A Steelers Depot daily segment. A quick hit of some Pittsburgh Steelers-related stories that may not require a complete article but nuggets worth mentioning and passing on to you guys.
Your Depot After Dark for July 29.
COLTS DE TEARS ACHILLES
Unfortunately, while training camp is usually a very positive time of year because it signals football’s return, it can also come with devastating injury news. Indianapolis Colts defensive end Samson Ebukam is one of the first major injuries during camp this year. Per insider Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Ebukam tore his Achilles, and his season is over.
Ebukam is a veteran pass rusher who’s been in the NFL since 2017. He started every game for the Colts last year and had 9.5 sacks. It’s a tough loss for a Colts team that the Steelers will face in Week 4 this year. That game will certainly feature more of the Colts’ young and unproven pass rushers now.
ROOKIE WR COMPARED TO PICKENS
George Pickens is still relatively young in his NFL career, but it seems he’s made an impression around the league. It looks like Pickens has become the new standard that big-body, contested catch receivers are compared to. Speaking recently to the media, New England Patriots receiver K.J. Osborn said that he tells his teammate, rookie Javon Baker, that he plays similarly to Pickens.
“I told him he reminds me of George Pickens,” Osborn said per the team’s YouTube channel. “Bigger like that. Really, really, really talented. Raw. You see him jump up and make big plays.”
Jumping up and making big plays is what Pickens is known for, so that is an apt comparison. We’ll see going forward if Baker, a fourth-round pick in the 2024 draft, will be as successful as Pickens has been so far.
EDDIE FAULKNER HOSTS CAMP
The time before training camp allowed players and coaches a slight rest from the hustle and bustle of their jobs. However, Eddie Faulkner, the Steelers running backs coach since 2019, took some of that time to give back to the youth of his hometown of Muncie, Indiana, by hosting a football camp for them.
There’s even a cool behind-the-scenes video from Halle Guiden on YouTube showing Faulkner and his family members talking about what being able to hold this camp meant to them. Fans will also catch former Steelers linebacker Donnel Thompson in the video as well, talking about how glad he is to contribute to Faulkner’s camp.
