The Steelers’ first night practice at Latrobe’s Memorial Stadium didn’t just give fans the usual oddball training camp scene - high school bleachers, pro players rolling in on school buses, and all the rest. It also put a spotlight on a quarterback room that looked shaky once the intensity ramped up.
Under the lights, the quarterbacks had a rough go of it. The high-pressure moments brought pick-sixes, bad reads, and a few decisions that never should have left the huddle.
All four quarterbacks had issues, though Mason Rudolph stood out as the least messy of the group. He wasn’t flawless, but he put together some of the better snaps of the night and made Mike McCarthy’s call on the backup job a little tougher.
That practice also set the table for what comes next. The Steelers will take the field for their first preseason game on Thursday, and that’s where the evaluation really starts to sharpen.
With that game on the horizon, the SCB Steelers Podcast presented by DEK Roofing Inc is moving to Wednesday night this week. The show will still begin at 10pmET, just a day earlier, as the crew previews the matchup and goes over the latest from camp.
One of the camp topics getting more attention than it probably deserves is the running back pecking order. The noise around who sits at No. 1 hasn’t changed much, but the sense here is that it shouldn’t be treated like a major issue.
Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle are both expected to see real work, and the split could come down to the situation at hand - maybe even from game to game or drive to drive. McCarthy has handled backfield decisions like this before in Dallas and Green Bay, and the simplest read is that the job will go to whoever has the hot hand.
There’s also been a noticeable change in how Nick Herbig is being used. Through the first couple weeks of camp, Patrick Graham has already shown more creativity with him than Teryl Austin did.
Graham has lined Herbig up as an off-ball linebacker several times with Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt also on the field, and in those looks he’s mixed up who rushes and who drops.
That fits Graham’s reputation and, for a fan base that spent years wanting more imagination, it’s a welcome shift. It doesn’t guarantee results, but it does promise a different approach.
On the injury front, Keeanu Benton has had his hand wrapped for most of camp, which has kept him out of a lot of team work. The word is that it’s nothing serious.
The same goes for Max Iheanachor, who exited practice earlier this week. McCarthy wasn’t showing any concern.
The Joey Porter, Jr. situation still appears to be exactly where it was before. The Steelers have already put their offer on the table, and Porter and his camp are simply waiting. There’s no rush to sign now when the market could shift, and until Christian Gonzalez and Devon Witherspoon land their new deals, that stand-off is unlikely to move.
Trade chatter has also picked up after Washington tackle Laremy Tunsil went out for some time with a biceps injury. That’s the kind of development that naturally puts Pittsburgh in the conversation, especially with the Steelers carrying four young tackles.
Broderick Jones has been the name coming up most often, but the expectation is that Omar Khan would only move if someone came with an offer that was well above normal. That could change later in the preseason, but for now the sense is that Pittsburgh will stay put.
Elsewhere, high school football has already kicked off in a lot of places, and the season always seems to arrive in a flash. Coverage of the WPIAL begins today as well.
The Little League World Series has also changed plenty over the years; what used to be a title-game-only TV event is now wall-to-wall coverage, including the regional rounds. And yes, Grown Ups 3 is filming, which means some things never change.
There was also a nod to Carson Beck and Haynes King, who looked the part of NFL quarterbacks in a meaningless game last week. And on Thursday night, the Steelers’ quarterback rotation will be worth watching closely.
Aaron Rodgers is expected to get snaps, but the bigger question is how many. Whatever that number is, it cuts directly into the work available for Will Howard and Drew Allar.
In Other News...
Steelers QB Battle Just Put Unexpected Pressure On The Depth Chart
The Steelers still have some sorting to do before they settle on their offensive identity for 2026, and the quarterback room has become one of the more interesting parts of camp. With Drew Allar, Aaron Rodgers and Will Howard all in the mix, the group already had plenty of layers, but the big question has been how the depth chart would shake out behind the veteran centerpiece.
Mike McCarthy has helped turn that conversation in a different direction by signaling Mason Rudolph may have a real place on the roster after all. Rudolphs experience has mattered, and his work in training camp has kept him in the picture as the Steelers continue to weigh how much they want to lean on Rodgers, whose role is expected to be limited by age. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Camp Suddenly Has A Receiver Opening Fans Need To Watch
The Steelers preseason work took a small hit on Monday when both of their top receivers were unavailable, leaving a noticeably different feel to practice as the team continues sorting through camp roles and quarterback competition. With the passing game already under a microscope, any missed reps at receiver matter, especially this time of year when every practice snap can help shape the depth chart and give the offense a better sense of who can handle real game work.
Michael Pittman, Jr. was out after a leg issue from a recent practice, while D.K. Metcalf did not take part as the team managed his workload. That opened the door for young wideouts Germie Bernard and Roman Wilson to get a longer look, and it added another layer to a camp that already has Will Howard and Drew Allar battling for the starting job under center. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Camp Is Forcing A Rethink On Key Roster Battles
Midway through training camp, the Steelers defensive line picture is starting to take shape in a way that could matter well beyond August. Derrick Harmon and Cam Heyward have both played like expected anchors, and Yahya Black has made a strong enough case to be viewed as part of the likely starting group. Behind them, Brandon Smith and Gabe Rubio have also drawn notice, giving Pittsburgh a deeper and more competitive rotation than it might have expected when camp opened.
The bigger wrinkle is how much some of the quieter names are forcing their way into the conversation. Jamel Dean has taken a notable step forward, and undrafted rookie Kevin Jobity Jr. is getting real attention for the way he has handled defensive line reps. For a team trying to sort out the edges of its roster while still sharpening the front, those kinds of surges can complicate the cleanest assumptions and make the next stretch of camp worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]