We all love a little bit of drama. With all the activity of the Pittsburgh Steelers front office this offseason, there are bound to be some juicy storylines to keep track of when the training camp kicks off on July 24.
The Pittsburgh Steelers finished the 2023 season with a 9-8 record and somehow found their way into the playoffs. This was despite some fairly miserable quarterback play until Mason Rudolph took off late in the season. However, the Steelers got drummed out of the playoffs and their streak of seasons without a playoff win continued going all the way back to 2016.
Here are the storylines we will be keeping the closest eye on at the Pittsburgh training camp.
This new Arthur Smith offense
The early reviews of new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith have been overwhelmingly positive but we want to see it in action, full speed.
The quarterback competition that might not be
Head coach Mike Tomlin is going to need to watch his words when he talks about the starting quarterback job. Tomlin hasn’t come out and said there really isn’t a competition to try and keep Justin Fields motivated but we will know quickly if this is Russell Wilson’s job or not.
Distribution of labor at wide receivers
We are going to keep a close eye on how the Steelers are handing out reps at wide receiver between Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson in that No. 2 wide receiver spot to see if one of them is ready to take that starting spot.
Who is the other pass rusher
The Steelers have the best starting pair of edge defenders in T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. They are also confident in Nick Herbig as the team’s No. 3. But with Herbig moving up the depth chart, who takes his spot? The options right now are limited.
Contract drama
There are multiple Steelers facing free agency at the end of the 2024 season and we know how the Steelers do business. Get a contract done before the start of the season or wait until the end of the season. The guys at the top of the list are defensive tackle Cam Heyward and running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. Throw in cornerback Donte Jackson while you are at it and maybe any of the three quarterbacks on the roster.
