It’s no secret that this year’s training camp for the Pittsburgh Steelers has been chippy. Two fights have already broken out, and Friday Night Light’s backs-on-backers drill was insanely intense. In fact, veteran and superstar OLB T.J. Watt said training camp this year has been the most intense in a while.
“It’s definitely been the most intense in recent years that I can remember just because we have so many new guys, especially at key positions,” said Watt on the Up & Adams Show with Kay Adams. I mean, you got Patrick Queen inside, DeShon Elliott in the back end too, and then obviously the new first-round pick at right tackle [Troy Fautanu], some other young offensive linemen, and those running backs are very chippy as well. So, as you saw last night in backs-on-backers, guys are getting after it, and we’d much rather say woah than sic em.”
High-intensity practices are good as they prepare the team for the long road ahead. In fact, the Steelers are an anomaly in that they do live hitting in training camp, as many teams shy away from contact in the summer to preserve their team’s health for the long season. While Pittsburgh has not had playoff success recently, they have consistently finished seasons strong in recent years, proving that having a high-intensity training camp does not hinder their ability later in the season.
Kay Adams asked Watt specifically about the backs-on-backers drill as to why head coach Mike Tomlin likes it so much.
“It’s a little sick,” said Watt. “He likes to see guys run into each other at full speed. But that’s what we’re about here. It’s about who’s gonna compete and who’s gonna turn away.”
Tomlin also joined Adams for an interview and responded to Watt calling him “sick.”
“That’s tough to disagree with,” said Tomlin. We gotta be methodical in our approach to team building, and sometimes, you know, we gotta create a little misery in the process, and that’s kinda done by me.”
For those who don’t know, backs-on-backers is a drill in which the linebackers are one-on-one against a running back, and tight ends try to get past them. Often, it involves the linebackers running full speed into the offensive player.
Shit was getting serious Steelers Nation🖤💛🔥🔥#Steelers #SteelersCamp pic.twitter.com/QLIAGHQ7jY
— DJ (@Djsticc) August 3, 2024
While the obvious goal is to improve blocking skills for the running backs and tight ends and pass rush skills for the linebackers, the more understated goal is to test the player’s mettle. In the hot summer heat, while having intense practices, doing this drill almost every day is exhausting, and the high-intensity hitting can be hard for some players. But to play for Tomlin, you have to push past that; you have to compete.
With what we have seen so far, this year’s training camp is extremely intense. Over the past few years, general manager Omar Khan has been retooling the roster to his liking to help get the Steelers back to winning Super Bowls. This has led to many new players entering Saint Vincent College over the past couple of seasons, and with some high new additions this year, like LB Patrick Queen and a whole new quarterback room, Tomlin is making sure these new guys know what it takes to be a Steeler.
It will be interesting to watch how training camp progresses intensity-wise. Training camp ends on August 15, which means there are still two weeks to go of these high-intensity practices. As Watt said, Tomlin wants to see who will put up the fight and who will turn away. For many players fighting for a roster spot, being able to keep up the intensity may help them find a way to sneak onto the final roster. For others, it could mean finishing strong, not wilting under the stress, and exhaustion could lead to a starting role on the team.
There’s still a long way to go for Steelers training camp, but the intensity won’t wain. It’s about who can keep it up as Tomlin puts them through one of the more difficult training camps in years.
