After Thursday, the next time the Pittsburgh Steelers are — to use a favorite Mike Tomlin phrase — “in the stadium,” it will matter.
Thursday’s trip to Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., won’t — at least inasmuch as who wins. It won’t matter, either, to the readiness for the season of Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward and the other veterans of the Steelers and Carolina Panthers who will sit the game out.
But the game decidedly does matter to dozens of players on both teams who are desperately fighting for a spot on an NFL roster or practice squad. And the game means enough to Tomlin that he’s on record that he will play more of his veteran starters in it than he did in the Steelers’ prior two preseason outings.
In light of that, here are some reasons to watch:
1. Secondary is primary
Tomlin on Tuesday went out of his way to express that he wanted to see the components of his rebuilt secondary play together in a game for the first time. Veterans Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay, Juan Thornhill and Chuck Clark were added over the offseason and will play major roles in a defensive backs corps that could have just two returnees — Joey Porter Jr. and DeShon Elliott — expected to be a significant part of the defense.
With the exception of Thornhill and Clark, none of that group has played yet in a preseason game. And when minor injuries and the late-summer timing of some of the acquisitions are accounted for, there might only be about a half-dozen practices in which all of the Steelers’ core defensive backs have been together.
It’s to some degree important to Tomlin to see the unit jell while, yes, “in the stadium.”
2. Final push
Much is on the line Thursday for players who are on the roster bubble. NFL rules require rosters be trimmed from 90 to 53 by Tuesday, but in reality the cuts (at least the vast majority of them) will start coming down well before then. Perhaps by the time the Steelers practice earlier Tuesday, 56-57 players might still be around.
Among those who figure to be sweating things out to some degree are cornerbacks Beanie Bishop, Cory Trice and James Pierre; inside linebackers Mark Robinson and Carson Bruener; defensive linemen Isaiahh Loudermilk and Logan Lee; offensive linemen Calvin Anderson, Max Scharping and Andrus Peat; receivers Scotty Miller, Brandon Johnson and Robert Woods; running back Trey Sermon; and even quarterback Skylar Thompson.
That doesn’t even count those on the practice-squad bubble, for whom many more variables factor in: other teams’ cuts, if veterans are needed at a particular position, injured reserve designations, etc. Players such as running back Lew Nichols, receivers Ke’Shawn Williams and Lance McCutcheon and defensive backs Sebastian Castro, D’Shawn Jamison and Quindell Johnson fit more into this category.
3. ‘Blow for blow’
The lone starting spot still undecided is at punter, a position where no backup is detained.
The Steelers surely hope a punter-needy team will come calling for one of their two veterans in camp: Cameron Johnston or Corliss Waitman. Each is a proven NFL commodity at this point, each has had a solid preseason and each is probably deserving of a full-time gig. Maybe one of the other 31 teams has a particular interest in one or the other for whatever reason, and they propose a trade that makes the Steelers’ decision for them.
If not, the Steelers have an interesting choice to make. Johnston has the longer track record and might be the “safer” choice. But with him coming off a major injury, the Steelers could save $2.3 million in cash and about $400,000 on the salary cap ledger if they went with Waitman.
Either way, as Tomlin put it Tuesday, the two will alternate boots “blow for blow” for a final time Thursday.
4. Roman rules
The most persistent roster or depth chart-related storyline of camp and preseason has been Roman Wilson and where he fits into the wide receivers’ hierarchy. Two big plays during last week’s preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lifted his stock. Can he keep that momentum? Can a few more “splash” plays earn him a starting spot on the offense? Conversely, could a snoozer of a game in which he, for example, drops a pass or fumbles bump him down again?
Wilson got quite the endorsement when Rodgers said, “He has a chance to be a big-time talent.” But as the Steelers continue to investigate external options at receiver, Wilson remains entrenched as a player whose stock could fall either way by the Sept. 7 opener.
5. Clean bill of health
If nothing else, as is the case every preseason, the Steelers most hope they emerge from Charlotte without any injuries — particularly to any starters or projected significant contributors. That wasn’t the case last week at Acrisure Stadium, when long snapper Christian Kuntz and outside linebacker Nick Herbig left early because of injury, and rookie tackle Gareth Warren suffered an ailment significant enough it compelled the Steelers to waive/injured him.
Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.
