There’s chaos, and then there’s Steelers camp chaos. Thursday’s Steelers camp felt less like practice and more like reality TV with shoulder pads—DK Metcalf throwing hands, Chuck Clark going full UFC, and Jalen Ramsey playing peacemaker. Somewhere in that whirlwind, Pittsburgh is still trying to build a team. But behind the drama, there’s a deeper issue unraveling—one that’s far less loud but way more telling. As camp spirals into a soap opera, the roster’s foundation isn’t exactly settling. And that’s where the real story begins.
Aaron Rodgers hasn’t exactly walked into Pittsburgh and taken over. In fact, he’s looked… out of rhythm. On a key red zone series, Rodgers completed just two of eight throws, and even those looked off. Snap issues, hesitations, and awkward timing have become the norm. “We’re still at the very early stages of development,” Mike Tomlin insisted. But the tape doesn’t lie. Rodgers’ rhythm is missing, and the offense feels like it’s waiting for someone to finally press play.
But Rodgers isn’t the only one out of sync. Pittsburgh is facing a bizarre roster crisis on their 11th day of the camp—they’re running out of jersey numbers. That’s right. When Daryl Porter Jr. showed up for his first full practice, he was handed No. 39… Minkah Fitzpatrick’s number. Not a great look. Tight end Kevin Foelsch was cut to make room for Porter, and even then, the number shuffle left the staff scrambling. With veterans like Jaylen Warren locking down their digits, camp bodies are being squeezed out of numerical existence. Tomlin’s got a puzzle, and the pieces just don’t fit.
You start running out of jerseys, and suddenly everything feels out of sync. Like when your first-team O-line is steady—Jones, Seumalo, Frazier, McCormick, Fautanu—but even they’re getting swapped mid-drill. Meanwhile, Payton Wilson and Mason McCormick stroll out early like they’ve seen this before, and T.J. Watt shows up in slides like a man trying not to step in spilled Gatorade. The vibes are off, and it’s showing in the structure.
Look closer and the disarray starts to echo. DeShon Elliott catches 47 balls on the JUGs like clockwork, and Logan Lee’s trying his hand at long snapping on the side—because why not? Evan Hull is now the upback on the punt team, and Trey Sermon is winging it—literally. Even Boswell booted a 60-yarder in warmups, but with no refs to confirm, it felt like a ghost kick. Everyone’s doing something, but the cohesion? Still fuzzy. And in the middle of it, Mike Tomlin’s juggling roster math like it’s preseason Sudoku.
Will Howard’s injury stall Steelers camp progress
Things took an unexpected turn for rookie quarterback Will Howard during Steelers camp this week. A minor hand issue—reportedly a small fracture—surfaced after a routine snap exchange in practice. While the timeline suggests he’ll be back in a few weeks, the real loss here is the window of opportunity. Pittsburgh’s preseason kicks off Saturday, and Howard was widely expected to see extended action. Head coach Mike Tomlin didn’t offer much beyond the basics, but it’s clear the injury disrupts some early plans for the rookie.
July 27, 2025: Will Howard 18 during the 2025 Steelers Training Camp in Latrobe, PA at Saint Vincent College. /CSM Latrobe USA – ZUMAcp5_ 20250727_faf_cp5_248 Copyright: xJasonxPohuskix
Howard had been quietly carving out his place in a quarterback room led by Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph. The Steelers had slotted him ahead of Skylar Thompson on the initial depth chart, and he’d been making the most of the early reps. With Rodgers likely taking minimal preseason snaps, Howard was in line for valuable playing time. Now, the picture shifts. What could have been a showcase for the rookie’s raw talent becomes a waiting game and a test of how quickly he can catch up once cleared.
The rookie entered the league with a résumé that turned heads—strong production, a high completion rate, and a national championship win in his final college season. At Ohio State, he completed 73% of his passes for 4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns and finished the year with a 14–2 record and was named Offensive MVP. That kind of momentum had him trending upward in Pittsburgh—until this setback stalled his early rise.
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