Steel City Blitz
Hey Steelers Fans. Welcome to Tuesday.
It doesn’t mean squat until the pads come out… And the pads will come out today in Latrobe. For the first time since the Pittsburgh Steelers arrived at St. Vincent College for Training Camp almost a week ago, they will actually be in full pads. The days of two and three-a-day practices are long gone. Players have collectively bargained for less contact but this has had negative effects in the opinion of many. Therefore, Mike Tomlin knows he has to maximize the moments when the players are in full uniform. From ‘Backs on Backers’ to improving tackling, Tomlin knows that time is limited.
As I mentioned, ‘Backs on Backers’ is always a moment that gets the entire crowd around Chuck Noll Field fully focused on them. It’s a place where an unknown free agent rookie named Jaylen Warren first shined. His new backfield mate Kaleb Johnson will be heavily watched today. We know he’s willing and we know he’s capable of everything else a running back needs to do, but he has to show he can do it consistently… Keep an eye on the tight ends. We know who Jonnu Smith, Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington are at this point but there’s a battle brewing behind them. Connor Heyward is being pushed a bit by rookie JJ Galbreath. If the latter proves he can block and participate at all on Special Teams then Heyward will be in some trouble… Jalen Ramsey vs D.K. Metcalf should be great theater for obvious reasons…The offensive tackles will be under the gun and if Broderick Jones can go (he has a soft tissue injury) then he’s REALLY under the microscope.
Last evening as many people were leaving work for the day, a young man walked into the building that houses the National Football League headquarters and killed five people. He would eventually turn the assault rifle on himself. A note left behind suggested he blamed football for his mental health struggles. I’ll be very honest; with CTE and other mental illnesses attributed to the game, I’m surprised this hasn’t happened more often. I’m grateful it doesn’t but I think you see my thinking here.
Cleveland Browns’ QB Kenny Pickett apparently has a hamstring problem and will miss some time. Depending on who you talk to, he and Joe Flacco were competing for the starting job prior to this. I’m sure someone on social media will blame the Steelers for this.
I’m not a big fan of Deion Sanders. But I’m glad to hear he’s doing better after his battle with bladder cancer. More proof that these amazing athletes are human like the rest of us… RIP to former Chicago Cub and Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg. Sadly he lost his battle with prostate cancer at 65. He was a classic and talented second baseman… This stuff with Christian Wilkins...
