pittsburgh steelers
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The Pittsburgh Steelers were urged to sign Bengals corner Chidobe Awuzie
The NFL offseason is moving right along. Seeing as the scouting combine and the first wave of free agency are over, the NFL Draft is on the horizon. In fact, with the calendar now in April, the draft, which will be hosted by the city of Pittsburgh, is taking place in a matter of weeks.
Furthermore, the dates for each NFL team’s offseason programs have been announced. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, they will be very active in the months of April, May, and June before training camp starts in July.
The Pittsburgh Steelers Look to Hit the Ground Running Under Mike McCarthy’s Leadership
Here are the dates for Pittsburgh’s offseason program:
Steelers Voluntary Minicamp:
April 20-April 22
Steelers Mandatory Minicamp:
June 2-June 4
Steelers OTAs:
May 18 – OTA #1
May 20 – OTA #2
May 21 – OTA #3
May 26 – OTA #4
May 28 – OTA #5
May 29 – OTA #6
June 8 – OTA #7
June 9 – OTA #8
June 11 – OTA #9
June 12 – OTA #10
Mike McCarthy
GettyMike McCarthy is entering his 19th season as an NFL head coach.
The Steelers have entered a new era with head coach Mike McCarthy taking over for Mike Tomlin, who stepped down from his post this offseason after a historic 19-year run. McCarthy will be looking to keep the consistency and stability that Tomlin had for so long in place. However, he will be looking to continuously keep the franchise in the title conversation year in and year out.
With the current roster that is in place, playoff contention is not at all out of the question in McCarthy’s first season. This is especially true when you consider the talent that is on the roster heading into the season, and the draft hasn’t even taken place yet.
The Steelers Have Plenty of Talent to Contend
TJ Watt
GettySteelers EDGE TJ Watt is the franchise’s all-time leading sack man (115).
More often than not, when a new head coach is fired and a changeover takes place, the roster is not always as stacked as the one that is at McCarthy’s disposal. On both sides of the football, Pittsburgh has capable veterans who can keep the team competitive until it can really kick it up a notch for a possible Super Bowl run.
On offense, it is hard to find a better quarterback in the history of football than Aaron Rodgers. While he is 42 years of age and still unsigned, he could very well end up returning to Pittsburgh to play for his former head coach in McCarthy. But it’s not just the four-time MVP who can save this offense. A pair of 1,000-yard scrimmage backs, Rico Dowdle and Jaylen Warren, sit in the backfield. Out wide are two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DK Metcalf and two-time 1,000-yard wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr.
Defensively, there are three future Hall of Fame players in edge-rusher T.J. Watt, defensive tackle Cam Heyward, and defensive back Jalen Ramsey. Plus, veteran cornerbacks Joey Porter Jr. and Jamel Dean, along with Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Queen, really round out the roster. Not to mention All-Pro kicker Chris Boswell is one of the most consistent at his position.
This talented roster, combined with Pittsburgh’s upcoming draft class, can add up to this team being a real dark horse in the AFC in 2026.