LATROBE, PA — It was a hot one in Latrobe to kick off training camp for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Temperatures rose above 90 degrees Fahrenheit as the Steelers officially began their trek towards the 2025 season, and what they hope will be a long campaign. With Day One in the books, here are my biggest takeaways from Steelers camp:
Early Lack of Chemistry Between Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf
It’s clear that the chemistry between Rodgers and Metcalf is still in the “work in progress” stage, which, to be fair, is expected on Day One of camp. Rodgers tossed up a jump ball to the corner during a 7-on-7 drill that was intended for Metcalf, but was well-covered and failed to hit the star wideout. Metcalf and Rodgers did eventually connect later on a button hook route over the middle, seemingly done just to get a completion done and out of the way. It’s clear that these two will have some things to work on in terms of timing and rhythm as camp rolls on.
Rodgers looking for Metcalf down the left sideline. Incomplete. Defense has been sharp during team drills
— Jarrett Bailey (@JBaileyNFL) July 24, 2025
Big Day for the Defense
The defense was buzzing all afternoon. Patrick Queen picked off the first pass from Rodgers in team drills, which was intended for Metcalf. Derrick Harmon also made his presence felt, blowing up a run play that would have been a TFL in-game, and batting down a Rodgers pass on consecutive plays. The defense definitely won the day when it comes to who made more notable plays.
Back to back huge plays for Derrick Harmon. Blows up a run and then bats down a pass by Aaron Rodgers at the line.
First-round pick looks great.
— Jarrett Bailey (@JBaileyNFL) July 24, 2025
Kaleb Johnson is Explosive
Beautiful run by Kaleb Johnson. Right side of the line opened a massive gap that he exploded through for a huge gain
— Jarrett Bailey (@JBaileyNFL) July 24, 2025
The rookie running back had the first big run of the day off the left side that drew an audible reaction from the crowd. However, his second run was even better. Johnson burst through a gap on the right side and took off on what would have been north of a 60-yard touchdown in-game. While the obvious asterisk is that the pads aren’t on, the explosiveness is very evident, which is something Pittsburgh lacked in former back Najee Harris.
Jalen Ramsey’s Usage
Mike Tomlin said that the plan for the defense was to have Joey Porter Jr., Darius Slay, and Ramsey all on the field at the same time, and the first-team defense did just that. Ramsey lined up at nickel, while Porter and Slay were out wide. Ramsey also dropped back at safety for a play and played out wide. The Steelers know what he brings in terms of versatility, and it appears they plan to utilize that.
Roman Wilson is WR2
At least for the time being. Omar Khan said he feels comfortable with the roster they have, which means Wilson will have a big role if nothing changes. He was the WR2 in the walkthrough to start practice and ran with the first team. If he impresses enough during camp and preseason, the job will be his.
Other Notes
- T.J. Watt was moved around early in team drills, lining up as both an edge rusher and over the B gap. This is something Watt talked about wanting, and the Steelers seem to finally be getting with the program.
- The Steelers may actually be getting set to use Darnell Washington more in the passing game. The best pass-and-catch of the day was from Rudolph to Washington on a corner route during 7-on-7s – more of this please.
- Backup running back Evan Hull had a long run down the right sideline.
We’ll be back in Latrobe for Day Two of Steelers training camp, so be sure to follow along with BTSC’s on-site coverage. Let us know how you’re feeling in the comments!
