Category: 2024 Steelers training camp

Steelers wrap up training camp on Wednesday

The Steelers have a very successful training camp and now they head home.

The Pittsburgh Steelers put a bow on their 2024 training camp on Wednesday. The team will now return to Pittsburgh and resume practices for the team’s final two preseason games at the UPMC sports complex.

Overall, Steelers training camp was productive but went out like a lamb, not a lion. With quarterback Russell Wilson dealing with a calf injury, the quarterback battle we anticipated with Justin Fields never materialized.

Fields played well as the lead signal caller in practice and we can’t help but think he has done his part to at least close the gap on the depth chart.

Meanwhile, on defense, it was mostly business as usual. New starters Patrick Queen and Donte Jackson seem to be fitting in perfectly and this unit looks like it will be the strength of the team once again.

Next up for the Steelers are the Buffalo Bills in the team’s second preseason game. This should be our best opportunity to see the starters for an extended period of time and get the best look at what this team can do in the regular season.

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Friday Night Lights draws huge crown for Steelers training camp practice

Friday Night Lights draws huge crown for Steelers training camp practice

One of the best parts of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp is the annual Friday Night Lights event. It’s an event where the team holds a special night practice, open to fans at  Latrobe Memorial Stadium.

This year’s event was as big as ever with a reported attendance of 12,268 fans according to Steelers communication director Burt Lauten.

The Fans who showed up were treated to a physical show with plenty of big hitting in backs on backers as well as some great live offense and defense in team drills. The standout of practice was quarterback Justin Fields who continues to impress since the start of training camp.

Pittsburgh kicks off the preseason on Friday, August 9. The Steelers will welcome the Houston Texans to Acrisure Stadium. The Texans got in an extra preseason game by playing in the Hall of Fame game last week.

This will be a rematch of last season’s regular-season showdown. The Texans beat the Steelers 30-6 in Houston.

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Details on TE Matt Sokol’s contract with Steelers

The Steelers signed tight end Matt Sokol this week.

With tight end Rodney Williams still dealing with a shoulder injury in training camp, the Pittsburgh Steelers added free-agent tight end Matt Sokol. According to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson, the contract is one year and worth $985,000.

Sokol is a journeyman, having played on multiple teams since coming into the NFL in 2019. He spent two tenures with the Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars. Sokol was most recently with the New England Patriots.

During the course of his career, Sokol has appeared in only eight games with one start. He has never registered an NFL reception. It is highly unlikely that Sokol makes the final roster.

Tight end is proving to be one of the deepest units on the Steelers roster. Pittsburgh has worked in two- and three-TE sets during training camp, and it seems the new Arthur Smith offense is going to use the position much more than we are used to in Pittsburgh.

If the Steelers keep four tight ends, look for Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Connor Heyward and MyCole Pruitt to be on the 53-man roster.

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Wilson vs Fields: Who starts at QB Week 1 for the Steelers?

Justin Fields has been impressive as the Steelers starter at training camp.

Nearly two weeks into Pittsburgh Steelers training camp and a few things are very clear. One of those is quarterback Justin Fields is an impressive football player. With Russell Wilson working his way back after a calf strain, Fields has taken full advantage.

The Steelers play their first preseason game in just over a week against the Houston Texans. This will be the first opportunity to see Fields in live action in offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s scheme and perhaps see him in contrast to Wilson if he’s healthy enough to go.

But just based on two weeks of training camp, it’s hard to say Fields doesn’t look like the real deal in this offense. His athleticism is such an x-factor that Wilson cannot provide and adds an element that is so hard to defend.

Cast your vote and tell us who you believe will win the starting quarterback job for the Week One showdown against the Atlanta Falcons. Have you seen enough of Fields’ potential to hand him the job or is it too soon to call?

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Steelers training camp: QB Justin Fields continues to push Russell Wilson

Justin Fields’ athleticism gives him a distinct edge over Russell Wilson.

So far, the Pittsburgh Steelers training camp has been a showcase for quarterback Justin Fields and he isn’t wasting it. As Russell Wilson works his way back from a calf strain, Fields keeps taking a big chunk of the first-team reps and gets better every practice.

But what has really stood out for Fields that Wilson simply cannot match is his athleticism. No one is asking for Fields to be Wilson in his prime but the Steelers aren’t going to get Wilson in his prime from Wilson either.

Fields ability to beat teams with his legs has been on full display over the last week two weeks and this is a dimension to the offense Pittsburgh hasn’t had in a very long time.

It is starting to feel like the pole position that Wilson had going into camp is long gone.  As offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said of Fields, “He’s a dangerous football player with the ball in his hands.” It’s been a long time since anyone said that about a Steelers quarterback.

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Fight breaks out at Steelers training camp practice, and Mike Tomlin isn’t happy

The Steelers have their first fight of training camp this week.

We saw our first big scrum of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp on Wednesday. Fights are inevitable when players are competing for roster spots and there is a lot you can learn about players from how a fight happens and the players involved.

The fight on Wednesday started when quarterback Justin Fields took a big hit from linebacker Elandon Roberts on a run. Rookie guard Mason McCormick did what any offensive lineman should do and he went down and laid a hit on Roberts, having his quarterback’s back.

This wasn’t something head coach Mike Tomlin liked seeing.

“We got a little bit less than professional and chippy today,” said Tomlin. “It’s an opportunity to teach and learn. As part of this process as much as we hate it, we’ll learn and grow from that. We got some form of lessons to learn.”

The Steelers are preparing for their first preseason game against the Houston Texans on Aug. 9.

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Steelers training camp: Jaylen Warren making things hard for Najee Harris

Jaylen Warren looks like he’s not going to be satisfied with just being a backup running back this season.

One of the early standouts at Pittsburgh Steelers training camp has been running back Jaylen Warren. We all knew Warren was an exceptional running back but he is entering year three and eyeing a new contract so you can see just after a few practices, Warren has stepped up his game.

A huge part of that has been in Warren’s conditioning. Head coach Mike Tomlin is a huge advocate of coming to camp in great shape as opposed to working into condition during camp and it’s clear Warren took that to heart in his offseason workouts.

Suppose Warren takes the next step in his own evolution as an NFL running back. In that case, he’s going to make it tough on the coaches not to make him the starting running back and he’s going to make it tough on the front office in giving Harris any significant contract extension.

Last season Warren was second on the team in rushing yards with 784 but down the stretch was the team’s best back. It’s a race between Harris and Warren to see who ends up the darling of Arthur Smith’s new offense to see which guy ends up the lead back. But if early training camp is any indication, it could easily be Warren.

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Mike Tomlin expects ‘big things’ from Steelers DT Keeanu Benton

The Steelers have a future star in Keeanu Benton.

Last season the Pittsburgh Steelers got a huge bargain when they snagged defensive tackle Keeanu Benton with their second pick in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft.

In year two the Steelers are going to put even more on Benton’s plate with Cameron Heyward a year older and returning from injury. However, head coach Mike Tomlin seems very optimistic about Benton’s growth and development this season. Tomlin talked about the upside which was a huge buzzword for Benton predraft.

“Big things,” Tomlin said. “Big things. He can grow in all areas. He’s a talented young guy with tremendous upside and room for growth in all areas.”

In 2023, Benton played only 43 percent of the defensive snaps. Despite this, he earned a 74.8 grade by Pro Football Focus. Last season, Pittsburgh had some lapses in run defense and it started up front. Benton started nine games last season but should be the full-time starter in 2024 with Montravius Adams working in as his backup.

Steelers start training camp with 3 players on injury lists

The Steelers won’t have these three players for at least a portion of training camp.

On Wednesday the Pittsburgh Steelers started training camp and according to head coach Mike Tomlin, three players start camp on injury lists. Tomlin addressed the media after the team reported and had their run test.

According to Tomlin, inside linebacker Cole Holcomb and defensive lineman Dean Lowry will start training camp on the active Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. Holcomb is still on the mend from a serious leg injury he suffered last season. Lowry came to the Steelers with an injury situation but not one Tomlin was willing to elaborate on.

As for running back/wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, he starts training camp on the Non-Football Injury list. This is because the hamstring injury he’s dealing with happened during his own offseason training.

Tomlin didn’t share any sort of timeline for any of the injured players but the injuries to Holcomb and Lowry have been lingering and don’t inspire hope for their availability anytime soon.

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