The Pittsburgh Steelers are gearing up for their second preseason game of the season. Since their first game, some guys have gotten hurt, others have been released with new players taking their place, and Russell Wilson has finally gotten healthy. With all this in mind, the Steelers will be deploying some altered lineups throughout the game, even though the official depth chart has not changed since then. It will be interesting to see who plays with which group for the upcoming game, but it seems like no one in the Steelers' organization really knows yet either.
During the final postgame press conference of training camp, Mike Tomlin was asked about who would get the chance to start for the preseason game.
"We haven't made any decisions as it pertains to Saturday yet," explained Tomlin.
Of course, he said this on Wednesday, with their next game being played on Saturday, so there is still time to make some decisions. It feels like however, he should start making some. There are many factors that will determine who gets to start and who will have to come in when the backups go in. It will be interesting to see what happens, especially with training camp ending.
For starters, the team will have a joint practice along with the Buffalo Bills starting Thursday. That means they will also get to see how their players match up against them, as the Bills will be their opponent for Saturday. Tomlin also addressed the importance of thriving in a game-like situation, so whoever performs the best against them in practice will likely get the starting nod for the game.
There are also some injuries to deal with. Grayland Arnold had been taking first-team reps at slot cornerback all throughout the week, but he got injured on the last day of training camp. His recovery time will dictate if he gets to start, or even play at all. The same goes for guys like Donte Jackson and DeMarvin Leal. The Steelers don't want to have their injured players compete in a meaningless game and risk a more serious problem.
Steelers' Obvious Start Targets For Preseason Week 2
Wilson missed the first preseason game due to him still recovering from a calf injury and getting back up to speed. However, he has taken nearly all of the first-team reps throughout training camp leading up to the upcoming game. He is still listed as the starter on the depth chart, so it only makes sense that he gets to run with the first-team and develop some chemistry with them.
There were quite a few veterans that were held out of the first preseason game. One of them was Patrick Queen, the team's prized offseason acquisition. They will be expecting him to wear the green dot and call out the plays for the defense. Considering the fact that this is his first year in this system, he will need to get some reps in to help develop that kind of relationship with his teammates.
Cameron Heyward and TJ Watt were both defensive captains in 2023, so they could easily wind up having that same role in 2024. They will need some reps as well, mainly to show the newcomers how they will lead this unit, both on and off the field. Heyward is also recovering from an injury while also trying to prove his worth to the team as he seeks a new contract. Dominating in preseason and proving his health could help him get the payday he desires before the regular season starts.