Thursday, August 29

Ready for Week 1: The start of the 2023 season was a nightmare for defensive tackle Cameron Heyward after he was placed on the Reserve/Injured list following Week 1 of the season with a groin injury that started in training camp.

This year, it's a completely different story.

"I was dealing with that all camp," said Heyward. "Then it just went during the first game.

"I'm feeling really good right now. Just been getting a lot of physical therapy, a lot of massages. A lot of things outside of the football field just to be ready."

Heyward never missed a beat this offseason, taking part in OTAs, minicamp and training camp while hoping to sign a contract extension. He said he kept working because he knew it was the right thing.

"I needed to prove to everybody that I was healthy, especially with last year," said Heyward. "I still want to win. As much as I want things to go right for me, I want things right for the Steelers. I want to be a contributor in this and not a distraction."

Heyward didn't see any playing time in the preseason, something that didn't faze him at all.

"I can't remember the last preseason I've been in," said Heyward. "I want to play, but through this process, I've learned what I do need and what I don't need. If I don't get the reps on the field, I can still get them mentally. That's what I was doing last year, just trying to stay locked in. It's less about getting the physical reps at this point.

"I'll be ready for the season."

His hope is it's a long season, one that ends holding up the Lombardi Trophy.

But it's going to take time.

"I feel the same every year about this team," said Heyward. "It's Week 1. It's the process you gotta go through. Nobody's crowned in September and everybody's fighting for the same spot.

"The goal is to make the playoffs. Win playoff games. And win the Super Bowl. It's got to go in that order. You can't rush this process. But we've got a lot of great guys that can build on that. I'm just excited to see this journey."

A feeling in the air: The Steelers regular season opener is still more than a week away, but there is a change in the air this week at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex as they prepare to take on the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 8.

Things are starting to pick up intensity-wise, with that regular season feeling right there.

"You want to say it doesn't change, because you always want to have that intensity," said receiver Calvin Austin III. "But the reality is it does, and we all are aware. Things were already real, but now even more. Everybody has to turn up their intensity and attention to detail just because we are working up to Week 1."

Austin likes the mix the Steelers currently have in the receivers room, a combination he feels works well for the offense.

"From the second the offseason hit, we've all been working. We're very confident with the guys we have in there," said Austin. "And we're confident because of the way that we've been working from day one of offseason workouts.

"We know that with the coaches we have, the quarterback we have, the offensive line and running backs we have, that if we work the way we do and continue on that path, the guys in the room are going to be able to make plays."

Trice as nice: Second-year cornerback Cory Trice Jr. dedicated the past 12 months to battling back from an ACL injury he suffered before the 2023 season even began.

And from the sound of things, some of his new teammates might have never known it happened if they hadn't been told about it.

"He's been attacking that role," said cornerback Donte Jackson. "You wouldn't even think he's coming off an ACL the way he's been just attacking the meeting room, walk-throughs and practice. I've been excited to just watch him grow throughout this process."

Trice's goal from the time he was injured until now has been to get back on the field, get back to being the player he was before the injury, so hearing Jackson's words meant a lot.

"That's definitely a good feeling, especially coming from a guy like him," said Trice. "He's been in the league for a long time, he's played a lot of ball. So, if it comes from a guy like that, it's definitely big."

Trice returned to the field in the preseason, although he suffered a hamstring injury against the Lions that no details have been provided on, and while he sees the progress he has made, he knows there is still more to come.

"When I got out there, nobody else cares about my injury," said Trice. "So, I'm at that point where I don't think about it.

"I definitely have a way to go, especially on the back end of camp, the preseason. But I feel good for the most part."

While there was a process he had to follow throughout the offseason to make sure he handled the comeback correctly, he also applied pressure to himself to get back on the field, be a part of the action again.

"I've got to. That's only right," said Trice. "That's what got me here. I'm always putting pressure on myself."

And how does he handle the self-applied pressure?

"It's my preparation," said Trice. "As long as I know I prepared well and had a good week, that's a key. Then leading up to the game, my confidence is from all of the practices.

"I definitely use (pressure) to my advantage. It makes me perform my best."

Fautanu nearing a return: Steelers' No. 1 draft pick Troy Fautanu played a half of preseason football in the opener against Houston before leaving that game with a knee injury. With the regular season opener Sept. 8 in Atlanta looming, the rookie offensive tackle has been getting closer each day to returning to practice.

Fautanu has been working hard with teams athletic trainers this week to be cleared to return to practice and said the plan is currently for him to get back on the field when the Steelers return to action on Monday. Because of that, even though head coach Mike Tomlin gave the team four days off before they return for the regular season, Fautanu will be staying in town.

"They told me the schedule is that I'm looking to practice next week if everything goes to plan, starting on Monday," Fautanu said "We'll see how these next couple of days go. I'll be in Pittsburgh doing rehab, making sure I take care of this thing."

Unfortunately for Fautanu, he can't go back and change how things worked out. Missing most of the preseason wasn't ideal – especially as he makes the switch from left to right tackle – but there's nothing he can do about it now.

"I've got no choice," the former University of Washington star said. "I can sit there and wish and hope my life away about wanting to have played in these last couple of preseason games, but that's not how the cards unfolded. I'm just making sure I'm prepared and preparing myself for anything that comes."

Part of that has been staying active in meetings and picking the brains of the veteran players on the team at his position. Even though he wasn't able to participate in practices since suffering the injury Aug. 9 against the Texans, he's stayed engaged with his teammates.

"For me it's just making sure I'm getting better every day," Fautanu said. "I know it sounds cliche, but for me it's real. I'm a rookie coming in, trying to elevate this room as much as I can and trying to learn as much as I can. A lot of these guys have game experience. I've only got a half. It's just making sure I'm taking things from them and applying it to whatever position they put me in moving forward."

– Blog entry by Dale Lolley

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Tuesday, August 27

Comfortable with the offense: There has been a lot of talk outside of the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex about the Steelers quarterback position, but inside, where it matters, it's all about coming to work, focused on the task at hand.

Quarterback Justin Fields is one who doesn't pay attention to the talk, doesn't take part in it and just works his tail off every day to put everything on tape that he can as he and Russell Wilson have competed for the starting spot through the offseason, training camp and the preseason.

"I feel like me and him don't pay attention to the outside stuff," said Fields. "I know me personally, I don't watch, ESPN or SportsCenter or anything like that. So, we really haven't really talked about it, to be honest. We just come in and work."

After the preseason finale against the Lions, Coach Mike Tomlin indicated he would make a decision on the starting quarterback at the end of this week.

"We'll make a decision at the end of our work week this upcoming week," said Tomlin. "We got three days of Steelers versus Steelers work. Why not do it then? It kind of minimizes Steelers versus Steelers work when we start making decisions prior to the completion of that.

"We've got ample time to prepare for Atlanta and make whatever decisions or announcements regarding division of labor or pecking orders and so forth. So, we'll do it at the end of the work week."

Regardless of the decision, Fields is ready if called upon and feels comfortable in the offense.

"We've all gotten more comfortable with the offense, from reps, from practice, from in-game reps and stuff like that," said Fields. "I feel like everybody has gotten more comfortable and more fluid within the offense for sure."

He feels he has grown from the time he first arrived for the offseason program until now, something that is continuing on a daily basis as well.

"Just the growth," said Fields. "New offense, learning and stuff like that. Everybody's growing with the offense. We've been getting better each and every week, so it's been good."

Sticking with RT: Tackle Broderick Jones anticipates he will be lining up at right tackle when the Steelers open the season against the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 8, especially with No. 1 pick Troy Fautanu still working his way back from a knee injury.

Jones said it's the position he has been working at and while he noted it's a wait and see thing, he also expects to remain there for now.

"You've got to wait until Sept. 8 comes," said Jones. "Just see what goes down.

"But as of right now, I'm sticking with right tackle. That's what I've been playing. Troy's still trying to get back right. So, for me, I feel like that's where I will be at the first game at the beginning of the season, but you never know. We'll see how everything plays out."

Jones said his work at left tackle has been limited as of late, the workload is much heavier on the right side.

"I get a couple sets here in and there before and after practice if need be," said Jones of the left side. "But other than that, not really. Like I said, with Troy being out, I've probably just got to focus on the right spot for now."

Jones likes the way the line is progressing and said the work they were able to put in the first few series against the Detroit Lions, both of them scoring drives, was beneficial.

"It was great," said Jones. "Just being able to get things rolling a little bit, getting a feel for an actual game against somebody else and not out here versus your team or what we've been doing all camp. So, it was good work. Just being able to see it and see different things, figure out what works for our offense and just continue to grow and build off of that."

Keeping it tight: The tight end position is a key part of Arthur Smith's offense, a position he has utilized in all of his coaching stops and brought with him to Pittsburgh when he was named the Steelers offensive coordinator.

And for Connor Heyward, it's just perfect.

Heyward enjoys the extra work that is coming the tight ends way and believes they have the right group to handle it.

"We have a lot of playmakers, so there was already confidence before he got here," said Heyward. "With him here, the great play caller that he is, and a coordinator that holds everybody accountable is another thing as well. That's even more helpful to the unit. There's just a lot of guys that can make a lot of plays at the end of the day.

"Whoever's out there in the system can make plays. We're used in different ways and some in the same ways. He knows all our games bring different things to the table, whether that's blocking or catching."

As with any change, it took some getting used to for Heyward and the offense to adjust to Smith's offense, but after a long offseason of working together, training camp and the preseason, things are clicking all around.

"The offense feels so much more comfortable to myself and the tight ends. Just a feel thing," said Heyward. "Getting on the same page as the quarterbacks. Whether that's the snap count, just the feeling thing when I'm running routes and certain things and certain things they may do. I think it's been a good adjustment for all of us and we've all just grown together since OTAs."

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Monday, August 26

Taking the next step: For Keeanu Benton, Year 2 hasn't officially started with the regular season opener not until Sept. 8 against the Atlanta Falcons.

But he can already see a world of difference in his game, and it's not just physical.

Benton credits his knowledge, his understanding of the defense as a whole with a major transformation from his rookie season.

"Just me knowing the defense a lot better," said Benton. "And knowing what's coming my way offensive wise. Just not being nervous doing anything, trying moves out there.

"Knowing the defense helps a lot. It just kind of knocks out that thinking about what to do part and just going out there and doing it."

Benton said he is playing more freely know thanks to the comfort level, and it can be seen in how active he is in the defense.

"That's something I worked on this offseason, just being more active, not having just one move off the ball and then stopping," said Benton.

He also has a better grasp overall of what the NFL entails, from a game week preparation to what his body needs on a daily basis.

"It helps to get your schedule down, what you like to do before a game, what you like to do the week leading up to a game," said Benton. "Last year was kind of a test run on how I like to do things and how I feel after doing certain things. This year is just better progressing that schedule.

"Certain days, for instance, like a Monday I worry about my get-off. Tuesday, my pass rush moves. Wednesday, let's say the offense, worry about how I can make those plays when I get those opportunities to do so."

Reaching his objective: When Van Jefferson signed with the Steelers this offseason, there was one immediate goal he had.

And there is no doubt, with the preseason now over, he accomplished that goal.

"My first objective coming out here was just to earn the trust of my coaches, earn the trust of my teammates," said Jefferson. "Just do that first. Without that, you don't have anything. I just want to come into the game, earning the respect of my teammates and my coaches, put myself in a position where I can go out there and be successful. And that's what I'm trying to do."

Jefferson was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the 57th overall selection. He spent his first three seasons, and part of his fourth, with the Rams before he was traded to the Atlanta Falcons early in the 2023 season.

In four seasons in the NFL, Jefferson has appeared in 61 games, starting 35. He has 113 receptions for 1,600 yards, a 14.2-yard average, and 10 touchdowns. He has also carried the ball four times for 23 yards, a 5.8-yard average.

One of the things he has been working on aside from gaining that trust since he arrived in Pittsburgh, is tightening his details. He said it's something receivers coach Zach Azzanni preaches to him, and he can see the change.

"It's just the details," said Jefferson. "Coach Azzanni really harps on me about the details. He's a tough coach, and he's on us. You want that in a coach. He just expects great things out of you. I think that's something that I need, something we all need.

"Just focus on the little details, coming out of my breaks, blocking, anything of that nature to make me better."

Roster moves begin: The Steelers made their first wave of roster moves as they work to get to the mandatory 53-man roster by Tuesday, Aug. 27 at 4 p.m.

The Steelers released eight players, including the following:

Offense: Offensive lineman Tyler Beach, receiver Jacob Copeland, running back Daijun Edwards, offensive lineman Devery Hamilton and receiver T.J. Luther.

Defense: Defensive lineman Marquiss Spencer, linebacker Kyahva Tezino and defensive back Kiondre Thomas.

Trial by fire: Second-round center Zach Frazier started his second consecutive game in Saturday's 24-17 preseason loss at Detroit.

Veteran guard Isaac Seumalo spoke prior to the Lions game about why he thinks the rookie from West Virginia is ready to assume such responsibilities.

"Yeah, he's been great," Seumalo maintained. "I think so, and also, you know, ready or not, you know what I mean?

"Trial by fire, but I think he's built for all that."

Frazier, Seumalo assessed, has what it'll take to navigate the ups and downs that are almost certain to follow.

"Physical tools aside, I think mentally he's in the right place," Seumalo said. "I think at O-line you kinda have to take the good with the bad and be really consistent, and that's what he and all the rookies have been.

"We all have our challenges. I don't expect him to be the most Hall-of-Fame center right away but I think his expectations of himself to be great are validation enough for me to trust playing next to him."

Offensive line coach Pat Meyer, likewise, sees a number of reasons to perceive Frazier as ready.

"A lot of things, work ethic, his demeanor, how he tries to study the game, how he talks to the other vets and picks their brain all the time," Meyer said. "Obviously, he's a big, strong ,physical kid. You know, he's got the wrestling background, all that.

"All of is physical traits we knew about. Now, it's just the way he studies the game, the way he's asking questions, how he's coming in super-early in the morning watching video, asking things. He's trying to be like a sponge right now, it's what we want out of him."

-- Blog entry by Mike Prisuta

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