The nine-time Pro Bowl selection, whom the Denver Broncos said Monday they will release after the start of the new league year next Wednesday, is visiting with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday, according to multiple reports. Wilson also met with the New York Giants on Thursday for what was called ‘a conversation,’ a person with knowledge of the situation told Art Stapleton of NorthJersey.com and the USA TODAY Network. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose information about the meeting.

Kenny Pickett is the only quarterback on the Steelers roster for 2024, though both coach Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan expressed interest in bringing back Mason Rudolph. The impending free agent went 3-0 in taking the reins as the team’s starter down the stretch with Pickett hurt, with Tomlin opting to stick with him for both the regular-season finale and the wild-card loss to the Buffalo Bills even after Pickett was cleared to return.

The Steelers brought in former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith to jump-start an attack that ranked 28th in scoring last season at 17.9 points per game.

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Khan has backed Pickett while still leaving open the possibility for a move at quarterback, with Tomlin saying after the season he wants to add competition at the position.

‘I have full faith in Kenny Pickett,’ Khan said at last week’s NFL scouting combine. ‘Obviously there were some issues with the offense, and I’m excited about the impact that Arthur Smith is going to have on him. I know Arthur’s very optimistic about Kenny, and I know they’ve communicated. And we’ll see where it goes. We feel really good about him.’

Giants general manager Joe Schoen has made clear his plans to bring in an additional passer. Incumbent starter Daniel Jones is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in November.

‘We’ll address the position,’ Schoen said at the combine. ‘It can be through free agency. Doesn’t preclude us from doing it in the draft as well.’

Defensive tackle Chris Jones, running back Saquon Barkley, quarterback Kirk Cousins and defensive tackle Christian Wilkins are some of the top players scheduled to enter free agency this year.

Will your favorite team land one of the best free agents available? USA TODAY Sports ranks the top 50 players set to be NFL free agents. This is our second installment.

1. Chiefs DT Chris Jones

Jones has been Kansas City’s top defensive player during its three Super Bowl championship seasons. A five-time Pro Bowler and twice a first team All-Pro, Jones and Aaron Donald are the two best interior defensive linemen in the NFL.

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2. Giants RB Saquon Barkley

Barkley has topped 1,200 yards from scrimmage in four of his six seasons. The running back position has been devalued in recent years, but Barkley can be a game-changer in the backfield.

3. Broncos S Justin Simmons

Is the safety position becoming less important due to the increased amount of short passes? Plenty of safeties are available, but Simmons is at the top. Since entering the NFL in 2016, no player has more interceptions than Simmons (30).

4. Vikings QB Kirk Cousins

The soon to be 36-year-old quarterback is coming off a torn Achilles, but Cousins exited last season with a 103.8 passer rating. The Vikings will try to keep Cousins and star WR Justin Jefferson together.

5. Dolphins DT Christian Wilkins

Wilkins has been Miami’s best defensive player up front for multiple seasons. He registered a career-high nine sacks and had 61 pressures in 2023.

6. Titans RB Derrick Henry

Henry’s compiled 1,000 rushing yards in five of the past six seasons, including 1,167 yards in 2023. Henry is 30 years old and has a lot of mileage, but he proved last year that he’s still one of the best running backs in the NFL — and has gas in the tank.

7. Raiders RB Josh Jacobs

Jacobs is one year removed from leading the league in rushing and yards from scrimmage. At 26 years old, he’s the youngest among the top free-agent running backs on this list.

8. Cowboys OT Tyron Smith

Smith’s been one of the NFL’s best left tackles over the last decade. Father Time is starting to take its toll on Smith, but he gave up just three sacks and 21 pressures in 13 games last season, per Pro Football Focus.

9. 49ers DE/OLB Chase Young

Young hasn’t taken the next step since his defensive rookie of the year campaign in 2020. The talent is there but consistency is an issue. Young had eight tackles, one sack and two tackles for loss in three playoff games for the 49ers this past season.

10. Vikings DE/OLB Danielle Hunter

Hunter’s 87.5 sacks rank No. 3 in Minnesota franchise history. The 6-foot-5 edge rusher led the NFC last year with 16.5 sacks.

11. Jaguars WR Calvin Ridley

Coming off a year-long suspension for violating the NFL’s gambling policy, Ridley led the Jaguars with 1,016 receiving yards. The 29-year-old is one of the top route runners in the NFL.

12. Ravens LB Patrick Queen

One half of Baltimore’s dynamic linebacker duo, Queen produced at least 106 tackles in three of the last four seasons. But the Ravens signed Roquan Smith to a five-year, $100 million contract in January 2023. They are unlikely to dole out another lucrative contract at linebacker.

13. Seahawks LB Jordyn Brooks

A tackling machine. Brooks has compiled over 110 tackles in each of the past three seasons. The inside linebacker is always near the center of the action.

14. Texans DE/OLB Jonathan Greenard

Greenard had a team-high 12.5 sacks last season when defensive rookie of the year Will Anderson Jr. saw most of the double teams and chip blocks. Greenard had 10.5 total sacks in his first three seasons. Can he continue to trend upward? A team will bank on it.

15. Seahawks DE Leonard Williams

Williams can still be a force up front. He had 41 tackles, nine tackles for loss and four sacks in 10 games with the Seahawks.

16. Patriots OL Mike Onwenu

Onwenu allowed three sacks and 23 pressures for New England last season. The versatile offensive lineman can play guard or tackle.

17. Lions S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson

Gardner-Johnson suffered a torn pec in Week 2 of last season. His six interceptions in 2022 were tied for No. 1 in the league. Will he be able to return to form in 2024?

18. Cardinals WR Marquise Brown

Brown and Kyler Murray are good friends, which could factor into his free agency decision. But Brown is probably best suited as a team’s No. 2 wideout. Could Arizona draft Marvin Harrison Jr. No. 4 overall to play alongside of Brown?

19. Commanders CB Kendall Fuller

Fuller allowed a 120.4 passer rating and nine touchdowns when targeted. But his 2023 performance could’ve been a byproduct of Washington’s league-worst defense. 

20. Cowboys CB Stephon Gilmore

The 2019 defensive player of the year stepped up last season, especially when Trevon Diggs (knee) went down for the year. Gilmore will turn 34 years old during the regular season, but showed last year that he can still play at a high level.

21. Bills S Jordan Poyer

Poyer was a surprising release. He was a team captain in Buffalo and his 22 interceptions with the Bills ranks tied for 10th-most all-time in team history.

22. Jets LB Bryce Huff

Huff led a talented Jets defense with 10 sacks last season. He’s a pass-rush specialist, but never has had a season with over 29 tackles.

23. Bills WR Gabe Davis

Davis is a steady receiver who’s never had a season below 35 receptions and 500 receiving yards. He’s best suited as a team’s second or third wide receiver option.

24. Browns DE/OLB Za’Darius Smith

Smith and defensive player of the year Myles Garrett formed a formidable tandem in Cleveland last season. Smith had 5.5 sacks, 61 pressures and three pass deflections for the Browns in 2023.

25. Giants S Xavier McKinney

McKinney’s three interceptions led New York. He also logged 116 tackles. The Alabama product is a productive player in the defensive backfield.

26. Bucs LB Devin White

White is an athletic linebacker, but consistency has been an issue. After three straight seasons with at least 120 tackles and three sacks, White declined to 83 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 2023.

27. Dolphins OG Robert Hunt

Hunt has started 55 games since 2020. He’s had 45 starts at right guard and 11 at right tackle. He’s more comfortable playing at guard. 

28. Panthers LB Frankie Luvu

Guess who led the Panthers in tackles last season? Luvu tallied over 110 tackles in each of the last two seasons and started all 17 games for the Panthers in 2023.

29. Bucs LB Lavonte David

The 34-year-old inside linebacker is long in the tooth, but he’s recordued over 100 tackles in six of the past seven seasons. David has a couple good years left.

30. Ravens DE/OLB Jadeveon Clowney

Clowney had a resurgent year in Baltimore last season. Clowney’s 9.5 sacks tied a career single-season high and his 43 tackles were his most since 2018.

31. Bengals DT D.J. Reader

Reader suffered a devastating quad injury last season. The defensive tackle would be ranked higher if it weren’t for the injury. He’s been a key part of Cincy’s defense since joining the team in 2020.

32. Broncos QB Russell Wilson

Wilson had an up and down two years in Denver. However, the veteran QB did have 26 touchdowns passes to just eight interceptions. Wilson can still be a starting QB in the right system. The Broncos incurred a record-setting $85 million dead cap hit over the next two seasons due to Wilson’s release.

33. Seahawks LB Bobby Wagner

Wagner will be 34 at the start of the 2024 season. That’s the only reason he’s outside of the top 20. He’s defying Father Time. Wagner led the NFL with 183 tackles in 2023. He’s compiled over 100 tackles in 12 of his NFL seasons.

34. Bucs QB Baker Mayfield

Mayfield revitalized his career with the Bucs last year. His 4,044 passing yards and 28 touchdown passes were both career highs. His 2023 performance will likely land him another contract in Tampa Bay.

35. Bucs DE/OLB Shaquil Barrett

Barrett’s productions slipped since his 10-sack season in 2020. Father Time could be starting to creep in, but the edge rusher is coming off a year in which he tallied 52 tackles and 4.5 sacks.

36. Chiefs LB Willie Gay Jr.

Gay Jr. started 28 games the past two years for the back-to-back Super Bowl champions. His championship experience and versatility as an inside linebacker will make him attractive in the open market.

37. Eagles DT Fletcher Cox

A linchpin along Philadelphia’s defensive line since 2012. It’s hard to imagine Cox putting on a different uniform if he doesn’t decide to hang up his cleats.

38. Titans LB Azeez Al-Shaair

Al-Shaair was an underrated linebacker in four seasons with the 49ers. In his lone season in Tennessee, he registered a team-high 163 total tackles, which ranked fifth in the NFL last year.

39. Bills C Mitch Morse

Morse was a Pro Bowler in 2022. He was part of the flurry of veteran cuts the Bills made ahead of free agency.

40. Broncos C Lloyd Cushenberry

Cushenberry has started 57 games over the course of four seasons in Denver. He’s a reliable center who can be plugged in right away.

41. Cowboys RB Tony Pollard

Pollard compiled over 1,000 rushing yards and 300 receiving yards in two straight seasons. The Cowboys won’t place the franchise tag on him this year.

42. Patriots LB Josh Uche

Uche is a reserve linebacker who jumped on the scene in 2022 with 11.5 sacks, however he didn’t make a big impact last season.

43. Commanders QB Jacoby Brissett

Brissett threw for 224 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in three games for the Commanders in 2023. He was the best quarterback in the nation’s capital last season, but the previous regime figured that out too late. 

44. Seahawks S Quandre Diggs

Diggs was a salary cap casualty. He started every game for Seattle the past four seasons and is a three-time Pro Bowler as well as a team captain. The 31-year-old safety produced over 90 tackles in two of the last three seasons.

45. Eagles S Kevin Byard

Byard was acquired by the Eagles in a midseason trade, but never quite found his stride in Philly. He had 75 tackles, three passes defended and one interception in 10 games with the Eagles.

46. Bengals CB Chidobe Awuzie

Awuzie’s been Cincinnati’s top cornerback the past three seasons, although he’s battled some injuries.

47. Seahawks S Jamal Adams

Adams was cut after four underwhelming seasons in Seattle. He never started more than 12 games in a single season with the Seahawks. A change of scenery could do well for the three-time Pro Bowler.

48. Dolphins CB Xavien Howard

Howard’s coverage ability declined a little bit last year. He allowed nearly a 63% completion percentage when targeted, the second highest rate of his career. But entering his ninth year, Howard is still a starting-caliber corner.

49. Dolphins DE/OLB Andrew Van Ginkel

Van Ginkel plays with a high motor. He saw career-highs in both sacks (6) and pass deflections (8) last season.

50. Commanders S Kamren Curl

A primary starter at safety for Washington the past four seasons. Curl produced a career-best 115 tackles in 2023. His five passes defended tied a career high.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

One of more emotional free-agent sagas in recent Major League Baseball history has come to a potentially happy ending.

Joey Votto, the potential Hall of Famer and Cincinnati Reds icon who took to social media lamenting his unemployability, is poised for a kind of homecoming. He has agreed to a minor-league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, leaving his forever baseball home behind but landing with a club in his home province of Ontario.

Votto, who turned 40 in September, was on the market for the first time since signing a 10-year, $225 million extension with the Reds in 2012. He’d hoped for a Cincy reunion after that deal expired, but his exit was more or less ensured when the club signed infielder Jeimer Candelario to a three-year, $45 million deal.

And so Votto waited. And waited. His beard grew longer. His social media lamentations became sadder.

Finally, the Blue Jays threw him a lifeline.

HOT STOVE UPDATES: MLB free agency: Ranking and tracking the top players available.

‘I am excited about the opportunity to work my way back to the Major Leagues,’ Votto wrote on social media Friday. ‘It’s even sweeter to attempt this while wearing the uniform of my hometown team, the Toronto Blue Jays.’

Votto will earn $2 million if he makes the big-league roster.

Votto struggled in a partial campaign last season, with his recovery from shoulder surgery limiting him to 65 games. His fortunes languished while the Reds’ rose, as a young and potent player-position core meshed and kept the ballclub solidly in playoff contention deep into September.

Yet while Votto’s numbers last year were modest – a .202 average, 14 homers in 242 plate appearances – he will be another year removed from surgery and remains one of the most disciplined hitters of his generation. Votto led the National League in on-base percentage seven times, and his career .294/.409/.511 slash line and 356 homers put him at least on the fringe of a Cooperstown conversation.

In Toronto, he’ll aim to fill the role manned by Brandon Belt one year ago – a left-handed hitting DH against righty pitchers. The club had signed Daniel Vogelbach to a minor-league deal in hopes he’d fill that role, but apparently Votto’s upside caused them to reach out nearly a month into spring training.

Alabama’s high-powered offense has the Crimson Tide in the mix for a top-four seed in the NCAA men’s tournament for the third time in four years under coach Nate Oats. The Tide lead Division I in scoring per game (90.8) and have put up least 80 points in 10 of their last 11 contests.

But the problem is on defense: Alabama scored 87 points on Tuesday night against Florida but allowed 105. The Tide scored 95 points against Kentucky on Feb. 24 but gave up 117. Overall, Alabama is giving up 80.1 points per game, good for 338th in the 351-team Division I and the second-most in the Power Six, ahead of lowly DePaul.

Losses in three of four games — to the Gators, Wildcats and Tennessee (81-74) — have dumped the Tide to a No. 4 in our updated field. With a home game against Arkansas and the SEC tournament ahead, Alabama needs to rally to recapture a spot on the No. 3 line.

Elsewhere in the SEC, four wins in a row has Kentucky in a four-way tie for second place in the conference and a No. 4 seed. Auburn is also up to a No. 4, giving the SEC three teams to go with Illinois.

Last four in

New Mexico, Virginia, Colorado, Villanova.

First four out

Providence, St. John’s, Utah, Iowa.

Next four out

Pittsburgh, Butler, Wake Forest, Texas A&M.

Conference breakdown

Multi-bid leagues: Big 12 (9), SEC (7), Big Ten (6), Mountain West (6), Big East (5), ACC (4), Pac-12 (3), American Athletic (2), Atlantic 10 (2), West Coast Conference (2).

Ryan Garcia’s trainer picked up the phone Wednesday night at his home in Texas and said he was making dinner. But Derrick James said nothing about soup du jour and little about boxing’s current question du jour.

What in the heck is going on with Garcia?

Using his verified account on X, formerly Twitter, the 25-year-old boxer has made outlandish claims, including that he conjured up demons and was at risk of being crucified.

“I’m not on social media, so I don’t know anything,’’ James told USA TODAY Sports and added that he has seen no unusual behavior as Garcia prepares for a lucrative fight with Devin Haney April 20.

Yet talk has shifted from who’s going to win the fight between Garcia (24-1, 20 KO’s) and Haney (31-0, 15 KO’s) to Garcia’s behavior and whether it could lead to his pulling out.

“I think he’s crying out for help, people, I really do,’’ Timothy Bradley, the Hall of Fame boxer and ESPN analyst, said this week during an appearance on ProBox TV. “…I don’t think this fight will happen.’’

Garcia’s former wife, Andrea Celina, wrote on Instagram “pray for Ryan,’’ and “I’ve been in contact with him and he may seem fine but he is not.’’ In the past, Garcia has talked publicly about suffering from mental health issues.

But Devin Haney’s father, Bill, offered a different view during the “It Is What It Is’’ podcast.

“I think it’s a lot of mental warfare that’s going on,’’ he said. “You know what I mean? But we built for it.’’

Would Ryan Garcia back out of the fight?

Backing out of the fight would not be a first for Garcia.

In 2021, he withdrew from a bout against Javier Fortuna and wrote on Instagram, ‘At this point it is important to manage my health and well being.”

Later, Garcia told reporters he’d wanted to kill himself because of depression and added, “In my darkest times, not even my mother could help me.’’

Asked if he sees a therapist for any ongoing issues, Garcia told USA TODAY Sports last year, “Yeah, the holy spirit, that’s my therapist. For sure, 100 percent. That is with me everywhere I go, guiding me, giving me wisdom.’’

On Feb. 23, at a press conference with Haney in Los Angeles, Garcia looked distressed when he said, “the weight of the world sometimes feels like it’s on my shoulders.’’

Ryan Garcia says his ‘mind is there’

On Wednesday, Garcia released a video saying he would not post any non-boxing material on social media until after he fights Haney. That evening, he hosted a discussion that aired on X with his verified account and addressed several of his past claims, such as blood is being sucked from children.

“I came on this space to show everybody that my voice is clear, it’s direct, I can answer any question,’’ Garcia said during a 26-minute discussion on Twitter Spaces. “My mind is there. There’s nothing wrong with me.’

Who knows Ryan Garcia best?

Eddie Hearn, who along with Oscar De La Hoya is promoting the Garcia-Haney fight, told Fight Hub TV this week, “Ryan’s behaving a little erratically at the moment.’’

Later he added, “the people close to him will be better judges of that than I will be. But, you know, part of it might be selling the fight as well. The people around him, Golden Boy (Promotions), his family, I’m sure they’ll look after him and make sure he’s OK.”

Garcia’s father, Henry, wrote on Instagram, “Ryan is ok, he’s just trolling the wrong way.’’

But Celina, Garcia’s ex-wife and the mother of two of Garcia’s three children, wrote on Instagram that she is “genuinely concerned.’’

Don’t expect Baker Mayfield to be wearing pinstripes anytime soon.

The free-agent quarterback, who spent last season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, took some swings in the batting cage with the New York Yankees before their spring training game against the Detroit Tigers.

Mayfield showed some good warning track power, lining a few balls to the outfield at George Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.

“I’m a little rusty, as you could tell,” Mayfield told the YES Network. “It’s awesome getting to meet some of these guys. I’m a big baseball fan, so meeting some of these guys in person and watching them up close in batting practice, it’s special.”

“I’ll say this: it’s always fun to talk about the opposite sports, and the dreams we had of playing the other sports,” Mayfield said. “Their hand-eye coordination is truly elite. I couldn’t track some of these balls coming in that fast.”

All things Buccaneers: Latest Tampa Bay Buccaneers news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Mayfield looked back on his 2023 season, in which he completed his passes for 4,044 yards with 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, leading the Buccaneers to the NFC South title and a wild-card upset over the Philadelphia Eagles.

‘It was an unbelievable year,” Mayfield said. “Truly, the group we had is what made it really special. It started out decent and we had a really bad lull there in midyear, but the group we had stuck together, so that’s what made it really special. Obviously, winning cures a lot of things.”