A week of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp is in the books. When the team reports back to the practice fields Tuesday at Saint Vincent College, the pads are supposed to go on and intensity will ramp up.

Here are some observations from the first week of practice as the team has gotten acclimated to the early stages of the 2024 season.

• Russell Wilson gives a really good press conference and is enthusiastic about signing autographs.

Aside from that, there isn’t much to say about the Steelers’ new starting quarterback because he injured a calf while pushing a sled during the Day 1 conditioning test.

Why that was necessary for a 35-year-old quarterback to do, I have no idea. Are there plans for Wilson to lead block for Justin Fields in two-QB formations or something?

Maybe under different circumstances, Wilson would’ve balked at that idea. But given his attempts to fix the image that he set himself apart from the rest of the team and treated himself as his own quarterbacking corporation in Denver and Seattle, I bet Wilson was going out of his way to do anything and everything to “just be one of the guys.”

Then, the injury happened. As a result, all he has done is some light individual work and throwing on the side.

The Steelers love to advance the narrative that every rep is important in training camp. Well, after one week of practices this year, their new offense, with a new coordinator, a bunch of new wide receivers and potentially two new offensive linemen, hasn’t gotten to work with the new starting signal caller.

• Justin Fields is exactly as advertised.

The athleticism and play making ability with his feet is 100% real, but so is the passing inconsistency. Sometimes he throws a perfectly placed rope or a red zone pass with touch. Other times, the ball comes out awkwardly and off-target.

His best throw of the day usually follows his worst throw of the day or his worst throw of the day follows his best throw of the day.

Not to mention, there have been quite a few plays that would have resulted in sacks if Fields was allowed to be tackled in practice after the ball failed to come out when it needed to be released.

Sunday, though, Fields and the offense certainly had their best day in the red zone as the offense scored on six of seven snaps in the “Seven Shots” drill.

• The new defensive backs have been impressive.

Veteran secondary acquisitions Donte Jackson and DaShon Elliott have both been noticeably good, and undrafted rookie Beanie Bishop is handling extensive work out of the slot admirably.

“I feel like I had pretty good OTAs and minicamp,” Bishop said. “I knew I was going to get some reps. This many reps, I wasn’t sure about. I can cover well. I’m a great tackler. Those are abilities that you need to have to play in the slot.”

Elliott frequently makes plays at the line of scrimmage, gets into the backfield, and handles coverage duties capably in the middle of the field. Jackson has broken up numerous passes and stayed with George Pickens on multiple occasions when he has been assigned to cover him one-on-one.

Plus, Jackson had the first interception of camp during team drills on Sunday. Aside from slipping on a deep bomb of a touchdown that Fields threw on Wednesday, Jackson has illustrated why the Steelers felt he was worth bringing on board from Carolina in exchange for Diontae Johnson.

• First Call: Respect between T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett; Kenny Pickett's praise from Philly; eventual day for Chase Claypool • Madden Monday: George Pickens 'knows he is all the Steelers have at WR ... and it ain't good that he knows that' • Tyler Matakevich happy to be back with Steelers, knows his role on special teams, new kickoff rule

• The wide receiver group is what we expected them to be.

Beyond Pickens, no one on the Steelers receiver depth chart really stands out as a big-time threat. So far, that continues to be the case in practice. None of the players in that group has really emerged as someone who projects to be a major target opposite Pickens in 2024.

Although, it’s not like any of them have been bad either. Van Jefferson, Marquez Callaway, Quez Watkins, Calvin Austin III and rookie Roman Wilson have all taken turns making plays when called upon, and it’s not like any of them appear to be a fish totally out of water.

Then again, with so many balls being thrown to the tight ends it’s tough to evaluate so far. Pat Freiermuth has been very busy. So has Connor Heyward. MyCole Pruitt made a great one-handed catch Sunday and scored a touchdown Friday.

After doing very little in his first two seasons, Austin has been encouraging, catching balls in various parts of the field, and looking like more of a polished receiver and route runner in his third year.

• The defense is good at batting down passes the line of scrimmage.

Or, perhaps better said, Fields and the other Steelers QBs need to do a better job of avoiding passes being swatted back in their faces. Cameron Heyward, T.J. Watt, Logan Lee and DeMarvin Leal have all gotten involved in the block party at the training camp so far.

Fields showed off an adjustment Sunday, completing a handful of jump passes in traffic. One went to Scotty Miller for a “Seven Shots” touchdown. Another one went for a big gain after Jaylen Warren made a slick one-handed catch.

• Leal flashed a lot over the first few days of camp.

He’s looking like how a third-year player should look against rookies and depth-chart reserves.

“I wanted to start off good, keep it going and build from there,” Leal said Friday. “I’ve learned so much, I couldn’t begin to tell you. I can just say that I have grown, and I’m here.”

This has been billed as a make or break year for Leal. Coming into his third camp the Texas A&M product has always been an intriguing prospect. But the Steelers have never been able to fully unlock his toolbox, and the 24-year old has dealt with a lot of injuries.

If healthy and productive, though, Leal could provide some much needed depth and pass rush along the defensive line.

Also, in the second wave along the front seven, after a nice rookie season, Nick Herbig has come back in Year 2 a little bigger (he says, “three or four pounds” heavier) and spent a lot of the first two or three days of practices disrupting plays along the line of scrimmage.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)