Former Pittsburgh quarterback Phil Jurkovec was arrested in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, last week after police say he stole a vehicle from Allegheny Health Network’s Wexford Hospital.
According to court documents obtained by CBS News, the arrest came on Sept. 18 after Jurkovec allegedly took a box truck from the hospital’s valet garage. Police were told by a rental company employee that the truck disappeared while he was loading items from an event.
Jurkovec was later tracked down by police using GPS and charged with two felonies: one count of theft by unlawful taking and one count of receiving stolen property. He reportedly did not post bail and has a preliminary hearing later this month.
Jurkovec spent the 2023 season at Pitt after transferring from Boston College in December 2022 and taking over for Kedon Slovis. He appeared in six games for the Panthers, going 57 of 112 for 818 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions.
His time as Pitt’s starter didn’t last the full season. Jurkovec eventually lost the job and tried to make a move to tight end. He later went undrafted in 2024 and took part in minicamp with the Pittsburgh Steelers before leaving unsigned.
Before all that, Jurkovec was a major recruiting name. He originally signed with Notre Dame in the Irish’s 2018 class after drawing interest as a high-profile Ohio State target.
Listed at 6-feet-5 and 215 pounds, he arrived as a four-star prospect, rated the nation’s third-best dual-threat passer and a U.S. Army All-American.
He played in nine games at Notre Dame before transferring to Boston College, where he spent three seasons. Jurkovec’s best college season came in 2020, when he threw for 2,558 yards and 17 touchdowns as a sophomore under first-year coach Jeff Hafley, who’s now leading the Miami Dolphins.
In Other News...
Will Campbell Suddenly Faces A Huge Patriots Test Up Front
Michael Onwenus broken right ankle has turned a familiar part of the Patriots offensive front into an immediate concern, and it comes at a time when his future in New England already felt uncertain. The right guard is in the final year of his contract, so the injury does more than just shuffle the lineup against Pittsburgh. It also puts the spotlight on a spot the Patriots may need to solve beyond this season, not just for the next game.
For Will Campbell, the opening is as important as it is abrupt. New England is looking to its top draft pick to help cover the void and show he can be a real piece of the line moving forward, which raises the pressure on him quickly. The Patriots need stability up front, and this is the kind of test that can speed up a young linemans development whether hes ready for it or not. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Vrabel Admitted One Patriots Mistake That Could Matter Later
For most of Sunday in Pittsburgh, the Patriots looked like the more organized team, and the scoreboard backed it up in a 20-3 win over the Steelers. The defense set the tone with four sacks and two turnovers, and it kept leaning on Aaron Rodgers with pressure from all angles, blitzing nearly half the time while helping New England control the game from start to finish.
Mike Vrabel still had one sequence he wished he could have back. He admitted the Patriots made a coaching mistake by using consecutive timeouts, which created a delay of game penalty and ended up helping set up Chris Boswell's 56-yard field goal. It did not change the outcome of the day, but it is the kind of detail a coach notices, especially in a game where New England was otherwise sharp enough to leave only a small opening for criticism. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Still Have One Special Teams Question Hanging Over Them
Mitch Wishnowsky is back on the New England Patriots practice squad after serving as a standard elevation for the home opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, a reminder that the teams special teams picture still has some sorting out to do. With Bryce Baringer on injured reserve, Wishnowsky has been the fill-in option and handled the job against Pittsburgh, punting four times while giving the Patriots a workable evening in the field-position battle.
Wishnowsky has now appeared in two games this season, and the move back to the practice squad leaves New England with a familiar question at a position that can quietly shape close games. The Patriots can keep cycling through options while Baringer remains unavailable, but the way they manage the punter spot in the coming weeks will say plenty about how stable they feel about the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
