Steelers at Falcons Week 1: 'Sick' Kirk Asking to Get 'Popped!'

AUG 5 POPPED Kirk Cousins is prepping for his Atlanta Falcons debut on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1, and in part because he's rehabbed from an Achilles tear last October, he's looking forward to one unusual aspect of the game.

"In a sick way, you do (want) to get popped,” Cousins said. “I’ll probably tell the first guy that hits me, ‘Thank you!'' ... It’s good to get that taste of blood in your mouth a little bit.”

The Steelers defense, which prides itself on "popping'' and "blood,'' will no doubt be happy to comply.

AUG 4 DEEBO? OK, so the San Francisco 49ers are not trading wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk to the Steelers, or to anybody else. He's got his new deal.

So ... the rumor mill in The Bay suggested that receiver Deebo Samuel might be moved. How about to the Steelers? Nope. We can probably kill that, too.

The 49ers have just created $16.4 million in cap space by restructuring Samuel's contract, moving his money around in a way that increases the likelihood that he's staying put in San Francisco.

The Steelers will open NFL Week 1 against the Falcons ... and they'll do so with incumbent George Pickens as their top wideout.

AUGUST 31 - WATKINS - Despite failing to make the Pittsburgh Steelers 53-man roster this offseason, veteran receiver Quez Watkins will remain with the team as a practice squad member.

The former Philadelphia Eagles receiver signed with the Steelers back in April after spending his first four seasons with the other Pennsylvania NFL team. In four seasons with the Eagles, Watkins played in 49 games, totaling 1,249 yards and six touchdowns on 98 receptions.

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AUGUST 31 - PRACTICE SQUAD— While the 53-man roster was just recently set, that doesn't mean teams will stop making moves ahead of the regular season kickoff. For the Pittsburgh Steelers , the most recent additions have been made to the practice squad.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter , the Steelers have added a trio of veterans. The Steelers added former Philadelphia Eagles running back Boston Scott, ex-Los Angeles Rams receiver Ben Skowronek, and former Denver Broncos receiver Brandon Johnson.

Seeing the Steelers double up on receiver reinforcements isn't surprising, considering it is still arguably the team's biggest remaining need heading into the season. This makes it seem like a real possibility that one or both Skowronek and Johnson find themselves called up to the 53-man roster at some point.

AUGUST 30 - WORKOUTS— While the Pittsburgh Steelers trimmed their roster down to the 53-man limit earlier in the week, they are still considering potential free-agent additions as they prepare for the upcoming season.

The latest potential additions include four players the Steelers brought in Thursday for a workout. According to the KPRC2 's Aaron Wilson, the Steelers worked out offensive guard Nouredin Nouili, defensive ends Kenneth Odumegwu and Adetokunbo Ogundeji, and safety Ayo Oyelola.

It is unclear whether the Steelers were considering these players as potential 53-man roster or practice squad additions. However, at the very least, the Steelers are keeping their eyes on potential signings.

AUGUST 30 - WATSON RESTRUCTURE - While NFL free agency has come to a screeching halt compared to what it was in March, that hasn't stopped the Cleveland Browns from giving themselves more cap space flexibility.

The Pittsburgh Steelers ' AFC North rival made a rather eye-popping move Thursday: restructuring Deshaun Watson's contract. While restructuring contracts has become a norm in the NFL, what makes it notable is the amount of cap space the Browns now have because of it.

After converting $44 million of his base salary for the upcoming season into a signing bonus, the Browns opened $35 million in new cap room. This means they have the NFL's highest cap space at $62 million.

AUGUST 29 - STEELERS EX - A day after being cut by the New York Giants, veteran receiver Allen Robinson has already found a new home. NFL.com 's Tom Pelissero reported that the former Pittsburgh Steelers playmaker joined the Detroit Lions practice squad.

The 31-year-old spent last season with the Steelers, playing in all 17 games and totaling 280 yards on 34 receptions. The former second-round pick out of Penn State has struggled in his last three seasons to recapture the form that saw him go for over 1,000 yards in back-to-back years (2019-20) with the Chicago Bears.

And while he won't start on the 53-man roster in Detroit, he will have the opportunity to work his way onto it.