The Steelers rolled into St. Vincent College in Latrobe yesterday, ready to get started on a 21-day training camp stay under new coach Mike McCarthy, who is fired up to kick it into gear.
McCarthy says he has specific goals in Latrobe, and they start with learning to be Steelers.
McCarthy says the Steelers established the playbook in the off-season OTA’s and now it’s time to lock in on the details.
The Steelers have four players in their quarterback room, and all of them have a job to do, for the team and for each other.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers begins his second year as a Steeler and said yesterday that he loves coming to St. Vincent. It’s his 22nd year in the NFL and he says there is “no debate” that it will be his last, in spite of wide receiver DK Metcalfe’s statements that he thinks Rodgers could keep playing.
Rodgers says it will be different for the Steelers working under McCarthy after so many years with former coach Mike Tomlin.
Rodgers says there’s a lot to do to adapt to a new offense, even one he is familiar with from his years with McCarthy at Green Bay.
Rodgers was greeted at camp by his St. Vincent roommate, DK Metcalfe. He says Metcalfe has done a lot of work on his body in the offseason.
The Steelers start camp with three players on the physically unable to perform list, but surprisingly, tackle Broderick Jones is not one of them. While limited in his return from spinal fusion surgery, Jones will be able to practice.
Cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who’s in the midst of contract negotiations, is out with an undisclosed injury (ESPN reports it’s a back injury suffered during the team’s conditioning test). Defensive back Jaylen Ramsey is on the PUP list after suffering a knee injury during mandatory minicamp last month. Defensive back Donte Kent continues his recovery from a torn ACL suffered last December.
General manager Omar Khan said “nothing’s imminent right now with anyone” involved in contract renegotiations.
Other camp news:
- After a team meeting at 7:30 this morning, the first practice of camp today begins at 11:20.
- McCarthy says Mason Rudolph will be QB2 to start camp.
- Unlike past camps under Tomlin, there will be no live tackling during training camp.
