Meanwhile, contract squabbles surround Joey Porter Jr., and recent draft trades have put front-office management under the microscope.
Mike McCarthy at Acrisure Stadium
Under new head coach Mike McCarthy, the franchise has adopted a notably guarded posture toward the outside world. Mike McCarthy has the look of a lovable coach from a 1990s sitcom, but his closed-off nature to the media has many wondering what is happening behind closed doors. If you thought Mike Tomlin didn’t want media around, McCarthy is taking it to a new level with media getting a glimpse of warm ups and some individual drills before their time to share is complete. But just because we don’t get to see more of what the team is doing doesn’t mean work isn’t being done. And it doesn’t mean the work being completed isn’t preparing this team for the regular season.
Pat Freiermuth and the Atlanta Falcons Matchup
Just listen to Pat Freiermuth talk after practice Thursday about the attention to detail they are seeing under McCarthy: Pat Freiermuth said the attention to detail and mental reps throughout training camp and the preseason has the offense in a good place with the regular season right around the corner. That attention to detail will be tested immediately by a Sunday matchup against the Atlanta Falcons (8-9) at Steelers (10-7), 1 p.m. — Patrick Graham’s new defense will get an early test against Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts. But all eyes will be focused on that Steelers offense with Mike McCarthy calling the plays.
Steelers fans have every right to have some doubt about the Steelers entering 2026. There are so many changes to how things are being handled, the way things are structured, and even how much the fans are privy to, it is natural to wonder what will happen. I think it’s a healthy reminder to take a wait-and-see approach to this season before making judgements.
Broderick Jones and Kaleb Johnson Trades
The Pittsburgh Steelers drafting practices have been under the microscope the past week based on the trades of former 1st Round pick Broderick Jones and 3rd Round pick Kaleb Johnson. It’s fair to criticize the team’s management for swing-and-misses in the draft, and the raw numbers don’t look good. Just look at the tweet from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac: With Kaleb Johnson trade, Steelers have now parted ways with seven players who were drafted in the third round or higher since 2021. Again, it looks bad, but something to keep in mind. The NFL Draft is a crapshoot. There are picks who seem like locks to be future All-Pro players, who never develop. You have players drafted in late rounds who turn into Hall of Fame caliber players. It is an imperfect science, but it does show how the Steelers need to hit on more of their Day 1 & 2 picks.
Joey Porter Jr. Contract Situation
Joey Porter Jr. may be back at practice, but when he met with media this week it was giant game of “will he” or “won’t he” play in the game next Sunday vs. the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1? Who to believe? Was Porter Jr. really injured? Or was it just a contractual “impasse” as Mike McCarthy put it? Who to believe? Well, Alan Saunders of SteelersNOW might have put it best in his recap of the Joey Porter Jr. contract situation: Pretty much everyone is lying. This is all posturing on both parties, as they try to do what they feel is best for their respective side. Will they get a deal done? I still think they will, but as kickoff approaches, the Steelers must translate their demanding training camp preparation into immediate results.
Worth a look