Nearly 8 months ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers' promising season came to an abrupt halt in New England after a momentous winning streak that ran a course of two months. It is now time to wonder if the team will carry some of that momentum into its 2017 campaign. Certainly, the offseason was an eventful one for Pittsburgh.
All seven drafted rookies of the 2017 Steelers' draft class were signed as new members of the team, including first round linebacker pick and the brother of all-pro defensive lineman J.J. Watt, T.J. Watt. Left tackle Alejandro Villanueva signed a four-year contract extension worth $24 million and James Harrison agreed to a two-year deal worth $3.5 million. Not everyone, however, is yet ready to return to the football field. Martavis Bryant, who was suspended all of last season due to to violating the league's substance abuse policy, is not yet allowed to participate in games or practices with the teams but is allowed to participate in off-the-field activities. Le'veon Bell was placed under the franchised tag in late February after turning down a contract offer that would have offered him $12 million-plus annually for 5 years. He was not present at the start of Steelers' training camp on Thursday. This didn't come as a surprise as he was also not present at the Steelers' mini camp last month. For now, the Steelers' practice will progress without Bryant or Bell.
Rain delayed the Steelers' first practice and forced them to change locations to Greater Latrobe High School across town. Coach Mike Tomlin expressed satisfaction with the practice, "Really an awesome start for us." He believes that their push through adverisity is just one attribute that will carry them through the season.
On Saturday, a number of players sat out due to injuries including wide receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster with a minor ankle injury and Sammie Coates after getting his knee scoped. With these players out, free agent pick-up Justin Hunter turned heads with his performance which included a touchdown catch during the Steelers' "7 Shots" drill. Artie Burns is also reportedly improving his game keeping up with all-star receiver Antonio Brown.
In front of 7,500 fans on Sunday, the players put their pads on for the first time this season and many of them believe that football starts when they stop playing is just shorts. Veterans like Ryan Shazier, Bud Dupree, and William Gay are excited to get physical. "It's real football now," says Gay. "You get to have some contact. It lets you know that now the 2017 season is here. Everybody looks good in shorts. In pads, it's back to football and the contact element. It's going to be fun. Everyone is excited. The rookies are probably excited to get it out of the way." A few players went out due to heat related injuries: Keion Adamss and Xavier Grimble. Some guys also went out with soft tissue related injuries: Vince Williams, Mike Mitchell, Senquez Golson, and Scott Orndoff. Tomlin was again pleased with the practice, "really good spirited work."
Sort: Trending