Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers had their first practice of minicamp for the 2025 season on Tuesday.
Minicamp practices aren’t a lot different from the OTAs that preceded them. They’re still not in pads. There’s still not much in the way of physicality. The days are a bit longer, and they’re mandatory instead of voluntary, but the idea is the same: this is a time for teaching, not for evaluation.
Returning players are looking to develop expanded skillsets and new wrinkles to their game, while young players are looking to find a way to make a positive impression on the coaching staff.
So what did we learn from the first practice of minicamp?
Watt is holding out, while he and the team continue to work on a new contract, but it has not at all been a contentious process. Watt has remained in close communication with his coaches and teammates, and everyone seems to understand that a deal is going to get done eventually.
The impact of Watt not being at these practices is basically non-existent. Returning veterans that are playing the same role they have in the past don’t do very much at these sessions. Watt could have easily done as much at home as Cam Heyward or Isaac Seumalo did at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on Tuesday.
The Steelers have two young players at the outside linebacker position that they want to get looks at in Nick Herbig and Jack Sawyer, and two more on the roster bubble in DeMarvin Leal and Jeremiah Moon. The team would much rather those players get these reps than Watt, anyway.
Head coach Mike Tomlin was talking about Aaron Rodgers when he said, “Physical repetitions in June for a guy with 20 years’ experience is not that significant. It’s very significant for a guy with no snaps.”
But he could just as easily have been referencing Watt. Those reps just mean more to the young players behind him on the depth chart, and even if he were here, they’d probably be getting the lion’s share of them.
The Steelers are missing out on the ability of Sawyer and others to pick Watt’s brain and pick up things from the former NFL Defensive Player of the Year. But Watt not being there is also giving Alex Highsmith a shot to flex his leadership muscles a little bit.
“It’s cool,” he said. “It’s year six now. So I’m getting to be a vet now. I’ve always been a lead by example guy, now in year six, I’m staring to use my voice a lot more and starting to be a more vocal leader on this team, too.”
So the coaches get to evaluate the young players, the young players get their reps, Highsmith gets to be the leader — yeah, there isn’t a lot of downside for the Steelers to Watt skipping minicamp.
At some point, he’ll need to report so they can flesh...
