Steelers Now
To the delight of fans across the globe, the Pittsburgh Steelers are back! Mike Tomlin’s squad will travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars this Saturday night. Predictably so, there are quite a few starters without much to prove that are slated to sit out the contest. However, plenty of key contributors will be in pads, including a dozen or so whose development could go a long way in defining how the 2025 season unfolds.
Even though the final outcome is ultimately inconsequential, we still have plenty to look forward to. Here are some critical players worth keeping an eye on throughout the night.
Even after missing a couple of practices this week with a minor ailment, Derrick Harmon is good to go, and the Steelers are wasting no time getting their top selection fully acclimated to their scheme. Seeing him up close and in person confirms that he certainly looks the part of what you traditionally expect for this position, which will hopefully lessen his learning curve to the next level. He’s got impressive play strength to pair with violent hands and a motor that runs hot at all times. If Harmon truly hits the ground running and is a plus player from the jump, Pittsburgh’s front could go full-on gangbusters by forming one of the most dangerous units in the entire NFL. With the Jags playing their starters to some degree, this matchup will be a good barometer to gauge his progress early on.
The Steelers find themselves in a familiar situation, with more questions than answers at the wide receiver position. After an extremely quiet start to training camp, Roman Wilson has started to flash over the past couple practices. Signs of life, paired with a vote of confidence from his quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, give the second-year pro a touch of momentum entering the preseason opener. His speed could give this offense another explosive play threat, and getting him an early touch or two could do wonders for his confidence. This weekend will be his first real extended bit of playing time, but if Wilson can hold his own out wide, that will be a rather huge development for this franchise.
Speaking of youngsters working their way back from injury-filled rookie campaigns, Troy Fautanu is ready to roll in 2025. Pittsburgh has invested a bevy of resources to fortify their trenches, but they need to start seeing some legitimate results, with the 2024 first-round selection playing a big role in that. Training camp battles with T.J. Watt and Nick Herbig surely have helped prepare him for this moment. The biggest question to answer is how he looks physically and how much confidence he has in his right knee following a fluke injury last September. If healthy, Fautanu is uniquely gifted with arguably the highest ceiling on offense.
With Jaylen Warren resting, Kaleb Johnson will look to make a strong first...
