Former Steelers CB Bryant McFadden made a guest appearance at training camp yesterday in Latrobe, appearing as an analyst for CBS Sport, and made a personal guarantee that the Steelers would make the playoffs in 2023. McFadden and current Steelers CB Patrick Peterson hinted that an episode of the All Things Covered podcast with the two do together would air at training camp, hinting that they would speak with QB Kenny Pickett, WR George Pickens, and HC Mike Tomlin.
When the two talked to Tomlin, Peterson asked his head coach why he runs training camp the way he does. Tomlin responded sentimentally, saying he wants every player to feel like he has a shot to make it onto his team after the preseason is over.
“It’s gonna be crazy to hear me say it in this way, but for me, I wanna create an environment where everybody gets an opportunity to live out their dreams, man,” Tomlin said. “We got 90 trying to get to 53. And so, every day I get outta bed, I’m trying to figure out what environment I can create to give every man a legitimate shot. And so, it has to be competition based. It has to be challenging. We gotta mean what we say when we say we don’t care about what means you get here. And so, man, you better be really intentional and thoughtful about the environment that you create and opportunities that you create for people.”
It can come off as a little cheesy, but Tomlin has shown a desire for football justice to be had in the past. Early on in his tenure as head coach, WR/KR/PR Stefan Logan made the team out of training camp after spending time in the CFL, making the team as Pittsburgh’s primary returner in 2009. Logan parlayed that opportunity into a four-year NFL career with the Steelers and Lions, returning 30 punts for 280 yards and 55 kickoffs for 1,466 yards in his lone season in Pittsburgh.
Obviously, the NFL is a business and the players sitting at the end of the roster are the ones most likely to get the boot. We’ve already seen Pittsburgh shakes up the bottom of the roster with players like OL Jarrid Williams getting his walking papers a week into training camp. However, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t afforded the opportunity to impress coaches and the rest of the team with the reps they are given. Former Steelers CB Mike Hilton managed to secure a roster spot and became an impact player for the team, eventually inking a lucrative deal with the Cincinnati Bengals. OLB James Harrison fought his way onto the roster and currently stands as Pittsburgh’s all-time sack leader.
For every Jarrid Williams story, you also hear of players like S Kenny Robinson and DB Elijah Riley making the most of their opportunities as they fight for a roster spot. That’s the opportunity Tomlin wants to give the “long shot” guys, creating an environment where they can make their mark and prove they belong.
