Packers quarterback Jordan Love throws as he is being hit by the Steelers’ Patrick Queen in the third quarter Oct. 26, 2025, at Acrisure Stadium. (Chaz Palla | TribLive)
In Thursday’s “First Call,” the Green Bay Packers aren’t blowing off the first preseason game of the year against the Pittsburgh Steelers. A former pitching great is weighing in on Paul Skenes’ problems. Braxton Ashcraft tries to put a stop to the Pirates’ recent slide.
And a former Steelers quarterback is on the shelf in Baltimore.
A preseason with ‘Love’
The Steelers’ plan for playing time for their starters is unclear heading into Thursday night’s preseason opener against Green Bay. But it sounds like at least some of the Packers’ first-teamers will suit up at Acrisure Stadium.
That includes quarterback Jordan Love.
According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur sees “value in getting mentally prepared to go play a game.” As of Tuesday, LaFleur said he expects to give his starters varying lengths of reps against the Steelers.
Matt LaFleur said as of right now Jordan Love will play Thursday night at Pittsburgh although he said he reserves the right to change his mind.
Said there’s “value in getting mentally prepared to go play a game.”
Said some starters may play longer than others.
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) August 11, 2026
Love has played in the preseason opener during his first three seasons as a starter.
Last year, the Packers beat the Steelers at Acrisure Stadium by a final score of 35-25. Love posted a passer rating of 134.2, going 29-37 for 360 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
What Schill says
Former All-Star Curt Schilling thinks he has an answer to what’s ailing Paul Skenes and why there has been a drop in velocity. He believes the issue lies within Skenes’ mechanics.
“Max effort in a bad delivery = injury, always has and always will,” Schilling said on social media. “Just a matter of time. Go look at his pre-throw and in-between routines. He’s a monster, works his (backside) OFF, if he did all that and dialed it back AND had actual FINISH in his delivery he’d be working with that upper 90s velocity, consistently, commanding the ball FAR better (not control, command) and healthier.”
The three-time World Series champion posted a lengthy string of thoughts on social media recently regarding Skenes’ fall from a pitcher that won the Cy Young last year to one who can barely finish five innings anymore.
Schilling also suggested the fascination with Skenes’ vast array of pitches is overblown and perhaps counterproductive.
He actually doesn't.. It's another byproduct of this new era BS. There's a ton of different pitches but they're FB, CB, Sliders, Change ups, screwballs, knuckleballs splits forks and what not. BUT all the stupid ass jargon is out there to make guys who never played seem smarter.… https://t.co/Ts55Dh0w0N
— Curt Schilling (@gehrig38) August 13, 2026
Skenes is now 9-11 with an ERA of 3.88. His next scheduled start is against one of Schilling’s former teams, the Boston Red Sox, on Sunday afternoon at PNC Park.
Need to find form
At the end of May, Pirates starter Braxton Ashcraft was cruising along with an ERA of 2.77 and a 5-2 record.
In 11 starts since then, his ERA has been at 5.77. Yet he’s gone 6-3 in that time, and the Pirates have still managed to win seven of his 11 starts.
That’s some pretty good run support. And whatever the formula has been, it needs to keep going for Ashcraft (11-5, 4.08) because the Pirates are in desperate need of a victory.
The team has dropped seven of its last eight, including two in a row in Miami. The club hasn’t won a series since taking two of three in Cleveland coming out of the All-Star break.
Miami counters with Tyler Phillips at 1:10 pm. He is 3-5 with an ERA of 3.47. He usually only throws four or five innings per game. Last time out, he yielded just one earned run in four innings en route to a 4-3 defeat in Los Angeles against the Angels.
Checking in
A pair of former Steelers were in the news Wednesday as teams shift their attention to preseason games.
The Baltimore Ravens have placed Skylar Thompson on injured reserve. A third-stringer in Pittsburgh at the start of last year, Thompson was in line to have that designation with Baltimore this season. But he got hurt late last week in training camp with Baltimore.
According to the team’s website, Thompson will be replaced by Austin Reed. A former Chicago Bear, Reed led the UFL with 21 touchdowns and 1,923 yards in 2026, playing for the Dallas Renegades.
Also, former Steelers punter Corliss Waitman is going to have that job with the San Francisco 49ers. He won a punter battle with Jack Bouwmeester. That’s according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.
The 49ers today waived 2025 draft pick Junior Bergen. Also, the punter competition is over. SF waived P Jack Bouwmeester, meaning the job belongs to Corliss Waitman. They signed CB Eli Apple, DL Xavier Thomas and RB Zamir White. SF waived/injured DL K.J. Henry.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) August 12, 2026
Waitman has had three different stints in Pittsburgh, including 54 appearances between the regular season and playoffs.