Behind the Steel Curtain
The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars in what was a very exciting preseason opener. Several Steelers had notable outings, so let’s dive into the first Varsity and JV of the year.
The second-year nickel corner had a tremendous outing. He made tackles at the catch point and broke up a pass off a pick play that would have gone for big yards. Bishop has felt like one of the forgotten members of the secondary after the Jalen Ramsey trade, but he’s showing that he’s a very quality piece that could still get defensive snaps in the regular season.
Speaking of forgotten players, hello Skylar Thompson. He entered training camp as the fourth-most important quarterback on the Steelers’ roster and only got the No. 2 reps because Will Howard injured his hand. That said, boy did he make the most of his opportunity. Thompson went 20-of-28 and tossed three touchdowns, including a 26-yarder to Ke’Shawn Williams that proved to be the game-winner. He now goes from a guy the Steelers would have put on the practice squad to someone who could garner a 2027 draft pick in a trade to go be a backup somewhere else.
Rudolph had as good a night as he could have wanted. In two drives, he went 9-of-10 for 84 yards and a beautiful touchdown pass to Darnell Washington down the seam. It’s good to see Rudolph back in Pittsburgh, and he’s clearly happy to be back, as well. A good performance from one of the better backups in the NFL.
Speaking of the big tight end, hopefully the toss down the seam to Washington is something we see a lot more of come the regular season.
Williams was one of several skill position players who had a tremendous camp and were hoping for it to translate in exhibition play. He caught two passes for 55 yards and a touchdown. He’s making a real push to be the No. 6 pass-catcher on the depth chart.
One of the favorite players of the Steelers beat this training camp has been the versatile weapon from Colgate. He transferred to Notre Dame and became the team’s kick returner in 2024, and now is trying to crack a spot on Pittsburgh’s 53-man roster. He had two catches against the Jaguars, one of which was a reception through traffic down the middle to set up his own touchdown reception a few plays later, which he celebrated with a standing backflip. Even if he doesn’t make the final roster, he’ll certainly have a practice squad spot waiting for him.
Taylor had two receptions, both of which went for big gains. A 22-yard catch and a 16-yard catch summarized what he did in camp at St.Vincent for two weeks. These fringe receivers aren’t making the Steelers’ final decision any easier.
