Michigan linebacker Michael Barrett (23) celebrates a good play during the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024. The winner of the game advances to the College Football Playoff championship game. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers hosted former Michigan linebacker Michael Barrett for a visit on Wednesday. That was in addition to former top ten pick Isaiah Simmons.

Barrett, who is currently signed with the Birmingham Stallions of the UFL, was a seventh-round pick by the Carolina Panthers in the 2024 NFL Draft. Since that time, he has taken a tour around the league, playing for the Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, and Las Vegas Raiders, but he has yet to find a consistent spot.

Barrett has yet to play in a game in his career, but was named a third-team All-Big 10 selection in 2022 and 2023. He won the National Championship with Michigan in 2023.

The 5-foot-11, 230 pound linebacker ran a 4.7 40-yard dash and had a 31-inch vertical jump.

Meanwhile, Simmons has been around the block, too. After winning the Butkus Award in 2019, winning a National Championship in 2018, and being a highly-sought after linebacker, he was elected 8th in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals.

Dubbed as ‘position-less’ because of his size and speed, Simmons stands at 6-foot-3 while running a 4.39 40-yard dash at linebacker, but was never able to find a true home on the field.

He stayed with the Cardinals for three seasons before being traded to the New York Giants. After his contract ran out with the Giants following the 2024 season, the Packers scooped him up, but he failed to make their final roster. Now, the Steelers will host him for a visit.

Ex-Vikings QB Submits Trade Request to Bears to Return to Minnesota Amid Carson Wentz’s Season-Ending Injury

Minneapolis — Just hours after the Minnesota Vikings confirmed that Carson Wentz will undergo shoulder surgery and

miss the remainder of the 2025 season, an unexpected development emerged from Chicago: Case Keenum — the former quarterback who guided Minnesota to the 2017 NFC Championship Game — has

submitted a trade request to the Bears in an effort to return to the Vikings, per internal (hypothetical) sources.

With Wentz sidelined, the Vikings’ quarterback room is down to J.J. McCarthy (22)

and undrafted rookie Max Brosmer, making veteran leadership an urgent need. On the other side, the Bears are set with Caleb Williams (QB1) and Tyson Bagent (QB2), while Keenum

— who signed a one-year, $3 million deal in April — currently sits as the third-string option.

In a message relayed through his representation, Keenum said: “My feelings for Minnesota remain

intact. I want to wear the Vikings jersey again, not to take anyone’s job, but to help the team through this tough stretch.”

Under the framework, Minnesota proposes a

late 2026/2027 draft pick (with playing-time escalators), while the Bears gain cap relief and a cleaner development runway for Bagent behind Williams. The modest price reflects Keenum’s age (37) and a short-term “firefighter” role.

From a football standpoint, Keenum offers at-the-line checks, two-minute drive management, and risk control within a ball-security game plan — variables that could accelerate McCarthy’s growth in the back half of the season. He understands Minnesota’s expectations and remains synonymous with the

“Minneapolis Miracle,” a cultural touchstone that could steady the locker room after the Wentz shock.

Publicly, the Vikings are cautious, avoiding hard commitments before the trade deadline, but are believed to be

surveying multiple options to keep their NFC North ambitions intact. With a crowded November slate, a “plug-and-play” veteran like Keenum is viewed as the least disruptive solution.

Keenum as the bridge

, maintaining offensive rhythm, mentoring McCarthy in the meeting room, and being ready when called — while the play-action and screen infrastructure continues to lean into the strengths of their skill group.

Whatever the outcome, Keenum’s trade request — if granted — would send a simple message: the Vikings aren’t folding after adversity, and a veteran who understands what “purple” means is ready to come back and help this team keep going.

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