The Pittsburgh Steelers will begin their organized team activities next Tuesday, which is the first chance for the full team to participate in on-field activities. While there won’t be any contact and everything will be done at a walk-through pace, there will still be plenty to take away from seeing the team line up for the first time.
WILL AARON RODGERS SHOW UP?
We might have the answer to this question before OTAs officially begin. The Steelers have been linked to the free agent quarterback since March, and with OTAs marking the start of team activities, it would be an ideal time to have Rodgers in the building. If the team does sign him, he will be their starting quarterback, and getting him in the building and working with his teammates as early as possible would be ideal.
There’s a chance that Rodgers signs after OTAs and shows up for Mandatory Minicamp on June 10, as OTAs are still voluntary. But if he doesn’t sign by minicamp, then there might be some cause for concern about whether he will play at all next season. He very well could be in the building by next week, and heading into OTAs, whether he will be is the biggest question for Pittsburgh.
WILL HOWARD’S PERFORMANCE
Howard, the Steelers’ sixth-round pick, has been a buzzy name since being drafted. At rookie minicamp, beat writers praised his poise and leadership, and while he likely won’t play much as a rookie, there’s still a lot of intrigue around him. That’s normal for a rookie quarterback, but it’ll be interesting to see what Howard looks like playing with Pittsburgh’s entire offense.
Another subplot will be how the reps are distributed between Howard and Skylar Thompson. Howard is more likely to make the roster than Thompson is (if the Steelers sign Rodgers and only keep three quarterbacks), but it wouldn’t be surprising if the reps were fairly even or if Thompson got a few more early on in OTAs.
Howard’s performance is certainly worth monitoring, even if his expected contributions in 2025 will likely be minimal.
WHO IS THE BACKUP NOSE TACKLE?
We won’t get a clear answer on this during Day One, but it will be a little bit telling based on the rep distribution. With Montravius Adams cut, who the team’s nose tackle is behind Keeanu Benton is a little unclear. Logan Lee, Pittsburgh’s sixth-round pick last season, worked at nose tackle some during training camp last year. Yahya Black, Lee’s teammate at Iowa and Pittsburgh’s fifth-round pick this season, would make a lot of sense as a potential option, but Karl Dunbar said the team views him as a defensive end.
Whether that holds true remains to be seen. The timing of Adams’ release coming right after the NFL Draft was curious, and if Black lines up inside at nose, it will be a sign that the team, at a minimum, thinks he can move around, and he could be in contention for the backup job. Other options could include Jacob Slade or Domenique Davis, although both are long shots to make the roster. It’s worth keeping an eye on for a position that could be important for the Steelers.
INJURY RECOVERY
The big question here will be OT Troy Fautanu – Fautanu suffered a knee injury ahead of Week 3 that ended his season. He spent most of 2024 on IR, and how many reps he gets and how he looks will be worth noting. P Cameron Johnston also tore his ACL in Week 1 and missed the season, but he’s been back running and should be at or close to full strength. The same goes for LB Cole Holcomb, who returned to practice late last year but missed the entire 2024 season after a knee injury ended his 2023 season early.
Fautanu is the biggest name to watch, and the Steelers are expecting big things from their first-round pick last year. He’s expected to slide right in as the starter at right tackle, and he’ll be a key piece in helping Pittsburgh’s run game improve and keeping whoever their quarterback is upright.
RUNNING BACK REPS
The Steelers have a lot of running back depth this year, even after losing Najee Harris in free agency. Jaylen Warren is expected to be the starter at least to begin the season, but it’ll be worth watching to see how much Kaleb Johnson gets mixed in. Even behind those two, the mix between Kenneth Gainwell, Cordarrelle Patterson, Trey Sermon, and players like Evan Hull and Jonathan Ward will be interesting.
Johnson is an ideal fit for Arthur Smith’s scheme, and his role could increase throughout the year. But Warren, deservedly, should get the first crack at the starter job, and I think we’ll see that reflected during OTAs. The competition behind him and Johnson will be fun to watch, as Gainwell will likely earn a roster spot, but it could be three dogs and one bone for the spot behind him, if the Steelers even opt to carry four running backs on the roster.
Related Items:Aaron Rodgers, Cameron Johnston, Cole Holcomb, Cordarrelle Patterson, Domenique Davis, Evan Hull, Jacob Slade, Jaylen Warren, Jonathan Ward, Kaleb Johnson, Keeanu Benton, Kenneth Gainwell, Skylar Thompson, Trey Sermon, Troy Fautanu, Will Howard, Yahya Black
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