Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — Attendance at OTAs doesn’t matter, unless it’s meant to matter. For the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025, there’s pretty much only one player who could matter.
Several top Steelers veterans were not in attendance for the first day of always-optional OTAs at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on Tuesday, including free-agent wide receiver acquisition DK Metcalf. Aaron Rodgers, who has not signed with the Steelers, is also missing the start of OTAs.
Their absence won’t harm their ability to be productive players for the Steelers (or in the case of Rodgers, possibly for someone else) this season.
Just ask Steelers captain Cam Heyward. Heyward, who sat out of OTAs last year amid a contract dispute, said veteran players not being at OTAs doesn’t bother him.
“I don’t care,” he said. “[Rodgers] might be sitting on a helmet for the rest of the time. You don’t know what’s going to happen. Sometimes, we put so much stock into the offseason, where we get caught up into thinking it’s everything. Yes, it can help. Yes, guys can get better. But who’s to say that you can’t get better outside of here. I hate to point to it, but last year, I missed all of OTAs. It didn’t really help me. Any player, I think you know what you need. You know what’s required of you as you progress toward training camp.”
Heyward played one of the best seasons of his career after skipping OTAs last year. Between personal trainers, individual position coaches, strength coaches and nutritionists, it’s never been easier for players to be prepared for the season on their own, as opposed to within the team concept at OTAs.
So why is Heyward in attendance this year?
“I wanted to get out here,” he said. “I’ll get back to the offseason work I’ve been doing and training, but it’s fun to mix it up a little bit.”
Heyward, of course, is a veteran that has been here longer than most of his coaches. There’s only so much he can glean from the OTA process. A new-to-the-team player like Metcalf or Rodgers might learn more.
“It’s very important to be able to spend time together, talk about base stuff of the offense so when we hit training camp, we can talk about further fundamentals and details,” tight end Pat Freiermuth said about his attendance. “It’s very important to be here, work together with the guys, get to know them, and get on the same page.”
There are other ways to accomplish those things. Freiermuth said Metcalf had been participating in the earlier phases of the team’s offseason program and has been in constant communication with the rest of the offense.
“DK’s been great,” Freiermuth said. “Me and him communicate a lot. He’s been here the past couple weeks and stuff so it’s been good to kind of work with him. It’s been.”
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