The Pittsburgh Steelers’ preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers had plenty going on, and not just because of the 28-9 final. For a team that has had trouble finding steady offensive rhythm for years, Thursday night offered a jolt: explosive plays, rookies flashing, and a defense that came out swinging from the first snap to the last whistle.
It was also the kind of night that can reshape a roster battle in a hurry. Bubble players had a chance to put themselves on the map, while rookie draft picks got their first real taste of the NFL stage.
Some answered the call. Others didn’t.
Drew Allar was the biggest reason the night felt different. The 22-year-old looked calm right away, and his first throw set the tone - a fastball over the middle that Kaden Wetjen turned into a 74-yard gain.
From there, Allar kept stacking positive snaps, showing poise, the ability to extend plays, confidence with the ball, and the kind of accuracy teams want from a young quarterback. In the second half, he finished 10 of 13 for 153 yards, two passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown, with a 154.8 passer rating.
He was willing to attack downfield and work the middle of the field to create chunk gains. Nobody is forgetting Kenny Pickett’s 2023 preseason, but this one looked different.
Wetjen was right in the middle of that offensive burst, too. The Steelers’ fourth-round pick didn’t do much as a return man beyond three kick returns for 61 yards, or 20.3 yards per return, but his work on offense stood out.
He was targeted only twice and still led the team with 79 receiving yards. He also finished a scoring drive with a five-yard touchdown catch late in the game.
The real eye-opener was how quickly he separated and how fast he accelerated after the catch. That part looked very real.
Another rookie who made noise was Germie Bernard. The second-rounder only saw early action, but he made the most of it with four catches on five targets for 51 yards.
The lone miss came on a tough end-zone play, when Bernard couldn’t get his second foot down after taking a hit while securing the ball. His ability to line up both inside and outside gives him a chance to fill the “CeeDee Lamb” role in Coach McCarthy’s offense, and he might end up being more useful than people expect.
The only real question is how much McCarthy wants to load onto his plate right away.
On defense, Jamin Davis made things interesting at a spot that looked settled. Edge rusher was supposed to be one of the clearest parts of the roster picture, but Davis put himself in the conversation with eight tackles, two sacks and three quarterback hits despite playing part-time snaps.
He looked stiff at times coming off the edge, but the production was hard to ignore. Davis, a former first-round pick of the Washington Commanders, is trying to make the jump from off-ball linebacker to edge rusher, and this was a strong first step.
Jack Sawyer had been viewed as a lock, but Davis can make that a real competition if he keeps this up.
Gabriel Rubio also left a strong first impression. The Steelers’ sixth-round pick was disruptive against the run, consistently stopping ball carriers in their tracks and looking like he belonged in the defensive line mix.
In his first NFL preseason action, he recorded six tackles and brought strong anchoring power along with relentless energy chasing plays. It was enough to make him look like more than just a roster-bubble name.
Not everyone came out of the night with momentum. Kaleb Johnson needed a sharp showing after a disappointing rookie season, but he didn’t get one.
He didn’t even get on the field until the second half, which is not a great sign for where he stands. Once he finally played, he managed just three yards on two carries, and he accounted for only one-fourteenth of the Steelers’ rushing attempts.
For a 2025 third-round pick, that’s a rough start.
Eli Heidenreich also had a debut he’ll want to forget. The crowd at Acrisure Stadium reacted loudly when he entered the game, but the excitement didn’t last long.
The Navy running back/wide receiver handled nine carries and finished with just 21 yards. The full offense struggled on the ground - 72 yards on 28 carries, or 2.6 yards per attempt - but Heidenreich still didn’t do enough to make a strong first impression.
At this point, he looks to be on the wrong side of the roster bubble.
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Wetjens performance drew praise from ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit, who highlighted both what he did and what he could become. For Pittsburgh, the appeal is obvious: a rookie who can help in more than one phase is the sort of depth piece that can make the roster conversation more interesting, and the Steelers now have a fresh reason to keep watching his next preseason outing closely. [Read more 🡒]