The Jig Is Up: Steelers Training Camp, Vol. 2, Friday Night Lights
Recently I was thinking about my time writing about the Pittsburgh Steelers. Throughout my career doing so, I’ve essentially done it all.
Commentary, news, breaking stories, features and even took a stab at simple film room breakdowns.
The one thing I’ve never done is work on just a random thought type format.
I can’t speak for you, the reader, but I am always thinking about writing and the Steelers. Thinking about different aspects of the team and game. Thanks to reading Myron Cope’s biography I decided to put a unique spin on this type of feature.
Now, for the name of the article, anyone who is familiar with the Styx song “Renegade” should know where it came from. If not, this is where it came from…
The jig is up, the news is out
They finally found me
The renegade who had it made
Retrieved for a bounty
Nevermore to go astray
This’ll be the end today of the wanted man
The jig is up…time for some randomness.
Friday Night Lights
Tonight is the annual Friday Night Lights practice, and it is the most physical, and spirited, practice of the entire camp. If there is another workout which rivals the Friday night practice, it would be the first day of padded practice. However, with the canceled padded practice Tuesday I have a feeling this practice is going to be one to remember.
Buckle up, an already testy and trash-talking training camp could get ratcheted up tonight…
Scary Terry??
Thursday evening news hit of Washington Commanders star wide receiver Terry McLaurin requesting a trade. This per Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report:
BREAKING: #Commanders All-Pro WR Terry McLaurin has requested a trade, multiple sources tell me. pic.twitter.com/DQ33B2I6oi
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) July 31, 2025
Of course, Steelers fans are already starting to wonder if Omar Khan might be interested in possibly making a deal for McLaurin. Most would consider it a pipe dream, and I’d fall into that category, but there are some aspects to consider.
First, the Steelers actually have the cap space to absorb McLaurin’s current contract, even if he was only on the roster for 2025. Next, with Khan at the helm, I would say nothing is off the table. If I were to have to put money down before training camp if Minkah Fitzpatrick would be on the roster, I would have loaded up on Minkah being a part of the black-and-gold.
Needless to say, anything is possible. It might be a pipe dream, but with Khan I know anything can happen.
Hall of Fame Weekend
It is Hall of Fame weekend in the NFL, and this is your yearly reminder that Hines Ward deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. Not that you, a Steelers fan, needs to know this, but when I was talking about Hall of Fame snubs on The Way We See It podcast this week, I was sure to list Ward as the No. 1 snub for me.
You can hear a clip below:
.@JHartman_PIT & @WhoDatWesley13 dive into Steelers legend Hines Ward’s Hall of Fame snub!
🎧: https://t.co/5IPbGKVxWv pic.twitter.com/XVSElcdRzy
— Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN) July 31, 2025
I’ve talked a lot about Ward being snubbed for the Hall of Fame, and the voters set them up for this when they voted players like Andre Reed and Cris Carter into the Hall of Fame. However, my second snub on this week’s podcast certainly deserves more attention too, and that would be none other than L.C. Greenwood.
The excuse with Greenwood is the Hall of Fame has too many 70s Steelers in it. To that, I call B.S. If a player is worthy, he is worthy. This is an individual award, not a team award. Greenwood wasn’t great just because he was on those legendary defenses, but because he helped them be great.
I’m sure the NFL and Pro Football Hall of Fame will get it right one of these days with both Ward and Greenwood, but in the meantime it is something which still makes me angry.
Exceeding Expectations
On the Steelers Preview podcast Thursday night I posed the question to Bryan Davis and Dave Schofield on a player who is exceeding expectations thus far in training camp. My answer was a rookie who I didn’t have high hopes for after he was drafted. That was none other than Jack Sawyer.
When Sawyer was drafted in the 4th Round of the 2025 NFL Draft, I read the reports and assumed he wouldn’t be much of a pass rusher. More of a core special teams player, and a player who can set the edge and stop the run. However, early in camp Sawyer has been more than a hustle player, and has been showing a pass rushing prowess not many predicted.
It’s early, but the reports on Sawyer are extremely positive, and it makes you wonder if the Steelers may have found a 4th pass rusher, and not just another body who will help spell T.J. Watt and/or Alex Highsmith along with playing special teams. The Steelers may have found themselves a true 4th OLB to help the pass rush remain fresh at the end of games, and the end of the season.
Offensive Line Questions Remain
The biggest question for me heading into training camp was with the offensive line. We are almost two weeks into camp and those questions remain. It isn’t due to poor performance, but due to a lack of availability. Broderick Jones hurting his groin early in camp and being limited upon his return has dampened the expectations for him on the left side. Isaac Seumalo starting on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) List has seen back-ups playing all offensive snaps on the left side of the line.
We’ll get answers soon enough, but I was really hoping to have a better grasp on what the team has along the line at this juncture, and that just isn’t the case heading into Preseason Week 1.
New Measurement System
Thursday night’s preseason game was the first time the new virtual measurement system was on display.
Here is an example:
The NFL’s new virtual measurement system:
pic.twitter.com/HejqWQIZWS— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 1, 2025
The NFL is so resistant to change, I have a feeling they will find a way to not use it this season. Whether it is the chip dying in a ball, or the entire system malfunctioning. Either way, when Gene Steratore visited the Pat McAfee show this week he said let’s not get rid of the chain gang because “we might need them”.
The door is open, and I have a feeling the NFL will eventually retract itself back into its old ways with the questionable spots and chain gangs.
Football is back!
Thursday night the NFL Preseason was officially kicked off, and it is hard to believe, but the next time this article runs will be the day before the Steelers first preseason game vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars in Florida. The NFL world always turns, but it is this time of year when it starts to really start spinning quickly.
Buckle up folks, be sure you’re on that proverbial moving train.
Check out the latest “Let’s Ride” podcast in the player below:
That does it…the jig is up, they’ve finally found me. This renegade is outta here…be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they press on throughout 2025 training camp.
I have a feeling the Terry McLaurin is simply doing a Myles Garrett to get a new contract in Washington. That’s a potential Super Bowl team with him, probably not without him. The Commanders will cave in and pony up at some point.
Shame on the NFL if they go back to the old, “I think that the football was stopped here” from gray-haired referees (not that there is anything wrong with gray hair of which I have plenty). The technology exists to make such things more accurate. It numbs my mind why sports leagues are so resistant to it.
While none of us are privy to the discussions Washington and McLaurin are having, it sure smells like agent posturing to me. I also couldn’t imagine a scenario where we have 60-ish Million per year tied up in 2 receivers.
Nah, McLaurin’s doing a Brandon Aiyuk.
The weak spot is always going to be in spotting the ball. the chains work perfectly. The argument is always about where it should be placed. Without a locator in the ball you are still relying on cameras and the angle being just right.
Jeff, please add seven-time Pro Bowler Andy Russell to L.C. as a HOF snub.
Good call!
Yeah that Williamson guy was expounding w/his buddy Peacock about the HOF voting in mediocre players yesterday evening, such as Jared Allen.
I didn’t see the game, so I don’t know how this was used, but I can’t see how you get rid of the chain gang. What are the players supposed to look at for reference of the line to gain? What if the chip does malfunction? You have to have both strategies on the field at least until the new system is proven effective.
Also, what a lame example of how the system works. I was expecting more than just the ball past the line = first down.
Looking the ground from yards away does seem an interesting choice. Vertical indicators, sans a connecting chain? Heck, I saw the game, guess I didn’t care, like Jay Cutler.