LATROBE, Pa. — So much of it was very familiar. But there was no doubt it also was different.
The Steelers held the first practice of their 2026 Training Camp yesterday, and while it was the 60th time Saint Vincent College was the site of that inaugural workout, it was the first time Mike McCarthy was in charge of it as their head coach.
In those 60 summers, McCarthy is only the fifth head coach the Steelers have had, with the most recent being Mike Tomlin who held the job for 19 seasons. That alone made Wednesday morning different.
The fact it was scheduled to start at 11:20 a.m. was an obvious difference, because with the exception of one summer, Tomlin's practices typically began in the afternoon, during the heat of the day. And because it was the first of the acclimation days required by the Collective Bargaining Agreement, it was a padless practice – the first of 4 acclimation days this summer before the pads go on for the 11:20 a.m. practice on Monday, Aug. 3.
The timing of the drills within the whole practice was different, but it was still football. An NFL practice. And even though it seemed the fans in attendance were adapting as well, what they ended up seeing were a lot of the same things: individual positions drills, 7-on-7, 11-on-11, special teams, 2-minute.
"We want to move the needle today," said McCarthy. "I'm very into maximizing these 21 days here in Latrobe. It's been echoed from the time we arrived here. So, we're going to make the most of it. I really want to pick up where we left off in OTAs, because we're in a very similar practice environment. We're operating under the ramp-up workout rules and practice rules. Two-minute will be the emphasis (Wednesday). So you'll see 2-minute drills, you'll see some end of the game operations, and if you recall the minicamp (practice) before we went to Kennywood, that's kind of where we left off. We were able to get 90 percent of what we wanted to get installed in the offseason program. But this is the one emphasis – 2-minute, and frankly, we're practicing in helmets, so this format is conducive to a lot of perimeter work. So we'll be utilizing as much of the 90 minutes as we can."
• Broderick Jones, who had offseason neck surgery but was not placed on the physically unable to perform list to start this camp, took snaps at left tackle. Rookie Max Iheanachor worked at right tackle, along with Dyan Cook, who had filled in at left tackle last season following Jones' injury.
"We've got to get all of those guys ready to play," said McCarthy. "Position flex is very important. I wouldn't focus as much on which five are out there. I would watch more the combinations of two or three guys. We're trying to make sure we're getting the combinations of not only the individual's reps but who he's repping with. Because
In training camp, you get 21 days of these reps. You'll see different combinations, but we got to be ready to see who's going to be that sixth lineman and who's going to be the seventh lineman and eighth lineman on game day. I feel very confident that we're going to be pushing to have at least 10 (offensive linemen) on this roster and maybe more. Position flex will be the focus."
• Aaron Rodgers was the No. 1 quarterback, and Mason Rudolph followed him as the No. 2. After that, the rest of the snaps were divided between Will Howard and Drew Allar.
"Aaron's 42 years old. We're going to be smart with a rep count," said McCarthy. "We'll have him on a rep count this first week. I think that's clearly the right way to go. So there will be plenty of reps for the other three. The development of all those guys is important. We do recognize 7-on-7 and team drills are the best reps for those guys. But there's a lot of drill work. There's a lot of valuable film that is part of this process. So I feel very confident that we'll give all four of those guys a chance to make this team."
There were differences in some of the ways this opening practice was conducted, but the vibe remained the same.
"Excitement, clearly," said McCarthy. "Can't wait to get out (on the field). It's so cool. We had the team meeting at 7:30 a.m., and then after we broke the special teams and the quarterback meetings, you see the fans already lining up. The black and gold definitely resonates. I'm excited. I don't know if it's excitement or anxiety, or both. I just want to have a good practice professionally, but personally, I'm obviously very excited about this day."
McCARTHY'S INJURY UPDATE
(Regarding Joey Porter Jr. being placed on the active/physically unable to perform list later in the day): "I know every training camp I've been a part of, in the old days you more had of a conditioning test. We have a mobility workout. Times have changed. But yes, he had something that flared up, and that's why you do the workout. It's a part of the re-entry. I think the biggest thing with training camp, we're not going to get into timelines and everything. We'll just take it day by day and see how he is."
