Hey Steelers Fans. Welcome to Tuesday.
The Kickoff
The Pittsburgh Steelers finally put the pads on. Yeah, believe it or not, the game is actually played with shoulder pads, thigh pads and a helmet. You wouldn’t know it these days as players have more and more time out of their equipment. I can only imagine the thoughts of guys like Jack Lambert or Dermontti Dawson who sweated out multiple practices per day in full pads. But hey, it is what it is. Times change and coaches have to adapt. Regardless, it was good to see the guys out of their “pajamas” and back in their gear.
Arrow Up
Everything that happens in Camp should be taken with a grain of salt. Everyday brings new challenges and ups and downs that are extreme. But when a player, especially a rookie, performs well, then you absolutely take it. Such was the case with first rounder Max Iheanachor. Oh he had his down moments against Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt but he had very positive moments too. Of particular note was his length and athleticism. His quickness and footwork is outstanding. His hand usage is a work in progress. Mike DeFabo of The Athletic compared Iheanchor’s first day in pads to that of Broderick Jones. His opinion was that it went far better for Max than it did for Broderick. I also wonder if the presence of longtime O-Line Coach James Campen isn’t having an impact. He’s had several months to work with Iheanachor. Either way it was a great way for the rookie to start his NFL career in pads.
Rodgers
When you write as many articles as I have there are times when you write something then 24 hours later it takes on a completely different dimension. Yesterday I opined that Aaron Rodgers seemed to be on some sort of “reclamation” project. He has a mystery wife who he credits tremendously. He’s reunited with his parents and he largely stayed away from anything controversial. Then Pat McAfee showed up. Rodgers went on rants about his dislike of Anthony Fauci and then made fun of Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini and ESPN in general. It wasn’t surprising that Steelers’ PR Chief Burt Lauten quickly got out a statement separating the organization from Rodgers’ comments while defending his rights to free speech. Rodgers can believe and say whatever he wants. My concern is whether he does what is necessary to win games.
The WAGS
Social media is largely a cesspool. It’s filled with awful falsehoods, demeaning comments or far worse. But it does have some positives. Obviously the ability to see some of the players posting during Training Camp is pretty cool. It gives us a viewpoint we never had before. But I’ve also come to enjoy posts by the players’ wives and girlfriends. Two in particular are Cole Holcomb’s wife and Sebastian Joseph-Day’s wife. They frequently show what life is like when the guys are away at camp. We forget – as in the case of SJD – that these guys have similar lives to the rest of us. A week ago he was taking the trash out. Now his wife is doing it. And she’s not crazy about it!
Random Reads
Malik Harrison seems to be a guy who will be looking for a new team soon. He’s getting fewer and fewer reps at linebacker as Camp goes on… Ike Taylor was at Camp yesterday. If you don’t know the story of his relationship with the late Dan Rooney, you should check it out… Bijan Robinson has re-set the running back market signing for three years and $75 million. That also includes $51 million guaranteed… Don’t hate the LA Dodgers for playing by the rules MLB establishes. I don’t like it but I don’t blame them… Imagine losing over 40lbs and still being a monster like Darnell Washington… Rodgers also announced that he will play in the first two preseason games against Green Bay and NY Jets. Oddly enough those are his two former teams.
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