On Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Steelers got down to some real football with the team’s first padded practice at training camp. Head coach Mike Tomlin referred to unpadded workouts as soccer practice, and things get real when the pads come on.
There are several big position battles Tomlin will be keeping an eye on. The battle for left tackle between Dan Moore Jr. and Broderick Jones is the headliner. Jones was selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft to supplant Moore, but the veteran isn’t giving up without a fight.
Then there are all of those inside linebackers hoping to win a starting job. Elandon Roberts, Cole Holcomb, Kwon Alexander and Mark Robinson are all solid but flawed players, and each is looking to carve out a role on the defense.
Tomlin seemed more excited about getting the pads on than the players as the team warmed up. The Steelers play their first preseason game on Aug. 11 when they travel to Tampa to take on the Buccaneers.
