Pickett denies he refused to be backup to Rudolph

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett denied he refused to play the backup role to

Mason Rudolph, declaring such reports disappointing and without merit.

Pickett said he was not available to back up Rudolph on Sunday in Seattle because he still was recovering from surgery to accelerate recovery from a high-ankle sprain against Arizona in Week 13.

Mitch Trubisky started the next two games, both losses, before coach

Mike Tomlin handed the ball to Rudolph, who is 2-0 as the starter.

Trubisky was the backup to Rudolph on Sunday, but Pickett will be the No. 2 quarterback behind Rudolph at Baltimore this Saturday.

Pittsburgh radio host

Mark Madden had said on X (formerly Twitter) that Pickett “100 percent refused to be the backup” in the loss to the Seahawks.

Pickettt denied that Tuesday.

“I saw reports out there I feel were attacking my character and how I am as a person,” he said. “There was no talk of me being a backup quarterback this week ...

“If I was healthy enough to play and trainers and coaches felt like I looked good enough to play, I was going to start and play.”

On Monday, Tomlin said the Steelers would stick with Rudolph in a pivotal regular-season finale at Baltimore. The Ravens clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC and could rest key players, including quarterback

Lamar Jackson, in order to hit the postseason at full strength.

Rudolph, 28, has completed 68.5 percent of his passes in his three appearances overall for 567 yards and two touchdowns. He has not thrown an INT.

JETS WAIVE DALVIN COOK Dalvin

Running back

Cook and the New York Jets have parted ways with one game left in the season, according to his agency, LAA Sports.

The move will allow Cook to sign with a contending team ahead of the playoffs.

ESPN reported that Cook agreed to restructure his deal, forfeiting any remaining guaranteed money on his contract.

After six seasons in Minnesota, Cook was released by the Vikings in June, a month before the start of training camp. During his time with the Vikings, the Florida State product rushed for 5,993 yards and 47 touchdowns and was named to the Pro Bowl four times.

The Jets hosted Cook on a visit on July 30 before signing him to a one-year deal worth $7 million, including $5.8 million guaranteed.

Gang Green signed Cook because Breece Hall was coming off a season-ending ACL injury. The team was also going all in trying to contend for a Super Bowl with the addition of quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

The hope was Cook and Hall would form the best running back tandem in the NFL. But in 15 games, Cook posted the worst numbers of his career. He rushed for 214 yards on 67 attempts (3.2 yards per carry).

MCVAY: I’LL BE BACK

Any retirement talk about Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay can be put on hold after he confirmed he will be on the sideline again next season.

At this time last year, McVay said he was wrestling with how long he would remain in the profession as he started a family. He and his wife welcomed their first child in October. But with his Rams on the doorstep of the playoffs, and McVay seven wins from setting the team record for victories as head coach (John Robinson, 75), he doesn’t want to leave any doubt about his status for 2024.

“That I can promise you,” McVay told host J.B. Long when asked if there would be a “Coach McVay Show” next season.

McVay turns 38 on Jan. 24. He was hired in 2017, guiding the Rams to a Super Bowl LVI win while building a 69-45 regularseason record (7-3 postseason). With one more win this season, McVay will have the Rams (9-7) back in the playoffs.

The Rams signed Brett Maher, who kicked in seven games for the team earlier this season. He was cut and replaced by rookie Lucas Havrisik, who was waived Monday. Havrasik missed two extra points in the Rams’ 26-25 win at the New York Giants this weekend.

ELSEWHERE

Falcons: Atlanta (7-9), which still has a slim chance to make the playoffs, might need to switch quarterbacks for Sunday’s game at New Orleans.

Taylor Heinicke started Sunday’s loss at Chicago and injured his left ankle. He was replaced by Desmond Ridder, who also has been a starter this season. Coach Arthur Smith said the team should “have a good idea by Friday” whether Heinicke will be able to play. He is the more experienced of the two, but he tossed three interceptions and just one touchdown on 10-of-29 passing Sunday.

49ers: With San Francisco having clinched the NFC’s top seed, running back Christian McCaffrey won’t play Sunday at home against the Rams, ESPN reported. McCaffrey, who has 21 touchdowns and leads the NFL with 2,023 all-purpose yards, was suffered a calf injury Sunday against Washington. Third-year back Elijah Mitchell is the likely starter.

Obituary: Frank Ryan, the last quarterback to win an NFL title with the Cleveland Browns, died Monday atf 87. He died at a nursing home in Connecticut, where his family said he had battled Alzheimer’s disease.

Ryan threw three touchdowns to Gary Collins ina 27-0 shutout of the Baltimore Colts in the NFL championship game in Cleveland on Dec. 27,

1964.

He earned three Pro

Bowl selections in seven seasons with the Browns.

Ryan later earned a

Ph.D. at Rice and later taught mathematics. He worked for 10 years as the athletic director at Yale.