10 burning questions on the Steelers roster as training camp gets underway

Earlier this week, I wrote an article outlining five storylines to follow as Steelers’ training camp develops. Here are ten more I’ve been mulling over the last several days:

1. Where will Jalen Ramsey play?

His favorite role so far in his NFL career has been at the “star,” which was the hybrid corner position the Rams used that allowed him to move between the slot and outside depending on matchup and situation. The Steelers lack a proven slot defender on the roster, and if they want their best corners on the field together, this is a way to do it. They can play Ramsey in the slot, kick him outside when Darius Slay needs a break, and even dabble with him at free safety at times. Ramsey’s versatility could make him one of the most important chess pieces for this defense.

2. How long will it take Aaron Rodgers to develop chemistry with his receivers?

The Twitter-verse erupted on Thursday when Rodgers threw an interception on his first training camp pass as a Steeler. He also missed on some throws intended for D.K. Metcalf. It’s not unusual for veteran quarterbacks to look rusty early in camp, particularly those joining a new team. So don’t expect Rodgers to light it up out of the gate. More than anything, Rodgers needs time and reps with his receivers to familiarize himself with their route-running and the nuances of Arthur Smith’s passing game. Mike Tomlin has made Rodgers and Metcalf roommates for training camp, which is a classic Tomlin move designed to create a bond between the two. Hopefully, that bond forms on the field as quickly as Tomlin is trying to build one off of it.

3. Is Cordarrelle Patterson really going to make this roster?

It’s probably too early to answer that question, but the fact Patterson remains a Steeler is interesting. He’s 34 years old, produced just 215 yards from scrimmage last season, and is set to earn nearly $3 million. That’s not break-the-bank money, and his dead cap hit if he’s cut is just under $1 million. The mystery lies in his role with the team. Where would Patterson play? Pittsburgh is three-deep at running back with Jaylen Warren, Kaleb Johnson and Kenneth Gainwell, and has five or six receivers who are better players. Patterson adds value on special teams, but would the Steelers keep him simply to be a return man? Arthur Smith loves Patterson, so he has that going for him. I just don’t know if he can contribute enough to warrant a roster spot at this point in his career.

4. Will Kaleb Johnson emerge as the Steelers top running back?

You can’t read much into anything that happens in training camp, particularly the non-padded practices in July, but Johnson sure looked smooth with the football in his hands in some of the clips posted on X on Thursday. He is a classic zone runner — slow to the hole, then fast through it — and seems to glide once he reaches top speed. Johnson is 225 pounds but moves with the ease of a much smaller back. He is built to be a workhorse, and while Pittsburgh has the luxury of easing him into the lineup as Warren’s backup, he seems too talented to be resigned to that role for long. I love Warren, and I’m eager to see him take on a bigger role after several seasons as Najee Harris’s understudy. But Johnson has all the tools to eventually emerge as the team’s top back.

5. Will this be a true redshirt season for Will Howard?

Howard, the sixth-round draft pick who led Ohio State to the national title last season, is a developmental prospect. But with Rodgers on a one-year deal, and Mason Rudolph not expected to be the team’s long-term solution at quarterback, many wonder if Howard will be given an opportunity to compete for that title. That’s likely a 2026 conversation. Still, it will be interesting to see if the Steelers invest any time in his development this season, particularly in training camp. I don’t think they will, given how important it is to get Rodgers acclimated. But the team has to decide if they think Howard could be their quarterback next year, and the only way to find out is to let him play. I’m not talking game reps, but it will be interesting to see how many snaps he gets throughout the pre-season.

6. How much 12-personnel will we see from Arthur Smith?

Smith has another of his favorites back in Jonnu Smith, and while he will begin the season as a limited participant in practice, he is expected to be a full-go fairly soon. At that point, how heavily does Arthur Smith lean into his roots and run a two-tight end offense with Jonnu Smith and Pat Freiermuth together? And, when he does, who plays the second receiver opposite Metcalf? It’s expected to be Calvin Austin III, but the team loves Roman Wilson’s development, and the size and physicality of Robert Woods could make him an option there as well. Arthur Smith has the personnel to be much more flexible this season. It will interesting to watch how he deploys them.

7. Is Cole Holcomb back to his previous self?

Holcomb played some really good football for the Steelers in 2023 before suffering a nasty knee injury that caused him to miss all of last season. He has seen Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson replace him on the team’s depth chart at linebacker, but Holcomb’s versatility should land him a valuable role. He is solid in pass coverage and plays the run well, too. Or at least he did before being injured. The Steelers could have a deep inside backer rotation with Queen, Wilson, Holcomb and Mailk Harrison. Holcomb’s progress is integral to that depth, and will be worth monitoring.

8. Is the middle of the football field still a “No Throw Zone” for the offense?

It’s been years since the Steelers attacked the middle of the field aggressively in the passing game. Last season, they threw a bevy of hitch routes and go balls outside the numbers to George Pickens, and checked the ball down in the flat like it was mandatory. Occasionally, if the stars aligned properly, they’d sneak a tight end up the seam. It’s hard to throw the football into the middle of the field, and it involves risk, which Mike Tomlin hates with a passion. But it’s also an area where explosive plays can be created. Jonnu Smith has made a living in his career finding seams in the middle, and Metcalf and Woods are big targets who can operate behind the linebackers on play-action. Rodgers hasn’t thrived in the middle of the field throughout his career, but he’s a capable passer in that area. The question is, will Arthur Smith get a green light to operate there, or will Tomlin continue to treat it as a “No Throw Zone?”

9. To blitz or not to blitz?

Teryl Austin blitzed less last season than he did in 2023, continuing a downward trend for the Steelers. Their blitz rate was 29%, down from 32% the previous year, and 36% in 2022. It was frequently in the mid-40s under Keith Butler, who was much more inclined to attack than is Austin. Less blitzing meant less pressure for the Steelers, as their quarterback hurry rate dipped last year to around 30%, which ranked in the bottom third of the league. Still, they were good at preventing big plays, ranking near the top of the league in fewest completions of 20+ yards. The Philadelphia Eagles stifled a potent Kansas City offense in the Super Bowl without blitzing once, proving that an effective pass rush from a team’s front coupled with solid coverage on the back end can be a winning recipe. Is that the plan Austin is cooking up for this Steelers defense?

10. Can the offensive line stay healthy?

This may be the most important question of all the ones listed here. This unit lost over 30 starts to injury last season, and with two rookies in the lineup, struggled to build cohesiveness. The result was that the Steelers ranked 29th in the league in rushing yards per attempt, and were 31st in rushing EPA. If the identity of this offense is going to be as a run-first unit, as Arthur Smith desires, the line has to gel. It’s off to an ominous start in that respect, as left guard Isaac Seumalo has been placed on the Active/Non-Football Injury list at the start of training camp due to a soft-tissue injury. The injury isn’t considered serious, and shouldn’t effect Seumalo long-term. Still, the Steelers need their starting five taking as many reps together as possible to build the chemistry necessary to improve on last season’s performance.

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