A serious quarterback battle, a much maligned defensive line and major changes at every turn headline what is bound to be an action packed Steelers training camp. They aren’t the commentator’s favorites or the darlings of the NFL, but Steelers fans have good reason to be hopeful for their team in the upcoming 2022 NFL Season.
Where Is Steelers Training Camp 2022?
Steelers President Art Rooney II was excited to announce that the team is finally returning to Latrobe, PA for training camp at Saint Vincent College. This is the traditional site of the team’s training camp. The last two years, the team held training camp at Heinz Field because of the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols.
Steelers Training Camp 2022 Dates
There are several phases to off season training for the Steelers culminating in training camp which ends with the NFL 2022 Preseason. Here’s a look at all of the Steelers upcoming off season dates that you need to know.
OTAs
Organized team activities are days where the team comes together to train, learn and practice positional drills. There are 10 days of organized team activities that began on Tuesday, May 24 and end on Thursday, June 9. OTAs are not mandatory and not all players attend these days.
Mandatory Minicamp
Mandatory minicamp runs from June 14th through the 16th and everyone on the roster is required to attend.
Training Camp
The NFL decides the earliest start dates for training camp and most teams start on or very close to that date, which has not been announced yet. The date is always somewhere in mid to late July.
While the Steelers don’t have a new coach or meet any other requirements to start early, you can bet that they won’t be starting late, since they play in the 2022 Hall of Fame Game on Thursday, August 4, 2022. The last day to make cuts and get the official roster down to 53 players is Tuesday, August 30, 2022.
Can You Go to Steelers Training Camp?
Please note that only some practices are open to the public. In the past, open practices have been free to the public and tickets were not needed. Additionally, in years past, fans were able to meet players and get autographs after training camp practices, although this is never promised.
Steelers’ Position Battles to Watch at Training Camp 2022
One of the reasons people watch training camp with great interest is because of position battles. Everyone wants to know who is starting. This year the Steelers have by far the most interesting position battle in the NFL.
Steelers Quarterback Battle
With the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger, the untimely death of Dwayne Haskins and the drafting of Kenny Pickett, the Steelers quarterback battle just became the most must see storyline of any NFL training camp. We will see Pickett compete with newly signed Mitchell Trubisky and Steelers backup Mason Rudolph.
By all accounts, this is a two man race between Trubisky and Pickett. Most analysts expect Trubisky to start the season only to be replaced by Pickett when Pickett becomes ready. However, some experts are saying Pickett could win the starting job in training camp.
Defensive Line
Fans might feel like the Steelers need to add depth at the defensive line position due to the amount of injuries last year. That isn’t exactly the situation. The team usually keeps six linemen, and in an embarrassment of riches, the Steelers have seven defensive lineman that could start anywhere in the league.
Will we see the team keep seven linemen this year or will they cut someone who has the ability to start anywhere else?
Cornerbacks
Much like the defensive line, this is a problem of having too many great players at one position. Add to that the diversity of players involved and the situation becomes even more complex. There is not much doubt that Joe Haden will start as the number one cornerback, but who will start on the other side?
Ahkello Witherspoon was a standout in college and played well for the 49ers. Levi Wallace was phenomenal at Alabama, but hasn’t lived up to his potential in the league as of yet. Will playing alongside safety Minkah Fitzpatrick again be the secret to unlocking his potential? Add in Cameron Sutton who has been great, but struggled some when the pressure was really on.
All of this, along with some of the league’s most diverse safeties and a balance to be made with the nickel and dime positions as well and it is hard to see a clear winner before we see what they look like on the field.
Steelers 2022 NFL Season
The Steelers strength of schedule in 2022 is in the middle of the pack and the team is facing many changes from the roster to the front office. There is really no telling what the season holds, but things are definitely going to get interesting here in Steeler Nation.