The first week of OTAs is over for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Not every player was in attendance, although OTAs are voluntary. There shouldn’t be a ton of concern about who’s not there. However, these practices are still important. Calvin Austin III recently explained the value that OTAs provide.
“The vibe is we can’t warm up to it,” Austin said Thursday on The Steelers Ireland podcast. “We can’t try to just start off at step one, step two, step three. We’ve gotta put those building blocks away. People say it’s early, but just like you said earlier, it felt like it was just January. While we’re talking right now, we’ll be talking before Ireland soon.
“Stuff happens that quick. So, the vibe has been, from Coach [Mike] Tomlin down, we can’t wait. We can’t [say], ‘Okay, we’ll ease into it.’ It’s no easing into things. This is really the time when you can separate from teams, because a lot of people are just going through the motions. But this is the time when we have to not talk about the ABC, we’ve got to talk about the XYZ of things and really hone out the details and actually try to get better, not just check boxes.”
The importance of OTAs is often debated. There’s been some talk of eliminating them altogether, and the Steelers even cut down on their sessions this year. They’re voluntary, and players can’t even put pads on. There’s an argument that teams could be better off without them.
However, Austin lays out why OTAs matter. It gives teams the opportunity to get a jump on work for this year. Also, it’s really the first time that the entire new team can get together and work. While players have been in the building, OTAs provide a different kind of structure.
Austin isn’t the only Steeler who has endorsed OTAs, either. Pat Freiermuth expressed a belief that it’s important for players to be at these practices. OTAs might not be the most important part of the offseason, but they can make enough a difference for a team.
Unfortunately, the Steelers have missed a few key players at OTAs so far. That includes T.J. Watt and DK Metcalf. It’s important to note that it’s unclear why they haven’t been with the team. In Watt’s case, it could be because he’s seeking a contract extension. However, he’s also a new father, so he could be trying to spend as much time with his family as he can.
Also, Watt has been one of the best players in the NFL for the past few years. There’s less concern that he won’t be ready to go once the season starts. Metcalf is new to the Steelers, so some fans might worry about his absence. However, players have stated that he’s been working at the team’s facility this offseason.
Aaron Rodgers has also been a massive storyline for the Steelers this offseason, even though he hasn’t signed with them. It seems like that’s going to happen eventually, but nothing’s done yet. That’s led some to speculate that Rodgers hasn’t signed yet because he doesn’t like attending OTAs.
It’s unclear if that’s true. Rodgers stated that he’s dealing with personal issues, which is a likely reason why he would miss OTAs. Austin explains why these practices are important, but that doesn’t say anything negative about players who aren’t there. Everyone’s situation is different. There are still several offseason activities left coming up, too. Perhaps more players will be in attendance.
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