One play for a small gain stood out in Friday's practice, and Michael Pittman Jr. explained how Aaron Rodgers read his mind in this group Q&A
DK Metcalf is the big dawg. His connection with Aaron Rodgers continues to grow in its second season. Roman Wilson is getting a lot of love from Rodgers, too, as the slot receiver/rotational deep threat who's big plays not only pop, but are satisfying to fans who've been worried about the 2024 third-round draft pick.
That doesn't leave a lot of love for the so-called possession receiver, newcomer Michael Pittman Jr., who's not nearly as needy, probably because he's been there and done that with his 709 career catches.
But at Friday's practice, Pittman made such an intuitive play with Rodgers that he drew a thumbs up from the quarterback, who somehow read Pittman's mind and threw before Pittman made the final zag after many zigs. It warranted the following Q&A with the former Colts wide receiver:
MICHAEL PITTMAN JR., WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Q: On one route during drills, you and Aaron had something of a telepathic moment, where you broke out of a route, turned upfield, and then you kind of knew the ball was going back the other way. What goes into a play like that?
MP: It just takes time for something like that and just getting to know Aaron and the way that he likes things, and really just executing. I mean, obviously, Aaron is one of the best to ever play, so I'm just trying to match him.
Q: But you two haven't had that much time together.
MP: (Smiles) No, we haven't, but we're trying to get in as many reps as possible. That's why I kind of started out slow and you're seeing it ramp up more and more. So, just looking to build on that and keep going, I guess.
Q: He gave you a thumbs up, like even he was amazed that you two were so attuned to something that creative.
MP: But it's stuff that we talk about. We talk about those things, and then to come out here and do it just shows that, hey, our work is actually working.
Q: Is that what makes you a possession receiver? And do you like that term?
MP: I don't mind being a possession receiver, because that means I get lots of targets. But I think that I could be more. That's why I was looking for a change of scenery. I feel like I fell into a role and I felt like I had much more to give, so I came here to try to be part of this offense that likes to stretch the field. And we have lots of guys and we're going to run lots of downfield concepts, and I think that fits into my route tree more, so it doesn't get so stagnant with all that underneath stuff.
Q: So sneaky deep speed is an accurate assessment of you?
MP: Oh yeah. I've got some speed, but I'm more of a physical presence,. They might be there, but I'll still catch it.
Q: What can you say about rookie Germie Bernard?
MP: He just has a good feel in space, and he's also super shifty. For a guy that's 200-plus pounds, he moves great. He just has a great feel for space, and he's just sitting down in zones and he's catching passes.
Q: Relative to your expectations, how would you assess Aaron?
MP: I don't want to say that he surpassed (them) because that would assume that I had low expectations for him. But it's even better than what I thought. When I first (came here), I was like, OK, Aaron is a Hall of Famer, one of the best ever, but he's 42. And then I came into OTAs and he was zipping like 70-yard passes, and I was like, "Oh my gosh, this guy's still got it."
NOTES
* Friday's practice was closed to the public because of rain, which forced the media into adopting in-season coverage techniques. Thus, no analysis of practice is allowed.
* Mike McCarthy said that first-round draft pick Max Iheanachor's injury wouldn't allow him to practice Friday or Saturday, but he's expected to return Monday. "He's OK," said McCarthy.
* Slot cornerback Brandin Echols, filling in for the PUP-ed Jalen Ramsey on the first team, will also miss Saturday's practice with an ankle injury. McCarthy didn't say when Echols would return. Spunky first-year cornerback Doneiko Slaughter is next up at the "star" position.
"The ability to match routes," McCarthy said of Slaughter's best asset. "I think he has a really good understanding of the releases and the stems. I think that that's something you can see right away."
* To paraphrase McCarthy, the coach said that Thursday's practice was sloppy, and that that practice, along with Friday's, represent "the hump week" of training camp and is the most difficult stretch of the 21 days at St. Vincent College.
* The Steelers' next practice is Saturday night downtown at Latrobe Memorial Stadium.
New WR Michael Pittman Jr. will be a boon not only to the Steelers' offense, but to the Western PA community as well (Photo: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
After the Steelers drafted massive defensive tackle Yahya Black in the fifth round of the 2025 draft, it seemed as if the coaches went out of their way to say Black was NOT a nose tackle, but a defensive end and tackle.
But it seems as if the new coaching staff is going out of its way to make the 6-5, 330-pounder a nose tackle this year. In fact, Black's listed as first-team nose tackle on the recently released depth chart, even though Keeanu Benton had been working the position with the first team whenever the base 3-4 alignment was utilized.
Even though Benton had 5.5 sacks last season, a high number for a nose tackle (even if most of his snaps were taken as a sub-packages defensive tackle), Benton has never been the classic run-plugger. The hope is that Black can.
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