Daily Links: Kelce Fires Back at Steelers TE, Santonio Picks Top ’23 Player

Pittsburgh Steelers rookie tight end Darnell Washington made some headlines when he left Travis Kelce out of his list of the top tight ends in the NFL back in May.

Washington defended his selection by saying that Kelce mostly lines up in the slot, not as a true tight end.

“Travis Kelce is good, he’s great, and he’s put up the numbers. Yes, he’s listed as a tight end,” Washington said. “He’s in tight-end formations here and there. But to me, he’s just a bigger receiver. He’s mainly in the slot. That’s just their offense.”

Word, of course, eventually got back to Kelce, who responded on his New Heights podcast with his brother, former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce.

“He things that I’m a wide receiver,” Travis Kelce said. “I gotta put my f***ing hand in the ground.”

Kelce, who is a seven-time All-Pro tight end and eight-time Pro Bowler, seemed to take the slight in good spirits.

“If I’m not a tight end, I sure want to get paid like a wide receiver, then,” he said.

🏈 Former Steelers wide receiver and Super Bowl XLIII MVP Santonio Holmes has been working with his former team throughout training camp this season, and he stopped to talk about who from the 2023 Steelers would have been able to play on that 2008 team.

Holmes said he’d take running back Najee Harris.

“He’s coming with me,” Holmes said. “All day. I need him on my roster.”

Willie Parker was the Steelers’ starting running back for both Super Bowls XL and XLIII. He had 19 carries for 53 yards against the Arizona Cardinals.

Who’s @ToneTime10 adding from current roster to the '08 Super Bowl offense⁉️ pic.twitter.com/Xvr4cygahY

— Steelers History (@SteelersHistory) August 6, 2023

🎂 Happy 27th birthday to Steelers slot cornerback Chandon Sullivan, born Aug. 27, 1996 in Greenville, South Carolina; Happy 26th birthday to outside linebacker Alex Highsmith, born Aug. 7, 1997 in Wilmington, North Carolina, and happy 27th birthday to former Steelers linebacker Marcus Allen, born Aug. 7, 1996 in Silver Spring, Maryland.

🎥 Mike Tomlin nailed the Immaculate Grid challenge with Bryant McFadden and Patrick Peterson.

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Pittsburgh Baseball Now: Johan Oviedo tossed a gem and the Pirates beat the Brewers, 4-1.

Pittsburgh Sports Now: Breaking down Pitt training camp position battles.

West Virginia Sports Now: West Virginia’s already absurd travel budget just got more expensive.

Nittany Sports Now: James Franklin breaks down quarterbacks, depth and more.

Pittsburgh Soccer Now: Riverhounds get back in the win column, blanking Tampa Bay, 1-0.