Tuesday’s “First Call” has the latest destination for former Pittsburgh Steeler Kenny Pickett. Some NFC East teams are showing interest in Patrick Queen. The Penguins face the best in the Metropolitan Division.
And we look at the odds for Pitt and Duquesne to stay alive in the postseason.
Pickett on the prowl
Ex-Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett is on the move yet again.
The former Pitt Panther is now a Carolina Panther. That’s via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Panthers, QB Kenny Pickett agree to one-year deal worth up to $7.5M. (via @tompelissero) pic.twitter.com/zfyKr96f8F
— NFL (@NFL) March 9, 2026
In Charlotte, that $7.5 million has $4 million in guarantees. Pickett will likely be Bryce Young’s backup with Andy Dalton on the trade block.
Since being drafted out of the University of Pittsburgh in 2022, Pickett has already been a member of the Steelers, Eagles, Browns and Raiders. In Las Vegas last year, Pickett was behind Geno Smith on the depth chart. He got into in six games and made two starts, completing 62.2 percent of his passes. His passer rating was 60.2 at a yards per attempt of just 4.2.
Queen for more than a day in Dallas?
The Dallas Cowboys are reportedly interested in trading for Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen. That’s according to Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
He also reports that the Philadelphia Eagles might want Queen.
Cowboys have been largely wiped out at LB. Been a tough day there in Dallas, no other way to put it.
I’m keeping an eye on Patrick Queen at the moment. A handful of teams have called Pittsburgh about a trade here (including the Eagles). Dallas has kept a hand in that mix for…
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) March 10, 2026
According to SI, Dallas reportedly tried to land Green Bay’s Quay Walker and Philadelphia’s Nakobe Dean. They both signed in Las Vegas. The club also discussed Jaguars star Devin Lloyd. He went to Carolina.
Queen is entering the final season of a three-year, $41 million contract. The Steelers reportedly extended Cole Holcomb as a potential buffer for any move involving Queen at the position.
Now who?
With Robert Morris losing in the Horizon League semifinal to Detroit Mercy on Monday night (70-64), it’s up to either Pitt or Duquesne to make the NCAA Tournament.
Via BetRivers, the Dukes are plus-3300 to win the Atlantic 10 Tournament in their own city. That’s seventh on the odds board. The contest gets going Wednesday with games at PPG Paints Arena.
The Dukes host Rhode Island at 5 p.m. on Thursday. Odds are not yet available, but ESPN analytics gives Rhode Island a 56% chance to win. The two teams have split their two regular season games against each other this season.
Saint Louis is the favorite to win the tournament at plus-135. The longest shot is Loyola-Chicago at plus 25,000.
Meanwhile, Pitt is plus-25,000 to win the ACC Tournament in Charlotte. As the 15-seed, the Panthers are 4.5-point underdogs at 2 p.m. in first-round action Tuesday.
At minus -335, Duke is a heavy favorite to win the ACC. Virginia is next at plus-700.
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Hurricane force
While the Atlantic 10 Tournament is at PPG Paints Arena, the Penguins are on the road for a while. In fact, they won’t play a home game again until March 21. That’s a Saturday afternoon game against Winnipeg.
They are on the road for the next five games, starting Tuesday against Carolina. It’s a 7 p.m. faceoff between the Metropolitan Division’s two best teams.
The Canes sit atop the division with 86 points, best in the Eastern Conference. The Pens are eight back with 76. That’s one point in front of the third-place New York Islanders, and four in front of fourth-place Columbus. The top 3 teams in each division automatically make the playoffs.
Carolina has 23 home wins, the most in the Eastern Conference. With 40 wins overall, only Colorado has more (43) in the entire NHL.
Carolina has been off since Saturday, recovering from a long road trip. They split four Western Conference games, beating Vancouver and Edmonton but losing to the Calgary Flames and Seattle Kraken.
The Hurricanes lost in Pittsburgh 5-1 on Dec. 30. The Pens also wrap up the road trip in Carolina on March 18, and then host them on March 22.
In between dates with the Canes, coach Dan Muse’s club is in Las Vegas Thursday, Utah on Saturday and Colorado Monday.