The Steelers wrapped up their offseason program on Thursday, finishing their final day of minicamp on a high note, and saying their goodbyes before they gather again in July for training camp at Saint Vincent College.
"Another great day's work," said Coach Mike Tomlin. "Bittersweet for us because we're just starting to find our rhythm. But such is life. Now we'll begin the independent portion of preparation.
"As we get into the offseason, some of the messages that we've left these guys with is physical conditioning precedes anything else. It kind of starts there. That's the one element of it that they can control regardless of their level of experience, or exposure to professional ball, or what we do here. They show up in great shape, they'll position themselves to perform well. And so that's some of the messaging that we've talked about.
"It's been a good spring for us. A lot of opportunities to teach and learn. Obviously, the next time we come together in official capacity it's going to be compete time. And I'm sure we'll all be excited about that."
Nobody might be more excited than Tomlin, because they are returning to Saint Vincent College for the first time since 2019, after holding camp at Heinz Field the last two years.
Tomlin loves the camp atmosphere, and what it does for team development.
"For me, I'm a lover of camp," said Tomlin. "I like the opportunities to work on the intangible quality that good teams have. The informal time up there to me is as significant as the formal time. Guys sitting out on the stoop at night, outside the dormitory getting to know one another, talking about life and football. I just find value in that, and I'm really excited about that."
