Tag: Steelers training camp

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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Former Steelers LB is healthy and Pittsburgh needs to be paying attention

Kwon Alexander put out a hype video showing he is recovered from his torn Achilles.

Last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers saw a huge bump in the play at inside linebacker. This was in large part due to the contributions of Kwon Alexander. The Steelers signed Alexander late in the free agency process and ended up paying big dividends.

Alexander posted the hype video below on his social media showing he is healthy, in shape and ready to play. Be warned, the accompanying music is NSFW.

Last season, Alexander appeared in nine games with only two of those starts. Alexander finished the season with 41 total tackles along with an interception and a forced fumble. Alexander’s season was cut short by a torn Achilles.

With it seemingly less likely that Cole Holcomb is going to play in 2024, Alexander would be an ideal addition. The Steelers have veteran Elandon Roberts, big-money free agent Patrick Queen and superstar rookie Payton Wilson.

Alexander came in as a rotational player last offseason and fit in perfectly and he could do the same again in 2024.

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Steelers LB Cole Holcomb on the roster bubble as injury lingers

Cole Holcomb might not make the Steelers final roster.

Last season, before his injury, Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker Cole Holcomb was great. In eight games he had 54 total tackles and had a 72.2 run-stopping grade by Pro Football Focus.

Holcomb suffered a serious leg injury that cost him half of the season and now could cost him much more. Holcomb started training camp on the PUP list and with each passing day, it seems less and less likely Holcomb will be ready to go to start the season.

Steelers beat writer Gerry Dulac took it a step further. He hypothesized that Holcomb is nowhere near ready to play. Dulac even said that Holcomb might be a candidate for IR or even be waived.

If either happens, it really puts a spotlight on rookie Payton Wilson. The Steelers selected Wilson in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft but he is one of the most athletic and productive defenders from the entire draft class. It would also mean Mark Robinson has a better shot to make the team. With the return of Tyler Matakevich, we assume that meant Robinson was on his way out but if Holcomb is out of the picture, Robinson could stay.

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Steelers TE Connor Heyward says team is built for two and three tight end sets

Connor Heyward promises the Steelers are going to use multiple tight ends.

Sometimes the smartest thing you can do is the simplest. The Pittsburgh Steelers head into the 2024 season with a new offensive coordinator, a new scheme and a diverse roster.

One position the Steelers seem to be very deep at is tight end. Pat Freiermuth is just the tip of the iceberg for the depth chart. The Steelers also have Darnell Washington, Connor Heyward, Rodney Williams and MyCole Pruitt who all can play.

Smith’s new offense has the capacity to focus heavily on the tight end as a by-product of multiple tight ends in the run game. Heyward talked to the media after training camp practice and said to expect to see two and three tight end sets this season.

Versatility is the key. Freiermuth is more than capable of splitting out and isn’t only an inline tight end like Washington. The same goes for Pruitt. As for Heyward, his experience at both tight end and running back gives him the ability to play a hybrid role and work as an H-back.

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Steelers add wide receiver to fill in for injured rookie

With Roman Wilson sidelined with injury, the Steelers bring back Tarik Black.

On Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Steelers made a swap on players on the training camp roster. After the ankle injury suffered by rookie wide receiver Roman Wilson, the Steelers needed to add some depth at the position and so they signed free agent Tarik Black.

To make room on the training camp roster, the Steelers released defensive tackle Johnathan Marshall.

Wilson went down with an ankle sprain during the team’s first padded practice of training camp. On a jet sweep of all things. Head coach Mike Tomlin addressed the injury after practice and it sounds like Wilson should be fine but could miss a couple of weeks.

Wilson was having a strong first week of training camp so it is unfortunate he will lose two weeks of reps. The Steelers are in dire need of one of their receivers to step up and take a starting spot next to George Pickens.

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REPORT: Steelers QB Russell Wilson to return to full practice this week

Russell Wilson has been working out all week and is set to return to team activities this week.

According to Pittsburgh Steelers beat writer Gerry Dulac, injured Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson will return to practice this week. Wilson has yet to go through any team drills through four practices while he deals with a calf strain he suffered pushing a blocking sled.

According to Dulac, Wilson has been doing individual drills throughout the first four days of training camp. The Steelers have a day off on Monday and on Tuesday will have their first padded practice of camp.

During Wilson’s absence, Justin Fields has been taking the first-team reps. Fields and Wilson are battling for the starting job and While Fields didn’t overtake Wilson in a few days, he did show he is a very capable quarterback.

The Steelers signed Wilson from the Denver Broncos in the offseason. Pittsburgh also traded for Fields in a deal with the Chicago Bears. The showdown between these will be one of the top positional battles at Steelers camp.

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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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Steelers GM tries to stay optimistic about RB Najee Harris: ‘I still see a future with Najee’

Omar Khan wants to keep Najee Harris with the Steelers but it might not work.

When Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris arrived at Latrobe for training camp, he did his best to address the current tension between him and the team in regards to the team not picking up his fifth-year option and if he will get a new contract or head off into free agency in 2025.

General Manger Omar Khan spoke at Steelers training camp and did his level best to remain optimistic about what is shaping up to be a very awkward situation.

“We think the world of Najee,” Khan said. “Just because that option wasn’t exercised doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have a future here…he’s a great football player. He’s great to have in the building. I still see a future with Najee.”

The Steelers saw enough in Harris to select him in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft and hand him the starting running back job from the jump. While Harris hasn’t been elite during his tenure with Pittsburgh, he has topped 1,000 rushing yards in each of his first three seasons.

Much like with the wide receiver position, the Steelers front office seems to be very quiet about any sort of contract extensions, Harris included. The team appears to be doing its due diligence with pending offensive free agents like Harris and tight end Pat Friermuth at the team integrates a brand-new offense.

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Steelers GM Omar Khan denies any interest in adding a wide receiver

Omar Khan says there’s nothing in the works to add another wide receiver.

Pittsburgh Steelers fans everywhere want the Steelers to pull off a trade for an elite wide receiver. Every time there is any sort of news surrounding a big-name receiver that indicates they might not be happy in their current situation, speculation begins.

General Manager Omar Khan talked about the wide receiver position at the start of training camp and gave the impression the team is comfortable with the position and there are no potential trades in the works.

Two points. First, just because Khan says the team isn’t eyeing trade options doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. Khan has no motivation to show the team’s hand in public.

The second point is that the team has added multiple new receivers and in new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s offense, that No. 2 wide receiver spot just isn’t as valuable as it is in other schemes.

We’ve already seen an expanded role for tight end Pat Freiermuth during training camp and as the days go on it seems far less likely that Khan and the Steelers feel any sense of urgency to upgrade the wide receiver position.

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