sacked 33 times in 11 games. Rodgers went down 40 times in 17 games. That was a problem for both QBs in 2024. It will be again behind the Steelers’ offensive line in 2025.

Also, keep in mind that Rodgers had Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams to throw to for most of the season. As the starter, Wilson only got eight healthy games out of George Pickens.

Yet the Steelers and Wilson beat Rodgers and the Jets 37-15 in Wilson’s first start in Pittsburgh on Oct. 21.

Okorafor out in New England

It sounds like the New England Patriots are cutting ties with former Steelers offensive tackle Chuks Okorafor. That’s according to a report from Field Yates of ESPN.

This move by the Patriots allows Okorafor to sign with another NFL team immediately. Had they waited, he would have had to wait until the start of the free agency contact period on March 10.

The 27-year-old tackle departed Pittsburgh for Foxborough in free agency during the 2024 offseason. He signed a one-year deal worth $4 million.

However, he left the team after being benched during the Patriots’ Week 1 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. As a result, Okorafor was placed on the exempt/left team list. That ended his season in New England almost as quickly as it began.

Okorafor didn’t exactly leave Pittsburgh under great circumstances either. He was released by the Steelers in 2024 with a year remaining on his contract. That followed a mid-season benching in 2023 when he mouthed off on the sideline during a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Perhaps that vacancy opens a roster hole for current Steelers tackle Dan Moore to fill in New England. He’ll be a free agent in March.

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Fox flashes

For all the talk from people who said they weren’t going to watch the Super Bowl because they hated both teams, that didn’t seem to translate into low ratings for Sunday’s big game.

Neither did the fact that the Philadelphia Eagles throttled the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22.

According to Fox (via ProFootballTalk.com), the Super Bowl brought in 126 million viewers. That’s an all-time record, even though viewership for the NFL was down 2% this year overall.

Fox’s numbers were aided by some factors. Tubi’s free streaming certainly helped. Also, Nielsen changed rating measurements to better account for simulcasts across all platforms, including Fox Deportes, Tubi, Telemundo, NFL Digital and Fox itself.

Furthermore, Nielsen also tweaked its measurement methods to better account for out-of-home viewership in places such as bars, hotels and restaurants.

On Sid’s side

It appears Sidney Crosby will be healthy enough to play for Team Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off. The country’s first game is against Sweden on Wednesday night at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

Crosby has been dealing with an arm injury since a Penguins’ loss against the New Jersey Devils on Feb. 4. He missed the team’s last two games against the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers. However, Crosby declared himself “good to go” when asked if he was ready to play Monday, although head coach Jon Cooper stopped short of ruling him into the lineup.

That said, Cooper did have the team captain on a loaded power play unit during practice Monday. Crosby was deployed with Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers, Sam Reinhart of the Florida Panthers, and Colorado Avalanche stars Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon.

That’s 113 total goals between the five men this year. Brayden Point — who is tied atop the NHL with former Penguin and current Tampa Bay Lightning teammate Jake Guenztel at 13 power-play goals — is actually on the other unit.

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At even strength, Crosby worked with MacKinnon and Vegas’ Mark Stone.

Gotta get right

The Pitt Panther basketball team needs to get itself on track Wednesday as it travels to Texas for a road game at Southern Methodist University. That’s a 9 p.m. start in Dallas County.

The Panthers have lost three in a row and seven of their past nine games. Jeff Capel’s crew has sunk to 14-9 (5-7 ACC). Meanwhile, the Mustangs are enjoying their first year in the ACC. They are 18-5 and 9-3 in conference play. That’s good for fifth place in the standings. The Panthers are tied for ninth.

This is a crucial game for both teams. ESPN.com’s bracketology currently has the Mustangs in the “first four out” line of the tournament. Pitt is atop the “next four out” batch.

Entering Wednesday night’s play, SMU was 40th in the NET rankings. Pitt was 47th.

Since Jan. 11, the Mustangs have been 7-1. Their only loss occurred at home to 25th-ranked Louisville, 98-73.