A new era of Steelers football begins next week when Mike McCarthy opens his first training camp at Saint Vincent College. Players report to Latrobe, Pa. on Tuesday morning. The first practice is slated for Wednesday at 11:20 a.m.For several players, a lot will be on the line this summer. Here’s a look at some key position battles to follow throughout camp and the preseason, plus some players on the fringe who will need to stand out.
No. 2 quarterbackMason Rudolph vs. Will HowardDuring OTAs, McCarthy joked, “we’re hoping Omar (Khan) can get the roster expanded to 55 and we can keep four (QBs).” Unfortunately, the roster remains capped at 53. Keeping four QBs is a luxury that I’m not sure the Steelers can afford (unless one of the four conveniently gets a minor injury near the end of camp). That appears to have set the stage for a competition between Howard and Rudolph for the QB2 position and, quite possibly, the last spot for a quarterback on the 53-man roster.The case for Rudolph is a simple one: The Steelers put themselves in a win-now posture by extending a 37-year-old Cameron Heyward, bringing in several veterans in free agency, and by waiting on a 42-year-old starting QB Aaron Rodgers. If they needed a spot starter tomorrow to keep the ship afloat for a game or two, Rudolph would be best-positioned to do so; he has 36 games (including 20 starts) of NFL regular-season and playoff experience, nearly 5,000 career passing yards and a 30-22 TD-to-INT ratio. It could be a risk to start the season with a soon-to-be 43-year-old QB and two young backups who have never appeared in an NFL game.At the same time, Rudolph was given a chance to win an important late-season game for the Steelers last year and committed a pair of costly turnovers in a loss to Chicago. I’m not so sure Will Howard necessarily needs to beat out Rudolph in a direct competition. Instead, he may need to only prove to the coaching staff that he can be a competent backup QB worth developing. It’s not necessarily a question of which QB is better. It’s a question of: Do you trust Howard?How Iheanachor defied expectations to become the Steelers' No. 1 pick Mike DeFaboNo. 3 wide receiverRoman Wilson vs. Germie BernardA shift in offensive philosophy has turned the WR3 position from a rotational piece to a starter. In Arthur Smith’s tight end-centric scheme, the Steelers used 11 personnel (three WRs) on just 38.7 percent of snaps, according to TruMedia. Only the Ravens used less 11 personnel. During Mike McCarthy’s final year in Dallas in 2024, the Cowboys utilized 11 personnel on more than 70 percent of snaps. That was top-10 in the league.A certain segment of the fan base appears ready to move past Wilson and look right to the second-round rookie Bernard — and maybe that’s how the depth chart will eventually shake out. Still, based on what we saw during OTAs and minicamp, if you show up in Latrobe on Day 1, you can expect Wilson to get almost all of the WR3 snaps in 11 personnel.Both young players should have a role in this offense. The question is: How will the Steelers divide the reps? Stylistically, the 5-10, 185-pound Wilson is smaller, but also shiftier with 4.39 speed. He has the versatility to line up inside, and outside is more likely to be used on deep crossing routes or to take the top off the defense.On the flip side, Bernard’s 6-1, 206-pound frame and college production could help him assimilate quickly into the NFL. His potential for yards after the catch makes him a fit for many of McCarthy’s West Coast concepts. While the rookie can also move around to play all three positions, he fits best as a big slot receiver who can insert into the LOS as a blocker at times.Base inside linebackerCole Holcomb vs. Malik HarrisonPatrick Queen will wear the green dot, call the defense and play essentially 100 percent of snaps. In most sub packages, the Steelers will tap into Payton Wilson’s rangy coverage abilities by lining him up next to Queen. The uncertainty lies in the base defense.A year ago, the Steelers signed Harrison to fill Elandon Roberts’ old role. Harrison was injured and underwhelmed. As it stands now, I’d pencil in Holcomb as the starter in base defense. I could see Carson Bruener getting more snaps on defense, too, which could put Harrison’s spot on the 53 in jeopardy. While it’s admirable the way Holcomb battled back from the gruesome 2023 knee injury that took away his 2024 season and put his career in question, he has lost some mobility. If another player becomes available around cutdown day, this is a position I believe the Steelers would at least consider adding to.The other part of this conversation is Wilson. While he’s a high-level sub-package player who can be used in a lot of creative ways to disguise coverages and create hybrid schemes, he’s a leaner linebacker who sometimes struggles to get off blocks in the run game. He’s been working toward becoming a three-down player but lost some snaps in these packages as the 2025 season unfolded. It remains to be seen how the new coaching staff sees him in that role.
