The Steelers head into training camp with most of the roster in good shape, but a handful of injury situations still deserve close attention once the team arrives at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe.
Some of the concerns are straightforward because the players are still working back from major injuries. Others are more about history - guys who are healthy right now, but have spent enough time on the sideline in recent seasons to keep the training camp watch list busy.
Broderick Jones is the biggest name in that group. The 2023 first-round pick moved to left tackle last year after Dan Moore Jr. left for the Tennessee Titans in free agency, but his season ended in Week 12 against the Chicago Bears with a neck injury.
Jones later had spinal fusion surgery, and although he was on the field for warm-ups during OTAs, he did not take part in team drills. There’s still no clear public timetable for when he’ll be fully cleared, and a stint on the PUP list feels possible.
The Steelers also declined Jones’ fifth-year option earlier this offseason, which only adds to the uncertainty around where things stand.
There’s also a fresh set of eyes to keep on rookie cornerback Donte Kent. The seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft brought blazing speed to the position and flashed return ability during his final year at Central Michigan, but his rookie year never really got started.
He landed on the reserve/injured list at final roster cuts last August because of an ankle injury, then had his 21-day practice window opened in early December before an ACL injury shut him down for the year. Kent was back on the field during OTAs, but training camp and the preseason will tell the real story.
His athletic profile gives him a shot to help on special teams, though making the 53-man roster won’t be easy.
Minkah Fitzpatrick’s situation is different, but it belongs on the same list. After a strong 2024 season that earned him a two-year, $12.5 million extension last offseason, Elliott played only five games in 2025.
He opened the year with an MCL sprain against the New York Jets in Week 1, missed time until Week 4, and then suffered even more damage in Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers, hyperextending his knee and tearing his hamstring. That ended his season.
Elliott said he’s “good now” during mandatory minicamp, and he’s expected to handle a bigger workload once camp begins, but any player coming off that kind of injury has to be watched carefully.
Then there’s Jamel Dean, who signed a three-year, $36.75 million deal with Pittsburgh in March. When he’s healthy, he’s a difference-maker at cornerback.
The concern here isn’t a current injury, but the pattern that has followed him through recent seasons. Dean missed three games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2025 with hip and shoulder injuries, sat out five games in 2024 with hamstring and knee issues, and was unavailable for four games in 2023 because of neck and ankle ailments along with a concussion.
He isn’t hurt right now, but the Steelers will need to keep a close eye on him all summer.
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