Thursday’s “First Call” has an interesting anecdote about the Steelers’ hiring process for Mike McCarthy. Aaron Rodgers is still taking shots at the Acrisure Stadium turf.
The Penguins have a tough task Thursday night at PPG Paints Arena. And the Duquesne women’s basketball team is scrapping until the end in the Atlantic 10 Tournament.
From all sources
Sports talk show host Pat McAfee let it slip that the Steelers contacted him about Mike McCarthy before hiring the former Cowboys coach as the replacement for Mike Tomlin.
McCarthy had been a regular guest of McAfee’s during the 2025 NFL campaign after he was dismissed by the Cowboys at the end of the 2024 season.
“I was actually asked by the Pittsburgh Steelers people. We’ve had a lot of people get hired for jobs coming off this show. First time I’ve ever been asked, ‘What was this person like to deal with,’” McAfee revealed during Wednesday’s show.
It’s unclear if “Steelers people” meant Omar Khan, Art Rooney II or Andy Weidl. Regardless, McAfee said he gave McCarthy high marks, claiming the coach was “fully invested” in the program.
“Every week, this guy was more prepared than anybody else. He came with ideas. He came with thoughts, ‘Hey, I saw this, I think this.’ We’d say something, and he’d go, ‘I never thought of that.’ Then he’d sit there and take an actual genuine thought of it.”
The comments came from McAfee in the middle of a segment with Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He also had a lot of fond things to say about McCarthy during the interview.
"Mike McCarthy is one of the great guys in the league and he really cares about the players..
He's an exceptional human being with a big heart"@AaronRodgers12#PMSLivepic.twitter.com/8GEinQNRI4
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 4, 2026
Rodgers played under McCarthy from 2006-18 in Green Bay.
Not all positive
In general, Rodgers heaped praise on Pittsburgh and his time with the Steelers during the interview, even though he has yet to make up his mind about playing here again in 2026.
Now up at #BreakfastWithBenz–The only thing Aaron Rodgers owes the Steelers is a timely answer. So why not give them one? https://t.co/pN2yaoJHLM@TribSports@TribLIVE
— Tim Benz (@TimBenzPGH) March 5, 2026
Rodgers gushed about his teammates, the people of Pittsburgh, the stadium atmosphere and even the “Renegade” tradition.
One thing Rodgers panned, though, was the stadium’s grass field.
“Just seeing the response from the fans, how much they loved the black and gold. And then, Acrisure, other than the field surface itself, is a great place to play,” Rodgers said.
This isn’t the first time that Rodgers has taken a jab at the Acrisure Stadium playing surface. He called it “borderlineunplayable” after a game against Cleveland in Week 6 of last year.
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Squaring off
The Penguins are playing their last game before the NHL trade deadline. The Buffalo Sabres are in town Thursday night. The deadline is at 3 p.m. Friday.
The Sabres haven’t lost since they last played the Penguins. That was a 5-2 Pittsburgh victory on the road in the final game before the Olympic break for both teams on Feb. 5. Avery Hayes and Ben Kindel scored two goals apiece for the Pens that night.
The kids came to play tonight ????
Avery Hayes and Ben Kindel became the sixth set of @penguins rookies to each score two goals in the same game. pic.twitter.com/oSCCNE0l9K
— Penguins PR (@PenguinsPR) February 6, 2026
Since the NHL has returned to play from the Olympics, it has been a mixed bag for the Pens. They have won two home games against New Jersey and Las Vegas. They dropped a pair of road games against the New York Rangers and in Boston.
The Sabres, meanwhile, have won all four of the games since the NHLers have been back from Italy. Lindy Ruff’s group has beaten New Jersey, Florida, Tampa Bay and Vegas. They have allowed only seven goals in those four games. Team USA gold medalist Tage Thompson has scored in three of those games and has five points in those contests.
Both teams are in second place in their respective divisions. The Pens and New York Islanders have 75 points apiece in the Metropolitan Division, nine back of Carolina. The Sabres have 78 points, two back of Tampa.
TSN is reporting that the Sabres are about to acquire defenseman Colton Parayko from the St. Louis Blues. That’s provided the Team Canada blueliner waves his no-movement clause, according to ESPN.com.
Not done yet
The Duquesne women’s basketball team is still alive after winning its first Atlantic 10 Tournament game of 2026. The Dukes beat VCU, 60-52, on Wednesday.
Coach Dan Burt’s team used a 21-9 third-quarter surge to get the job done. Freshman Alexis Bordas had 24 points.
Tickling the twine like usual ????#GoDukes | @bordas_alexispic.twitter.com/hDdNDBamM4
— Duquesne Women’s Basketball (@DuqWBB) March 4, 2026
Bordas averaged 25.3 points over three games against the Rams this season. Mackenzie Blackford had 17 points. Raven Washington chipped in with nine points and nine rebounds.
Next up, the Dukes (12-18, 4-14 Atlantic 10) play St. Joseph’s (19-10, 10-8) at 1:30 p.m Thursday. The Hawks finished fifth in the conference and had a bye on Wednesday. They dropped the Dukes twice this season.
A year ago, Duquesne won its first-round tournament game against Fordham before losing to Richmond. St. Joe’s lost 73-58 in the conference title game to George Mason.
As for the Robert Morris women’s team, they lost 73-43 to Purdue Fort Wayne in the first round of the Horizon League Tournament Wednesday night.