A Letter From the Editor: The Steelers storms is rolling into town

The Pittsburgh Steelers report to training camp at Saint Vincent College this week, and it is time for the storm which always accompanies the players to start descending on Latrobe.

For fans of Pittsburgh sports teams, this upcoming Steelers season couldn’t come soon enough.

The Penguins were a disappointment in many facets, and the Pirates are…well…the Pirates. Every season I hope the professional baseball team in Pittsburgh can remain competitive until training camp starts, and they didn’t even make it to May this year. But that’s a different story for another time.

The Pittsburgh sports fan has been starving for this Steelers season, and, even if you just follow the Steelers, this upcoming season has been polarizing in every possible way. There are fans who believe the team will be fortunate to scrape out 8-9 wins, and then there are those on the opposite end of the spectrum who see 12 wins and a division crown.

While it is very likely the Steelers land in between those two poles of the spectrum, the true journey for the Steelers will be starting Wednesday and not ending until the season officially comes to its conclusion. Just think about all the things which will take place between now and then…

• Offensive line development

Will we see Broderick Jones find his home on the left side of the line, or will he be finding a new home in just a couple years with the team passing on his 5th year option? How will Troy Fautanu get adapted alongside Mason McCormick and Zach Frazier? Will Isaac Seumalo prove 2024 was just an injury plagued season, or was it a sign of declining play?

• Rookie Class

Every year the rookie class takes center stage, and all eyes will be on the Steelers top two picks of Derrick Harmon and Kaleb Johnson. Sure, there is excitement for the entire class, but those two are expected to be significant contributors to the team in 2025.

• Class of 2023

Earlier I mentioned Broderick Jones, but the rest of the 2023 draft class will be under the microscope this season. Will Joey Porter Jr. continue to develop and settle into his role as a cornerstone piece of the team’s future? Will his classmate Keeanu Benton also find a home as not just a traditional nose tackle, but an end who is able to be on the field more than when in the team’s traditional base defense? Let’s also not forget Darnell Washington, Nick Herbig, and even Cory Trice when talking about the 2023 draft class. A big year coming for all these players.

• Will the trades pay off?

The Steelers were making more trades this offseason than usual. They sent a 2nd Round pick to the Seattle Seahawks for DK Metcalf, they traded George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys for a 3rd Round pick, and they shipped Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins for Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith. Will these trades pay off for the team, or will their be buyer’s remorse?

• Aging veterans still have anything left?

Of course the biggest name on the list will be Aaron Rodgers, but the same could be said for players who are nearing the end of their careers. Darius Slay would fall into this category, and so would Cam Heyward. Seeing what these players are still capable of doing will be must watch television all season.

There are a myriad of other narratives to follow this season, including T.J. Watt and his new contract, but the point of this is to suggest the process starts this Wednesday. There won’t be games that actually count until September, but this is when the entire process starts and the ball starts rolling.

If I’m being honest, this is my favorite part of the year. I love training camp reports, watching highlights, and lowlights, from fans in attendance at camp. I love the daily interaction with players and getting a ton of information from the team. Training camp is my favorite time of the year, and it all ramps up to the regular season when the hope is the team can put their best foot forward and hopefully win a lot of games.

A lot can happen between now and those games beginning, but I’m sure I’m not alone when I say the process is a huge part of the enjoyment of the season for me. And that all starts Wednesday. Even watching the players roll up to the dorms with their suitcases and televisions Wednesday will get me excited for the upcoming season, and I’m sure I’m not alone.

Lastly, and I think I speak for a lot of Steelers fans reading this, a general message to the Steelers organization…

Please keep Aaron Rodgers away from the blocking sleds…thank you for attending to this matter.