The official start of football season is still almost six months away, but the offseason program is rapidly approaching.
The Steelers participate in Day 1 of the 2016 Organized Team Activities at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
The NFL, under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, has divided the offseason into three phases, with it all kicking off for the Steelers on April 18.
The dates for Organized Team Activities (OTAs) are officially set, and the overall offseason program begins in April.
Phase One
Players will return to the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex beginning on April 18 for Phase One. This phase, which is a two-week period, is limited to strength and conditioning and physical rehabilitation only.
Phase Two
The next phase of the program starts on May 1 and runs for a three week period. During this time, according to the NFL, "on-field workouts may include individual player instruction and drills as well as team practice conducted on a 'separates' basis." During this time there is no live contact or team drills, with offense vs. defense, going against each other. The Steelers can hold their three-day rookie minicamp during this phase, but the dates have not been set.
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Phase Three**
Phase Three is OTAs phase. During this time, which officially begins on May 22 and runs for four weeks, the Steelers can hold the 10 OTAs they are permitted to have. There is no live contact during OTAs, but the team can take part in 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills. They can also hold a veteran minicamp, but those dates have not been announced yet.
The following is the full OTAs schedule:
Tuesday, May 23 – OTA #1
Wednesday, May 24 – OTA #2
Thursday, May 25 – OTA #3
Tuesday, May 30 – OTA #4
Wednesday, May 31 – OTA #5
Thursday, June 1 – OTA #6
Monday, June 5 – OTA #7
Tuesday, June 6 – OTA #8
Wednesday, June 7 – OTA #9
Thursday, June 8 – OTA #10
