Guess what, folks. It’s training camp time. And that means it’s time for training camp questions. For the first time since 2019, the Pittsburgh Steelers are actually back at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe after having been forced to remain in Pittsburgh, where they held their past two training camps inside of the Field Formerly Known as Heinz.
Even though the Steelers are back on very familiar ground, more specifically on that of Chuck Noll Field, this is a training camp that is unusually full of certainty. After all, they haven’t had a genuine quarterback battle in a couple of decades, but they have one now with Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett, and Mason Rudolph.
We’ve got yet another new offensive line, with some incoming veterans in James Daniels and Mason Cole. Myles Jack is in at inside linebacker, replacing Joe Schobert, and we’ll have to see if Devin Bush can return to form after last year’s dismal display.
There’s still so much going on, and training camp will only create more questions as we go along, even as it starts to provide some answers. We’ll be covering them here on a daily basis for the community to “talk amongst yourselves”, as Linda Richman might say on Coffee Talk.
Question: Who impressed you the most during the Steelers’ preseason opener?
After months and months, the Steelers finally returned to the field for a game last night, defeating the visiting Seattle Seahawks in the inaugural contest for the newly-named Acrisure Stadium, a thrilling-as-a-preseason-game-can-get affair that culminated in a game-winning drive with just seconds to spare.
While a number of players stood out on both sides of the football, I would like to know who you were most impressed with. You only get to pick one player, so give it some serious consideration. Most will probably be inclined to choose a rookie, or shy away from positions more difficult to evaluate live like the offensive and defensive lines, but I want to know what your biggest takeaway was on one player.
There were a lot of starters watching from the sidelines, but there were still plays to be made, by the likes of George Pickens, Gunner Olszewski, Anthony McFarland Jr., and Jaylen Warren. Myles Jack, Damontae Kazee, and DeMarvin Leal were among the notable defenders to make their debut in the black and gold.
You know who played well who most people aren’t even going to think about, let alone mention? Arthur Maulet. I think anybody who was questioning his roster spot can safely cease at this point. He’s going to see playing time.
If I had to pick one player whose performance most pleased me, I think it would be McFarland, and that’s in no small part due to the lack of production he’s shown in the past two years. For the first time in his career, last night, he looked like a genuine contributor inside of a stadium. That’s encouraging moving forward, but he has to show that’s replicable.
