Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — The majority of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ training camp practices last season were held in the morning, starting at 10:30 a.m. That will not be the case this year, as the team is going back to their regular afternoon training camp practice schedule, with sessions starting at 1:55 p.m.
So why did Mike Tomlin make the change? It has to do with the weather.
“It wasn’t hot enough last year, to be quite honest with you,” Tomlin said. “Heat aids in the development of physical conditioning. It makes it a more stressful environment, and that’s what we go to camp for. We go to camp to get better, and if it’s a little bit more miserable later in the day, man, that’s what we want.”
Tomlin confirmed that the Steelers are a healthy unit heading into training camp.
In previous seasons, the Steelers came into training camp with key injuries. Last year, newly acquired Russell Wilson injured his calf in opening workouts. In 2023, Cam Heyward had a lingering groin injury. Even in 2022, lead-back Najee Harris had a Lisfranc injury that lingered into the year.
“[There are] no injuries worth mentioning or things that could slow down our progress in terms of reporting to football camp,” Tomlin said.
The Steelers will return to their training camp home of St. Vincent College near Latrobe, Pa., for the 58th season, the team announced on Wednesday, and they have also released their full practice schedule for the popular open practices this summer.
The Steelers will host fans for 14 open practice sessions at Chuck Noll Field on the campus of St. Vincent College during training camp this year, and will also have their annual Friday Night Lights practice at Latrobe Memorial Stadium.
The team will also hold a joint practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that will be closed to the public.
Admission to Steelers practices at St. Vincent College remains free and open to the public, though fans must acquire a free mobile ticket from the team, which will be available via Ticketmaster starting at noon on Tuesday, June 24.
Alan Saunders and Brendan Howe contributed reporting from Pittsburgh.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Mike Tomlin Explains Major Change to Steelers Training Camp Schedule
