LATROBE - The Pittsburgh Steelers spent Day 6 of training camp walking right up to the edge of full-contact football without actually crossing it, and the result was a practice that felt more physical than anything they’ve done so far.
Even without live tackling, the run game took center stage. The Steelers leaned into it, the backs got more room to work, and a few young players made their presence felt in a big way. Rookie first-round pick Max Iheanachor was at the heart of it.
Iheanachor’s strongest moment came in 11-on-11 work on a toss to Kaleb Johnson. He won the rep and opened a lane that let Johnson rip off nearly 20 yards before anyone got a hand on him.
Iheanachor also held up, at the very least, in one-on-one blocking drills against T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig.
By every indication, it was his best practice of camp so far.
The Steelers also spent plenty of time sorting through their backfield. Rico Dowdle and Jaylen Warren remained the first-team duo, while the RB3 picture is still hazy.
Kaleb Johnson, Eli Heidenreich, and Lew Nichols have all been getting chances in those reps, and Johnson turned in the best single run among that group on this day. The room still looks like it has decisions ahead, but Warren and Dowdle are giving Pittsburgh a solid starting point.
Inside linebackers also made their mark. Payton Wilson and Cole Holcomb were constantly showing up behind the line of scrimmage while the offense tested the run game with different backs.
Wilson in particular blew up one play that looked like it could have gone for a big gain for Jaylen Warren. If Wilson and Holcomb become more effective playing downhill, the Steelers’ run defense could be in much better shape than it was last season.
Roman Wilson kept building on the strong start he’s had all camp. He’s been working with the first team offense throughout camp, and he keeps cashing in on those opportunities.
In red zone drills, he beat Jamel Dean on a dig route for a wide-open touchdown from Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers found him again later, this time on a slant to finish practice with a touchdown during the two-minute drill.
Wilson has clearly become one of Rodgers’ preferred targets in Latrobe.
Dean had a rough stretch in those red zone reps, giving up touchdowns to both Roman Wilson and DK Metcalf on back-to-back plays before closing with a diving pass breakup on a throw intended for Wilson in two-minute work.
There were a few other notable moments sprinkled through practice. Jaquan Brisker dropped what should have been an interception on a tipped ball over the middle during two-minute drills, his second straight practice coming close to a splash play.
The jet sweep also made an appearance again, with Kaden Wetjen taking one from Will Howard and picking up about 10 yards, drawing a strong reaction from the crowd. Ben Skrownek got involved as a receiver too, hauling in a touchdown from Mason Rudolph in red zone drills.
On special teams, Kaden Wetjen and Eli Heidenreich worked as the first-team kickoff returners, while Roman Wilson and Kaleb Johnson lined up as the second-team returners.
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