LATROBE, Pa. – Same location as it has been for the last 50-plus years. Same head coach in charge of everything as has been the case for the last 17 years.
The Pittsburgh Steelers opened training camp on Wednesday at Saint Vincent College with all players reporting as expected, and while Coach Mike Tomlin talked about the love affair he and the Steelers have with a destination training camp, he acknowledged this one will be a bit different.
"All are present and accounted for in terms of attendance," began Tomlin. "We just did our conditioning test. It was a really good experience, but we did a little something different this year. We're really excited about it, just exposing (the players) to that and gathering information, just gauging the readiness of this group. It's a really impressive collective from that perspective."
There are going to be three players who open this camp on "lists." Inside linebacker Cole Holcomb and defensive lineman Dean Lowry both will start on the physically unable to perform list, and returner Cordarrelle Patterson was placed on the non-football injury list.
Holcomb isn't yet ready after going on injured reserve last Nov. 6 with a significant knee injury, and Lowry's 2023 season with the Minnesota Vikings was ended in Week 11 by a torn pectoral. Patterson sustained a hamstring injury during the run-up to training camp.
As usual, Tomlin had a lot of good things to say about the Saint Vincent College experience.
"Just really excited about getting this group in this environment," said Tomlin on a day that was sunny and pleasant with temperatures in the mid-80s. "We appreciate coming to Latrobe. We don't take it for granted. We realize that in 2024 we're in the minority in terms of teams that go to a destination camp. We're really excited about the winning edge that we believe it provides us. We think that we have an opportunity to capture that what you can't measure in an environment like this."
In an answer to a subsequent question, Tomlin expounded a bit on the things "you can't measure."
"The camaraderie, the mutual understanding and respect gained in informal time spent at the end of the day," said Tomlin. "Our work is done, but there (is sitting around) picnic tables, old guys teaching young guys, guys getting to know one another and (learn about) each other's journey. I just think there's individual collective growth in those opportunities, and that's why we value this awesome venue."
All of that will be the same, but what is going to be different this summer can be traced to a lot of the new people – players and coaches – who will be on campus learning and experiencing it.
So much about an NFL team's success or failure starts with the quarterback, and the Steelers have a new one in Russell Wilson, who certainly is not new to the role or the league but who is new to the Steelers.
"He likes to work. I just think that is a really good place to begin," said Tomlin about what he has learned about Wilson since he came to the team at the start of free agency back in March. "He's highly conditioned. He brings a unique approach to the weight room for a guy who plays his position. There's a lot of interesting things about him in terms of his appetite for work that's really attractive."
Dovetailing with that is new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who replaces Matt Canada. Certainly, the storyline of a new quarterback working with a new offensive coordinator will be an ongoing subject through this camp, but Tomlin wasn't about to speculate how it will unfold or how it will turn out.
"I think that remains to be seen," said Tomlin. "It's Day 1. We just checked in. In the spring we're doing teaching and learning, and it's really kind of a macro approach, if you will. All of those things will be revealed as we get into the nitty gritty component of this. I think anything that's said at this juncture is speculation, and I don't want to mislead you."
Really, any attempt to discuss trends or to predict camp battles, or how those camp battles will be won or lost qualifies as speculation just a few hours after the players officially checked in to Rooney Hall and unloaded their belongings for a stay that will last around three weeks.
But Tomlin was willing to explain why the Steelers will hold a joint practice with the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 15.
"Particularly with the new kickoff rules, we're just interested in getting some work against other people," said Tomlin. "Most of the time when you do joint practices, a lot is about special teams and young guys getting intentional work. That's the spirit in which we're going into it. Obviously we're going to get some offense vs. defense and things of that nature, but if you're really talking about what stimulated our sincere interest in doing it this year is just really great special teams work."
And that also explains why Steelers' former seventh-round pick Tyler Matakevich was brought back to the team in a recent roster move.
"I know that proven capable special teamers are significant when you are faced with the unknown in the kickoff rules," said Tomlin. "Regardless of position, Tyler is a known commodity in that special teams space. It was just prudent business facing what we're facing in terms of unknown, the (potential) impact of that kickoff play on our game."
And while there is a lot of love for Saint Vincent College and all that this destination training camp site offers, this 2024 edition will be judged based on the outcome of the season that follows it.
"I judge camp based on how we perform during the season," said Tomlin. "The purpose is to divide the labor up to get a sense of who you are individually and collectively, to teach and to learn, to tee you up for the season. We all want to feel good this time of year. We are all undefeated. So, if you're looking for some of that, you can find it. For me, I've just been at it long enough that I know there is a lot of work to be done. Those bills are going to come due inside stadiums."
