Mandatory Minicamp Begins: T.J. Watt, Aaron Rodgers, and More
Like many NFL teams, the Steelers held their first practice of mandatory minicamp today, which gave us a sneak peak at some of the storylines that figure to dominate our algorithms for the next few weeks as we brace ourselves for training camp.
Minicamp differs from the rest of the team’s offseason workouts in that it is, in fact, mandatory. That means players that don’t participate are subject to discipline, which is why many found it alarming when the Steelers’ practice began this afternoon, and T.J. Watt was nowhere to be found as he awaits a contract extension. I, for one, was not surprised about this at all, nor am I going to hit the panic button. For starters, this isn’t the first time T.J. Watt has held out, and the last time it happened he literally bypassed his agent to sign the contract so he could be with the team. This dude loves ball, and I have no doubts he’s going to come into training camp next month ready to go. Also, based on the information that’s currently out there about the situation, there seems to be no doubts from anyone that a new deal is coming for Teej. It’s unfortunate that the Steelers waited for the Browns and Myles Garrett to reset the pass rusher market, but if $40 million per year is the number, then T.J. Watt has earned that and then some. He’s one of the best players to ever wear the black and gold. It’ll get done. In the meantime, he figures to be fined $104,768, assuming he misses all three days of minicamp, although the Steelers will have an opportunity to waive those fines for him, which I bet they’ll do.
Someone that notably was at practice this afternoon, for the first time as a Pittsburgh Steeler, was Aaron Rodgers. After the Steelers signed Rodgers, I made it a point to say to myself and to my readers: “Hey…this summer, some sweet clips of Aaron Rodgers in a Steelers uniform are going to come out…don’t let them fool you into thinking we’re going on a run.” I’m paraphrasing, but you get my point.
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It took one friggin’ practice. Here’s the thing: if yinz are disgusting, obsessed, overemotional fans like I am…then you’ve probably watched just about every clip of every throw from every practice from everyone that has played QB for the Pittsburgh Steelers for the last four to five years like I have. And once you’ve sat through enough Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph, no disrespect to those guys, it’s easy to forget what it looks like when someone comes in and actually looks good. Preseason Kenny took me by storm in 2023, and we never got any clips of him throwing with the kind of zip that Aaron Rodgers, even at 41 years old, is able to put on a football, effortlessly. So, no, I’m not predicting that the Steelers are about to go on a run. However, I am saying that Aaron Rodgers throwing footballs in the black and gold today made me smile very, very big.
Rodgers also spoke with the Pittsburgh media today, for the first time, after practice. I think the thing that struck me the most from his first media availability was his repeated praises of Head Coach Mike Tomlin. It seemed like whenever the questioning swayed in the direction of any other teams he considered playing for, or retirement, he constantly brought it back to Mike T., adding at one point: “...again, the rapport that fell in between me and Mike made it to where…there wasn’t any other option for me. It was here, or not play.”
I know there’s a section of Steelers fans that get very upset when this topic comes up, but you have to appreciate what Mike Tomlin brings to the table in terms of resume and popularity around the league. The Steelers were probably looking to win about seven or eight games in 2025 based, mostly, on Tomlin’s ability to coach on a week-to-week basis. Now, they’re probably going to win more like 11 games, and be a threat to at least win a playoff game. They’ll be able to do all that without hurting their ability to get SIGNIFICANTLY better at the 2026 NFL Draft, where they’re currently sitting pretty with 12 picks. There’s a window opening up in Pittsburgh, and it exists whether Aaron Rodgers is still an elite QB or not, which by the way, I think he’s better than most people probably think he is right now.
The last thing that came out today that I wanted to acknowledge comes from the defensive side of the ball. Steelers defensive line coach Karl Dunbar announced, this morning, that first-round pick Derrick Harmon is the team’s starter at left defensive tackle. Under Mike Tomlin, the Steelers almost NEVER announce rookies as starters this early in the process, but with the departure of Larry Ogunjobi this offseason, there’s not any starter-capable options left outside of Harmon. Coming out and announcing Isaiahh Loudermilk as a starter on your defensive line doesn’t instill a ton of confidence in me, or anyone for that matter, so I’m glad they’re giving the rookie the nod. It’s his job to lose, and if that aforementioned window is opening up for the Steelers, Derrick Harmon is going to have to live up to his first-round potential. He’ll have a chance to do exactly that right out of the gate.
This is, truly, a wonderful time of year for football fans. All 32 teams have hope that their team can do the unthinkable and go on a run this fall, and social media teams all over the league are hard at work putting out content to instill excitement for the season that lies ahead. It’s been a frustrating several years for Steelers fans, but I’m loving the trajectory of this team right now, and I’m officially excited for training camp this summer. Vibes are high in the football world.
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