The final day of the Pittsburgh Steelers 2023 training camp. It’s been a great (and busy) past few weeks and camp has finally wrapped up. One last time for the summer, let’s talk about what went down today.
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Camp Notes (Day 16)
– Injury roundup. The Steelers in good shape for their final practice. Not practicing today was just three people: OG Nate Herbig (shoulder), OG Isaac Seumalo (day off), and DL Larry Ogunjobi (right foot). Spotted Ogunjobi later in practice not wearing a boot on his injured right foot. That’s a good sign, obviously.
LB Nick Kwiatkoski (right shoulder), S Tre Norwood (right leg), and NT Keeanu Benton (right ankle) were all limited and didn’t work in team periods, only individual sessions. Benton did some jogging during one team period, a sign he’s close to a return.
– Overall, important to note today was a very low-key last day of practice. No pads, helmets only, and it felt like a walkthrough. Lots of scout team works, backups against starters, working off a card, all to get ready for Saturday’s game against Buffalo.
– Some members of the NFL Film crew were on-hand to get some footage today. They worked from above the bleachers.
– As usual, Joey Porter Jr. the first Steeler to walk down the stairs. He came down at 1:23.
– Spencer Anderson worked on some snapping very early in practice as players still filtered down. But he didn’t work there in team. Most of the snapping duties went to Mason Cole and Kendrick Green while Ryan McCollum saw a tiny bit of action during team period, too.
– Nearly the entire defensive back room gets on the field early, most cycling through the JUGS machine or playing catch with tennis balls.
– Kevin Dotson continues to have his right shoulder wrapped up pretty tightly for each practice. It’s definitely been something he’s fighting through.
– In warmups, the top two offensive lines.
First Team: Dan Moore Jr.-Kevin Dotson-Mason Cole-James Daniels-Chukwuma Okorafor
Second Team: Broderick Jones-Ryan McCollum-Kendrick Green-Bill Dunkle-Dylan Cook
That’s Dylan Cook finally getting some second-team reps. Spencer Anderson working as third-team right guard here, though he saw time with the twos throughout practice.
– Steelers’ Director Of Player Development Darrell Young, a former NFL fullnack, is at practice each day. He talked to some folks on the sideline. And they’re either the most die-hard Steelers’ fans or Forrest Rhyne’s family because one of them was wearing a “Rhyne 46” shirt.
First Team Session (Seven Shots)
1. Offensive line of Moore-Dotson-Cole-Daniels-Okorafor. Cam Heyward and Montravius Adams the defensive tackles. T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith the outside linebackers. Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts the inside linebackers. Minkah Fitzpatrick and Damontae Kazee the safeties. Patrick Peterson and Levi Wallace the outside cornerbacks with Chandon Sullivan in the slot.
Kenny Pickett throws left side for TE Pat Freiermuth. Minkah Fitzpatrick is in the area but doesn’t contest it much and Freiermuth makes the grab.
2. George Pickens motions across. Pickett looks left but pressure forces him right. Pass to Diontae Johnson in the back right corner is incomplete with Fitzpatrick covering. Cam Heyward chases Pickett laterally and jokingly punched his hands out like Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em robots to mimic like he was going to punch the ball out without actually doing it.
3. Three by one formation, three wide receivers left with TE Zach Gentry aligned right. Pickett throws a jump ball left side to Pickens with Patrick Peterson covering. But the throw is high and Pickens makes no attempt to play the ball. Incomplete.
4. Joey Porter Jr. and James Pierre on the outside with Elijah Riley in the slot. DeMarvin Leal and Isaiahh Loudermilk as the defensive tackles. Pickett empty set. Looks for Allen Robinson II left side, but Porter pokes the ball out for the incompletion.
5. Offensive line of Jones-McCollum-Green-Dunkle-Cook. Mitch Trubisky comes in at quarterback. Calvin Austin III is motioned across. Trubisky looks for him left side, but James Pierre breaks it up for yet another defensive stop.
6. Chris Wilcox and Madre Harper the pair of corners. RB Darius Hagans motions from being split out wide and into the backfield. Nothing available for Trubisky, who makes a quick decision to run up the middle but I charge these as defensive wins.
7. Armon Watts and Manny Jones the defensive tackles. Lavert Hill in the slot for the Steelers’ defense. Trubisky flushed right and looks for Hakeem Butler but there’s really no chance here. Incomplete. Defense wins 5-2.
Second Team Session
1. Ball on the offense’s 28. Najee Harris right side for about 4 yards but he’s not even touched in this light session.
2. Elandon Roberts and Cole Holcomb the inside linebackers. Peterson and Wallace the outside corners with Sullivan in the slot. Fitzpatrick and Kazee the safety duo. Kenny Pickett under center. Fires deep downfield for Diontae Johnson on a post route. The defensive back doesn’t even jump with him — that’s probably intentional to avoid contact/injury — and Johnson leaps to make the catch for a 44-yard gain.
3. Calvin Austin III jet run to the right for 5 before safety Trenton Thompson chases him out of bounds.
4. Markus Golden and Nick Herbig the outside linebacker duo. Forrest Rhyne and Mark Robinson next to each other at inside linebacker. Elijah Riley in the slot. Pickett under center but boots to his left. Hits Connor Heyward in the flat but Riley buzzes down to tag him for no gain.
5. Offensive line of Jones-McCollum-Green-Dunkle-Cook. Leal and Loudermilk the defensive tackles. Trubisky under center. RB Jaylen Warren right side, decently blocked for a gain of 5.
6. Miles Killebrew and Jalen Elliott the safety duo. Mitch Trubisky hits WR Cody White deep down the right sideline. Chris Wilcox is with him but doesn’t jump and lets up, again, a signal of the low-key nature of the day. But it’s a 37-yard pickup.
7. Toby Ndukwe and David Perales the outside linebackers, Rhyne and Tanner Muse the inside linebackers. Anthony McFarland Jr. left side for about 7 until Killebrew touches him up.
8. Wilcox and Harper on the outside with Hill in the slot. Trubisky boots and hits TE Rodney Williams in the right flat for 4 yards.
9. Le’Raven Clark in at left tackle, Spencer Anderson in at right tackle. Mason Rudolph under center. Jaylen Warren a short run right side for 3.
10. Defensive linemen James Nyamwaya and Breiden Fehoko on the field together. Xazavian Halladay stretch run to the left for 2, Fehoko getting off a block and tagging him.
11. Rudolph fires deep down the left sideline for WR Dez Fitzpatrick. Harper is in-phase and finds the ball. It hits off them and bounces into the air with Fitzpatrick tracking it and catching the ball on the bounce for a long gain.
12. Toss right for Halladay for about 6, making a nice vertical cut upfield.
Third Team Session
1. Ball on the offense’s 45 yard-line. Offensive line of Jones-Dunkle-Green-McCollum-Anderson. Backup offense against the starting defense. Trubisky throws for WR Miles Boykin on a dig route, but Levi Wallace plays down by the hands and knocks it out. A nice defensive play and about the most significant contact of the day. Cam Heyward beat Bill Dunkle to get pressure.
2. Defensive line of Loudermilk-Adams-Heyward. Darius Hagans carry right side for not much. T.J. Watt and Loudermilk in there with Watt beating Anderson.
3. Safety pairing of Fitzpatrick and Kazee. Hagans again up the middle for about 5.
4. Trubisky complete over the middle to TE Rodney Williams for 10 yards, LB Kwon Alexander covering.
5. Cole Holcomb and Mark Robinson the inside linebackers. Joey Porter Jr. and James Pierre the cornerbacks. Kenny Robinson and Trenton Thompson the safety duo, Elijah Riley in the slot. Mason Rudolph in at quarterback. Greg Bell toss right, Holcomb and others flying in to make the stop for no gain.
6. Defensive line of Loudermilk-Fehoko-Leal. Rudolph under center. Insert block by WR Cody White as part of the run game. Bell gets about 2.
7. Mason Rudolph looks for Hakeem Butler left side but James Pierre steps in front. Should be a pick but he drops this one, right in front of all the defenders on the sideline, and let him hear about it. Up front, Markus Golden swimmed over and beat Darnell Washington, who was back in pass protection.
8. Boykin and White the two wideouts. Fehoko busts through and tags Bell for a loss of 1.
9. Wilcox and Barcoo the corners, Rhyne and Muse the inside linebackers, Killebrew and Elliott the safeties. Halladay carry right right. OLB Toby Ndukwe the first man to tag him up.
10. Offensive line of Jones-Cook-Green-Anderson-Clark. With Seumalo and Herbig not practicing, team getting a first look at Cook at left guard. And a look at QB Tanner Morgan. He enters the game (actually came in the rep before) but this is his first throw, complete to Connor Heyward for 10 yards.
11. Halladay up the middle. Gain of 1. Elliott came in on a blitz from his safety spot.
12. Barcoo and Nevelle Clarke the cornerbacks. Morgan under center. Halladay on the carry but Manny Jones quickly tags him at the line of scrimmage.
Special Teams Period
– Some notes here. Miles Killebrew the first-team upback with Kenny Robinson and Elijah Riley on the wings. James Pierre and Miles Boykin the gunners. Trenton Thompson and Jaylen Warren rotated in as backup upbacks.
Punting distances and hangtimes.
Pressley Harvin III: 4.47 seconds (touchback on pin-deep punt, the only one of the period), 4.56 (58 yards, open-end punts), 3.72 seconds (40 yards), 4.88 seconds (50 yards)
Braden Mann (all punts from his 40): 4.26 seconds (51 yards), 3.70 seconds (48 yards), 4.87 seconds (59 yards), 4.49 seconds (55 yards), 4.68 seconds (49 yards), 5.26 seconds (44 yards), 4.83 yards (59 yards), 4.67 seconds (58 yards).
Fourth Team Session
1. Ball on the offense’s 45 yard line. Offensive line of: Moore-Dotson-Cole-Daniels-Okorafor. Pickett hits George Pickens deep downfield for a 30-yard gain on Levi Wallace.
2. Najee Harris up the middle for 4.
3. Thompson and Robinson the safety duo. Porter and Pierre at corner with Elijah Riley at slot corner. Markus Golden and Nick Herbig the outside linebackers. Pickett boots and hits Pat Freiermuth in the right flat for a couple yards; looked deeper downfield for Allen Robinson II before opting against it.
4. David Perales and Herbig the outside linebackers. Gunner Olszewski goes in motion. Pickett under center. Zone-run carry by Jaylen Warren. Nice cutoff block by Dan Moore Jr. on DL Manny Jones. Run goes for about 6.
5. Offensive line of Jones-McCollum-Green-Dunkle-Cook. Warren run for 7. Nice block up front by Ryan McCollum.
6. Good separation at the top of his route by WR Gunner Olszewski against James Pierre and Trubisky puts it on him for a gain of 8.
7. Anthony McFarland Jr. cuts upfield and gets 5 on this run.
8. Quick throw from Trubisky to WR Miles Boykin nets 7.
9. Offensive line of Clark-McCollum-Green-Dunkle-Anderson. Quincy Roche and David Perales the outside linebacker duo. Mason Rudolph play-action, hitting Dez Fitzpatrick right side for a short gain, CB Lavert Hill applying the tag.
10. Harper and Wilcox the corners. Jalen Elliott the deep post safety. Not even Minkah Fitzpatrick is in his usual perch 30 yards downfield to watch the play. Here, he’s sitting on the sideline. Warren with a gain of 1 here.
11. Mason Rudolph under center. Play-action. Looks like a should-be screen but Roche and others read it and Rudolph just eats the football.
12. Killebrew and Elliott the safety pairing. Rhyne and Muse at inside linebacker. Connor Heyward standing up slot left. Halladay run left side. Rhyne works off his block to keep it to just a gain of 2.
Fifth Team Session
1. Ball on the offense’s 25. Backup offense against the starting defense. Darius Hagans up the middle here for no gain.
2. Trubisky complete to Hakeem Butler on a dig for 25 yards, Wallace covering.
3. Anderson pulls on this play. Hagans up the middle for not a lot. Fitzpatrick was in there.
4. Offensive line of Jones-Dunkle-Green-McCollum-Anderson. Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander the inside linebackers. RPO with Trubisky pulling the ball out of the runner’s belly and hits Olszewski on a slant for 6, Fitzpatrick covering.
5. Defensive line of: Loudermilk-Fehoko-Watts. Golden and Herbig the outside linebackers with Robinson and Roberts the inside linebacker duo. Rudolph under center. Greg Bell a run for 3 with Roberts giving a half-hearted punch at the end as Bell runs towards him.
6. Rudolph looks for WR Jordan Byrd over the middle, but the ball is knocked out of his hands and into Mark Robinson’s adjacent arms for the quirky interception.
7. Rudolph working out of the gun. Bell left side, Loudermilk free, and it’s a gain of 1.
8. Porter and Pierre the corners. Rudolph fires far down the left sideline and Cody White makes the grab for a 36-yard gain, James Pierre actually trying to break this one up and jumping on top of White. But it’s a catch.
9. Offensive line of Jones-Dunkle-McCollum-Anderson-Clark. Halladay up the middle for 3.
10. Tanner Morgan enters and is under center. Nice throw over Tanner Muse’s outstretched hands and complete to Hakeem Butler for 19.
11. Jonathan Marshall and Manny Jones the defensive tackles. Rhyne and Muse the inside linebackers. Morgan throws over the middle, but it’s batted down before reaching the intended target. Not sure who got a mitt on it.
12. Morgan throws right side to Cody White, who snags it, but only gets one foot down. Good in college, not the NFL. Luq Barcoo covering.
Sixth Team Session
1. Ball at the offense’s 39. Moore-Dotson-Cole-Daniels-Okorafor the line. DeMarvin Leal and Cam Heyward up front defensively. Pickett fires a slant left side to WR Diontae Johnson. He reaches up for it — it’s up by his eyes but catchable — but the pass skims through his hands. Incomplete and a drop. Sullivan covering.
2. Pickett hits Najee Harris on a wheel right side for 10.
3. Pickett hits Pat Freiermuth down the right seam for 26 yards, Rhyne covering. Starting offense now going against the backup defense.
4. Offensive line of Jones-Dotson-Cole-Daniels-Okorafor. Pickett complete to Allen Robinson II for 19 yards.
5. Mitch Trubisky in at quarterback. Olszewski in the slot. Hits Darnell Washington on a curl for 11 yards, sitting down in front of the linebacker covering.
6. Thompson and Robinson the safety pairing. Porter and Pierre on the outside with Riley in the slot. Pass tipped by Breiden Fehoko and picked by fellow DL Jonathan Marshall, Trubisky throwing.
7. Connor Heyward makes a nice sliding catch for 21 yards right side, finding a window behind a couple of defenders.
8. Offensive line of Clark-Dunkle-Green-McCollum-Anderson. Trubisky fires left side. Olszewski dives for it but it hits off his hands and incomplete, Hill covering.
9. Like the second play, Mason Rudolph hits Anthony McFarland Jr. on a wheel right side. Gain of 10.
10. Hakeem Butler and Miles Boykin on the outside with Cody White in the slot. Slot fade by White is incomplete, Hill covering with lots of contact downfield.
11. Elliott the free safety while Killebrew rotates to the deep half on the snap of the ball. Rudolph complete to Heyward right side for 10, Hill on the tag.
12. From his right guard spot, Spencer Anderson false starts but the play isn’t stopped. Rudolph checks down to TE Rodney Williams for 7.
Seventh Team Session
1. Last team period of camp. Ball on the offense’s 18. Holcomb and Roberts the inside linebackers. Fitzpatrick and Kazee the safeties. Dan Chisena and Dez Fitzpatrick the wideouts with Jordan Byrd in the slot. Trubisky under center and with the play fake. Pass complete to Chisena on a crosser for 8, Fitzpatrick tagging him up.
2. Adams and Heyward the defensive tackles. Peterson and Wallace the outside corners with Sullivan in the slot. Trubusky downfield to Cody White for 30 yards, Damontae Kazee screaming in but pulls up. Would’ve lit him up otherwise. White and Fitzpatrick race off to the end zone.
3. Trubisky play-action. Pressure, throw off his back foot, but it’s complete to Fitzpatrick for 10 yards. Good throw.
4. Adams and Leal the defensive tackles. Holcomb and Roberts the inside linebackers. Trubisky has Butler open on a crosser, but he drops the pass, Elandon Roberts mismatched and covering.
5. Rudolph boots and hits Williams for 3 yards, Alexander on the tag.
6. Rudolph complete to Byrd on a crosser for 8 yards, Mark Robinson covering and running laterally with him.
7. Rudolph again has Butler on a crosser, but he takes his eyes off and looks upfield, dropping another.
8. Rudolph then throws deep downfield intended for Dan Chisena but Trenton Thompson steps in front from his post-safety spot and picks it off.
9. Tanner Morgan comes in. Play-action. Ball is tipped by CB Chris Wilcox on a crosser for TE Darnell Washington and it somehow lands in Kwon Alexander’s hands. Back-to-back picks.
10. Offensive line of Jones-Cook-Green-Anderson-Clark. Morgan hits White for a short 5-yard gain, Alexander tagging.
11. Morgan boots out to the left. Complete to Heyward for 4, Tanner Muse on the tag.
12. Tight sideline throw but Morgan hits Chisena right side for about 5, Wilcox covering and tagging. That’s the final play of camp.
Camp Summary
– Really not a lot to note from today’s practice because of its walkthrough nature of it. Not going to paint a picture that didn’t exist. But have some quick takeaways.
– Good to see OT Dylan Cook get second-team reps. Lines were shorter today but he earned them. And a little bit of work at left guard, an interesting note to end camp on. Le’Raven Clark’s path to the 53 has only gotten steeper since camp began.
– WR Hakeem Butler. Too many drops, not enough big plays. Simple as that. Sour end to camp for him, and he’s not going to make the 53 unless something radically changes.
– Trenton Thompson is a playmaker. He’s got some size, he’s physical, and takes smart chances in coverage. He can play a little erratic and out of control, but I like him and the general safety depth the team has right now.
– Healthy bunch leaving camp. The few injuries they do have seem minor. We won’t be able to provide updates going forward but as things stand at the moment, there’s not a ton of updates to look for. Norwood, Benton, and Kwiatkoski are working their ways back while Herbig and Ogunjobi don’t appear to be long-term worries.
Saint Vincent Photo Of The Day
Get a bonus photo today. Here’s Young talking with the Rhyne family.
And here’s a pretty stretch-line shot. No one replaced LB Marcus Allen as Team DJ. His efforts are missed. The soundtrack this year was lackluster.
Better Know A Steeler
A daily blurb offering a brief bio of an interesting former Steeler.
St. Mary’s Angelo Brovelli was tabbed to be Pittsburgh’s first star player. Part of the 1933 squad, he spent two years with the team. But his NFL career was underwhelming with just three total touchdowns for the upstart franchise.
Bill Burr’s Quote Of The Day
“Realize that sleeping on a futon when you’re 30 is not the worst thing. You know what’s worse? Sleeping in a king bed next to a wife you’re not really in love with, but for some reason, you married, and you got a couple of kids, and you got a job you hate. You’ll be laying there fantasizing about sleeping on a futon. There’s no risk when you go after a dream. There’s a tremendous amount to risk to playing it safe.”
