Behind the Steel Curtain
The Pittsburgh Steelers wrapped up their stay in Latrobe on Tuesday with a final padded practice. The team has a scheduled combined practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before their contest this weekend at Acrisure Stadium. Before all of the excitement this weekend will bring, let’s take a look back and recognize some players who separated themselves and stood out during the two and a half week stint at Saint Vincent College.
In an offseason for the Steelers where there was no shortage of roster turnover, we got to see plenty of new faces take the field as members of the team for the first time. Here are the prestigious awards we will be handing out:
Joey: Aaron Rodgers — While the early camp practices were dominated by the defense, the offense seemingly caught its stride after the first week. Rodgers is the catalyst for the Steelers’ season. The team will live and die with his play, and his presence has brought a new identity to this offense.
Say what you want about Rodgers, but he is the best quarterback talent the Steelers have had in half a decade. Ever since his signing in June, Rodgers has fully embraced being a Steeler. We should all be encouraged by the direction of the offense entering the 2025 season, and Rodgers’ strong showing in the second half of last season should be closer to what we see this season.
Ryan: Troy Fautanu — The Steelers’ offensive line has rightly taken its fair share of criticism following the 2024 season. The team’s handling of 2023 first-round pick Broderick Jones’ development and his inconsistent performance has been a sore point among the fan base. As such, it was crucial for Fautanu, the Steelers’ 2024 first-round pick, to not only make it to camp healthy, but to show he can be counted on. Reports on Fautanu out of Latrobe have been glowing, and after Saturday’s performance against the Jaguars, he gets my nod for this honor.
Joey: Jalen Ramsey — Ramsey dealt with an injury that kept him out for several practices, but when he was on the field, it was easy to see why the Steelers traded for him. Ramsey anchored what figures to be a very strong corner room when he did practice. He often shadowed DK Metcalf, and we can expect Ramsey to play the role of shadow corner this season. Communication issues will be a thing of the past this season. Even when Ramsey was sidelined, he was always involved and talking with Joey Porter Jr. and the rest of the corners on the sidelines. He brings a veteran presence and some much needed communication to a much-improved Steelers secondary.
Ryan:...
