LATROBE - The Steelers finally put on the pads Monday, and the first full-contact day of camp brought a little bit of everything: a young cornerback making noise, Drew Allar uncorking another deep strike, and Jaquan Brisker turning in what looked like his sharpest practice yet.
One of the quieter names on the roster made one of the louder statements. Doneiko Slaughter, wearing No. 19, kept popping up throughout the day and forced his way into the conversation.
He intercepted Will Howard on a deep throw to the left sideline, then later broke up another deep Howard pass intended for Max Hurleman. With the cornerback group as deep as it is, Slaughter wasn’t exactly the headliner coming in.
That’s changing fast, especially with preseason play set to begin next week.
Allar also kept building on a strong start to camp. His biggest moment came on a 55-yard touchdown to Cole Burgess during seven-on-sevens, the kind of throw that jumps off the field immediately.
He added another quality rep in team period, threading a completion over the middle to Max Hurleman on fourth down. Through the first week of practices, Allar has looked better than expected and increasingly comfortable with each session.
Aaron Rodgers, meanwhile, has looked locked in. The offense was a mess at this point last year, and Rodgers wasn’t exactly operating at full speed.
This time around, the rhythm is there. He and DK Metcalf hooked up four times, including a jaw-dropping one-handed catch by Metcalf over Jamel Dean.
Metcalf also climbed over Dean for a chunk gain before Rodgers zipped a throw to him down the sideline for another big play. Rodgers has also found a nice groove with Pat Freiermuth.
The pair connected for a touchdown on Saturday, and Rodgers hit No. 88 again for a sizable gain in team period.
Brisker had his best showing of camp, and he made it count in a couple different ways. He jumped a pass from Rodgers and had the ball bounce off his stomach, nearly coming away with the interception.
Later, he came free off the edge in team period for what would have been a sack in a game. That kind of versatility is exactly why he’s such a useful piece on the defense, and he kept flashing all day.
There were other notable plays sprinkled throughout practice. Brandin Echols came away with a pick on what looked like a Rodgers-Roman Wilson miscommunication, though it wasn’t clear whether he trapped the ball on the grass before it was ruled an interception.
Asante Samuel kept stacking pass breakups, this time batting down a throw intended for Michael Pittman. Will Howard also connected with Brandon Smith on the left side of the field off play action in team period.
And Esezi Otomewo nearly grabbed a short pass on the same rep where Brisker would have had the sack, then later got a hand on another throw in team period.
In Other News...
T.J. Watt May Finally Be Getting The Role Steelers Fans Wanted
The Steelers are giving T.J. Watt a little more freedom in their new-look defense, and it is the kind of tweak fans have long wondered about. Under defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, Pittsburgh is leaning into more movement up front, using shifting alignments to make protection schemes harder to read and keeping offenses from settling in on Watt in the same familiar spot every snap.
For Watt, that means a different kind of deployment than the one he had been tied to for much of his career, with the added wrinkle of how he fits alongside Nick Herbig and Alex Highsmith in the new packages. The idea is to keep all three moving and create more stress for blocking calls, but the real question is whether this approach can unlock even more of Watt's impact while giving the Steelers a more unpredictable pass rush. [Read more 🡒]
Will Howard Is Giving Steelers Fans A Real Backup QB Debate
The first week of Steelers training camp has already brought a bit of movement at quarterback, and Will Howard has been at the center of it. The rookie stood out among Pittsburghs passers with noticeable improvement, enough to make him one of the more interesting names in the early camp mix as the staff starts sorting out roles behind the starter.
Mike McCarthy gave Mason Rudolph the second-team reps, with Howard and fellow rookie Drew Allar working with the third unit, but Howards showing suggests the backup job may not be settled for long. For a team that always pays close attention to quarterback depth, that kind of early competition is worth watching as camp settles in. [Read more 🡒]