It, technically, would be inaccurate to call Saturday’s preseason home opener the first time the Pittsburgh Steelers will play a game at Acrisure Stadium in 2025.
The 2024 regular-season finale was Jan. 4, 2025.
The Steelers lost that one 19-17 to the Cincinnati Bengals to finish the season on a four-game losing streak. It was extended to five, counting the playoffs.
Just seven months later, seven of the 22 starters — and 14 of the 39 players who saw action on offense or defense — from that Bengals game are no longer with the Steelers. That, in part, provides the hope that the 2025 regular season (scheduled to end Jan. 4, 2026) will end on a more positive note than the season that preceded.
Here are five things to watch in the only in-person opportunity Steelers fans have to see their team play in Pittsburgh this preseason, 7 p.m. Saturday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
1. Derrick digs in
Derrick Harmon has impressed Steelers coaches and onlookers during training camp every bit as much as a first-round pick should. And there was little he did during his NFL debut last week to suggest that Harmon is not worthy of the first-team designation bestowed upon the defensive tackle on the Steelers’ first official released depth chart.
Then again, Harmon largely lacked “splash” during the 32 snaps he played during last week’s Steelers victory at the Jacksonville Jaguars. According to the league’s official scorebook, Harmon did not record any statistic in the game.
Pro Football Focus graded Harmon as the fourth best of the 22 Steelers who had at least one pass rush snap against the Jaguars. The outlet credited him with two pressures in 22 pass rush snaps. PFF, though, graded Harmon 27th in run defense among the 32 Steelers defenders who played in Jacksonville.
What does that all mean? Little, in the grand scheme. But it would be nice if the Steelers’ most prominent rookie made a big play or two after a largely anonymous pro debut.
2. Sky’s the limit
A week into training camp, it was well within the realm of possibility that Skylar Thompson wasn’t even going to play in the Steelers preseason opener. Thompson had been demoted to fourth-string quarterback, and the team surely would have wanted to take a long look at rookie Will Howard after Mason Rudolph got his time with the first team.
Howard’s hand injury changed things in a big way. And after a mostly lackluster start to camp, Thompson came on when given further opportunities in practice. Then, in game action last week, he put up stellar numbers: 20 of 28 for 233 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
Unless Howard’s injury is worse than anticipated — or, Rudolph or Aaron Rodgers suffers an injury — Thompson has virtually zero chance of making the Steelers’ season-opening roster. But if he keeps putting strong performances on tape, he can rest assured he’ll have a job somewhere in the NFL. And that the Steelers would be quite comfortable with him as a QB3 should something happen to one of their other three QBs.
3. Receiv-ing scrutiny
The wide receivers corps has been the most evergreen of Steelers concerns over the past 17 months since Diontae Johnson was traded. Three weeks into camp, little seems settled at the position after WR1 DK Metcalf.
Calvin Austin III was — and is — far ahead in the race for No. 2 WR duties, but he hasn’t practiced in almost two weeks because of a lower-body ailment.
Roman Wilson — last year’s third-round pick — has the pedigree to seize a prominent spot but rarely pops during practice.
Veteran free-agent signee Robert Woods has been a positive presence in the locker room but has looked every bit the 33-year-old he is.
Roc Taylor and Ke’Shawn Williams, at times, made plays and opened eyes at Saint Vincent, but as undrafted rookies, their 2025 ceiling probably is the practice squad.
Veterans Scotty Miller and Brandon Johnson have had good respective camps. Can one of them — or some combination of the above — alleviate Steelers fans’ fears about the wide receiver position with an eye-popping outing against the Bucs?
4. Defense the G.O.A.T. or goat?
A lot has been made about some of the boastful comments made by everyone from safety Juan Thornhill to coach Mike Tomlin to Metcalf that the Steelers’ defense can be special this season. And the personnel collected — albeit, much of it in the latter stages of their respective careers — suggest that is possible.
The only time the group assembled in totality during the preseason, though, was Thursday’s joint practice with the Bucs (many veterans are being held out of the game by Tomlin). And the results were not good that afternoon. Tampa Bay receiver Mike Evans, in particular, made plays. The Bucs offense marched down the field in a 2-minute drill.
Saturday won’t feature all the starters. But if nothing else than for some positive vibes, the Steelers defense showing a better effort in the real game against the Bucs would be a nice development.
5. Better call Sauls
As kicker Chris Boswell’s “hold in” goes on, Ben Sauls is a beneficiary. A rookie from Pitt, he is handling all of the Steelers’ kicking duties during practices and preseason games. Similar to Thompson, Sauls has no chance to make the regular-season roster if Boswell is healthy and willing to play.
That latter is in question now, and if Sauls can impress with some long field goals and avoid mishaps on kickoffs and other placekicks, he can at least make himself the Steelers’ No. 1 option to provide as a fill-in if Boswell is unavailable — for whatever reason — at some point this season. He also, of course, is providing a video resume for the league’s other 31 teams.
Remember, Sauls has plenty of experience at Acrisure Stadium. He holds the college record for longest field goal at the venue, 58 yards, just a yard shy of Boswell’s personal best.
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.
