Come and join this merry band of Steelers’ faithful for some lively debate about our Steelers, good food, music, and the merits of the odd cold beverage.
Live from Delaware, it’s Saturday Night! I, NAS204PSU, am here to bring you this Saturday Night Open Thread (aka SNOT).
By the time this is published, Day 3 of training camp will be in the books, so another day closer to real football. Let’s talk training.
This 6 pack of questions is here to get the conversation going is below, also let us know what you’re eating/drinking!
1. How much stock do you put into the 7 shots drill outcomes as a gauge of how well the offense/defense is doing?
2. After throwing a pick on day 1 in the first 11-on-11, Rodgers was quoted as saying “I’m going to throw some picks, but I’m going to throw some touchdowns too,” Give your prediction for Rodgers TD-INT stat for 2025.
3. Jonnu Smith was “day-to-day” and only doing limited drills to start training camp. How much bubble wrap should the Steelers use to prevent a “miss 5 games with calf tightness” situation like Russ last year?
4. If you were running the Steelers training camp, what music are you blasting to motivate them?
5. What is the hardest thing you’ve ever had to train for?
6.
If you could train with one of these fictional trainers, who you suiting up with? a) Yoda b) Mickey Goldmill c) Mr. Miyagi d) Debbie Callahan e) Morpheus f) Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore g) Gunnery Sergeant Hartman h) Alonzo Harris
LATROBE, PA — The heat isn’t letting up in Latrobe. The weather has been hot, and so have some new acquisitions on the defensive side of the ball.
The Steelers wrapped up Day Three of training camp, and they got one day closer to putting the pads on. Until then, here are my biggest takeaways from Saturday’s practice:
Aaron Rodgers continues to look for consistency
Day One was clunky, Day Two was good, and Day Three was a gumbo of good, bad, and ugly. Rodgers struggled to complete passes in team drills. He took a shot downfield to DK Metcalf that was caught by the big receiver leaping on the sideline, but he couldn’t get two feet in — something Joey Porter Jr. was quick to point out to him and the fans.
On the other hand, though, Rodgers hit Metcalf and Darnell Washington for touchdowns in seven shots and looked solid in seven-on-seven. Working out the kinks in a new offense is what this time of year is for. It’s better to see the growing pains in Latrobe than in New York Week 1.
Jalen Ramsey is a menace
Ramsey has had three consecutive days of great play. In the second team drills, he picked off Aaron Rodgers on the first play, making a leaping interception on a bootleg to the left. With his ability to play all over the secondary combined with the splash plays, he looks more than worth what Pittsburgh is paying him, and what they traded to get him.
Big day for Juan Thornhill
The veteran safety had his best day of camp thus far. He had two pass breakups in team drills — one on Jonnu Smith and one on Roman Wilson that prevented a deep completion. He’s making his case to be the starting safety opposite DeShon Elliott.
Full seven shots results
Bad snap, Rodgers throws it away.
Rodgers hits Metcalf on a slant (TD).
Rodgers hits Darnell Washington in back of end zone (TD).
Rudolph throwaway, would have been Patrick Queen sack.
Connor Heyward catch, but couldn’t keep toes in.
Howard hits JJ Galbreath on slant (TD).
Nick Herbig deflects Rodgers pass at line of scrimmage.
Defense wins 4-3.
Other notes
The fans love Will Howard, and he is making the most of the reps he’s getting. He’s had a good three-day stretch. He hit Montana Lemonious-Craig twice for nice completions.
Derrick Harmon blew up a run play in team drills and is building a nice camp thus far.
Dean Lowry plowed through Zach Frazier for what would have been a five-yard tackle for loss and the defense went nuts.
The defense continues to be by far the dominant unit.
The Steelers will return to practice tomorrow, July 27, at 1:55 p.m. ET.
The Steelers legendary quarterback highlights the 2025 Hall of Honor class
The Pittsburgh Steelers are set to begin their third training camp practice. Ahead of that, though, the team revealed the three players who will make up the 2025 Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Honor class.
Porter was drafted in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft out of Colorado State. In eight seasons with the Steelers, he was a three-time All-Pro, including being named First-Team All-Pro in 2002. Porter had 60 sacks in his time with the Steelers and helped Pittsburgh win Super Bowl XL.
Pouncey was Pittsburgh’s first-round pick in 2010. He was arguably the best center of his era, and his accolades reflect that. The Florida product was a nine-time Pro Bowler, a two-time First-Team All-Pro, and is a member of the 2010s All-Decade Team.
Roethlisberger was drafted in the first round in 2004. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year after going 13-0 as a starter and led the Steelers to the AFC Championship Game. In Year Two, he became the youngest quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl at 23 years old. Roethlisberger won another Super Bowl in 2008, cementing himself as one of the best quarterbacks of his era just five seasons into his career. He retired with 418 touchdowns and 64,088 yards, both of which rank top 10 all-time.
The Pittsburgh Steelers traded for star cornerback Jalen Ramsey at the end of June, shipping former All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins.
Coming along with Ramsey was Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith, who caught a career-high 88 passes in 2024. Speaking to the media on Friday, Smith was asked about Ramsey and what he brings to the table as a player and teammate.
“Great guy,” Smith said. “You get a lot of people who got Jalen misunderstood. Obviously, with all the stuff that went down in Miami, what kind of things are portrayed… that was my first year with Jalen. The guy just wants to win, and you want guys like that around.”
It was reported that Ramsey and Dolphins clashed due to the cornerback showing up late for practice and “undermining” head coach Mike McDaniel. However, considering all the dysfunction that has taken place over the last two seasons with the Dolphins, take all of this with a grain of salt.
Ramsey has made an instant impact through the first two days of Steelers camp. He’s played predominantly at nickel thus far, but has taken snaps on the boundary and at safety during team drills, as well. The Steelers traded for the former All-Pro because of his versatility, and so far, he has showcased exactly that.
Pittsburgh will take the field for the first time in exhibition play on August 7th in Jacksonville against the Jaguars.
Think you can figure out which Steelers player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!
Hey Steelers fans! We’re back for another day of the Behind the Steel Curtain in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.
The goal of the game is to guess the correct Steelers player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.
After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.
As previously reported, the Steelers also worked out and eventually signed safety Chuck Clark. However, Williams didn’t get a deal on Friday.
Like Clark, Williams was a 2017 draft pick who started several years for the Baltimore Ravens. He’s a former second-round pick by the New Orleans Saints who’s started 106 career games. He’s largely been listed as a free safety over his career.
Williams was once considered one of the better young safeties in the NFL, but he struggled in 2024 in Baltimore, being benched after nine starts. That season he had 33 total tackles, two passes defensed, and no interceptions. He allowed a career-worst 148.4 passer rating when targeted per Pro Football Reference.
The 6’1, 204-pound safety ran a 4.56-second 40-yard dash coming out of college.
We’re two practices in to the Steelers’ 2025 training camp. What’s your biggest takeaway/storyline so far?
The Steelers signed veteran safety Chuck Clark today. How do you think he fits into Pittsburgh’s crowded secondary?
Roman Wilson has been seeing WR2 snaps in training camp. Do you think the Steelers will still add a free agent option this summer to compete for the role?
Kaleb Johnson has received rave reviews so far in training camp. What do you think the division of labor looks like between him and Jaylen Warren this season?
The Steelers released new throwback uniforms this week, and reactions were mixed. However, other teams including the Browns, Packers, and Saints have also released new alternate looks that haven’t gotten great reviews. Which is the worst of the bunch? The best? (View them all here).
I’m off to go see the new Superman movie after writing this. What’s the best recently-released movie you’ve seen?
Today’s song rec:
So, settle down for the weekend, share your food and drink of choice, and let’s talk some football…
Aaron Rodgers and Dk Metcalf bounce back on Day Two of Steelers camp
LATROBE, PA — Day Two of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp was cut short by about 20 minutes due to thunderstorms in the area, but there was plenty to discuss once the players left the field, so let’s get into it.
Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf get in sync
It didn’t take long for Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf to avenge a rough Day One. Rodgers hit Metcalf on a quick out for a touchdown on the second play of seven shots, which drew a resounding applause from the crowd – and featured a release of held breath after a slow day from the pairing to kickoff camp. Mike Tomlin was asked about the connection’s improvement, and he gave a classic answer with a cheeky smile.
“That’s what I anticipate [from the duo],” Tomlin said. “I’m not gonna throw a pep rally – that’s what I expect. That’s what I envisioned all summer.”
Steelers HC Mike Tomlin on QB Aaron Rodgers’ touchdown pass to DK Metcalf in practice.
The biggest play of the day, though, was a pass from Rodgers to Calvin Austin in team drills. Austin caught a deep pass in which he won from the right slot and had Rodgers place the ball over the trailing defender’s head in stride for a big gain.
After a clunky first day, it was good to see Rodgers bounce back, and even better to see he and Metcalf connect for a score. Rodgers came back to Metcalf on a fade to the right side that fell incomplete in the end zone. It was a good throw, but the coverage by Joey Porter Jr was very good. Speaking of:
Dominant day for the secondary
This secondary is going to be very good. Porter had the aforementioned coverage on Metcalf, but also nearly picked off Mason Rudolph a couple of plays later, marking the second straight day he had a pass hit him where it could have been a pick. In addition to that, he had a nice PBU on Pat Freiermuth in team drills, which led to a bit of jawing back and forth between the two.
Jalen Ramsey continues to move around and make a big impact in doing so, as well. He was lined up as the nickel back and showed blitz. Coming off the edge, he had an incredible low bend around Troy Fautanu to get to Rodgers as he threw for what would have been a hit on the quarterback in-game. Later on in team drills, he made a play on a pass intended for Calvin Austin to force an incompletion. Already, he is looking like the Swiss army knife the Steelers were hoping they were getting when they traded for him.
Jalen Ramsey just blitzed off the edge and beat Troy Fautanu on the bend. Would have been a QB hit in game.
Cory Trice had a standout day, as well. He provided great coverage on a Will Howard pass to Brandon Johnson on a fade route and forced the incompletion. Later on in team drills on a go ball to Robert Woods, Trice ran step-by-step with the veteran and forced the incompletion.
Cory Trice with a nice deep PBU on a Skylar Thompson pass
New Steeler Brandin Echols also broke up a deep ball from Mason Rudolph during this period. Overall, it was a great day for the unit, and they look like a team that could have a top five secondary in football.
Full Seven Shots Results
Bad snap (replay down)
Aaron Rodgers to DK Metcalf (TD)
Aaron Rodgers to DK Metcalf (Incomplete)
Mason Rudolph to Ke’Shawn Williams (Incomplete)
Mason Rudolph to Scotty Miller (TD)
Will Howard to Brandon Johnson (Incomplete)
Will Howard to JJ Galbreath (TD)
Aaron Rodgers to Pat Freiermuth (TD)
Other Notes
Will Howard took over QB3 reps from Skylar Thompson – that didn’t take long
TE Jonnu Smith missed his second straight practice after partaking in walktrhough at the beginning of practice. Mike Tomlin ruled him as day-to-day after Thursday’s practice
It’s clear that Kaleb Johnson will be very good. He broke a run outside to the left and got upfield. DeShon Elliott dapped him up and was vocally praising him after the play
In the wake of the blockbuster Dolphins-Steelers trade which sent Minkah Fitzpatrickback to Miami, Pittsburgh was seen as a team to watch regarding a safety acquisition. The team has lined up its preferred addition.
Chuck Clarkhas agreed to a Steelers deal, ESPN’s Brooke Pryor notes. Pittsburgh already has DeShon Elliott and Juan Thornhillin place at the safety spot. Clark – who returned to action last year after an ACL tear cost him the 2023 campaign – will now join them as Pittsburgh’s secondary gets sorted out.
A sixth-round pick of the Ravens in 2017, Clark developed from a special teams mainstay into a full-time defensive starter. During each of his final three Baltimore campaigns, he was on the field for every defensive snap. A trade to the Jets did not go according to plan, however, with the ACL tear leaving him sidelined in 2023. Upon returning to full health, Clark did manage 12 games and a full-time starting role in New York.
The Virginia Tech product was charged with a 118 passer rating and two touchdowns allowed in coverage as the nearest defender in 2024. That helps explain why Clark remained on the open market deep into the offseason, but he will now look to use training camp to carve out a regular spot in Pittsburgh’s secondary. He will reunite with Elliott after the two previously played together in Baltimore.
Fitzpatrick drew criticism over the past two years as he playmaking dried up, and he was traded to the Dolphins with two years left on his deal in exchange for cornerback Jalen Ramseyand tight end Jonnu Smith. Ramsey is a candidate for a hybrid role with his newest team since the Steelers have returnee Joey Porter Jr. and free agent addition Darius Slayin place at the cornerback spots. If Ramsey sees considerable time at safety, it will impact the Elliott-Thornhill-Clark trio’s workload and rotation.
Today’s move comes shortly after the Saints responded toTyrann Mathieu‘s retirement by signing Julian Blackmon. With Clark now off the market as well, Justin Simmonsremains a name to watch. The two-time Pro Bowler saw his eight-year Broncos run come to an end last offseason and he does not anticipate remaining with the Falcons after he spent 2024 in Atlanta. Pittsburgh represented a logical landing spot in Simmons’ case, but that is no longer feasible given Clark’s signing.
The Steelers have added a new face to the team’s safety room early in training camp. The team announced Friday, as reported by several beat writers, that veteran safety Chuck Clark has signed with Pittsburgh.
The #Steelers have signed former #Ravens safety Chuck Clark and waived defensive tackle Domenique Davis, the team announced.
In a corresponding roster move, the Steelers waived defensive tackle Domenique Davis.
Steelers Now’s Alan Saunders reported that Clark will wear No. 21 in Pittsburgh.
Selected in the sixth round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens, Clark is no stranger to playing in the AFC North. He played in Baltimore from 2017-22 before being traded to the New York Jets in 2023. He missed that season with a torn ACL but started 12 games in 2024.
Clark has 75 career starts. In 2024, he logged 69 total tackles, two passes defensed, and no interceptions. The 6’0, 208-pound safety ran a 4.54-second 40-yard dash coming out of college. He’s been listed as a strong safety for much of his career.
