The Pittsburgh Steelers kicked off training camp ahead of the 2024 season on July 25th, and there are four exciting training camp battles that fans will be paying close attention to.
Every year, exciting competitions emerge during training camp as a team's players compete against each other for several weeks on end. It will be no different for the Steelers, who will see some explosive battles as they figure out their depth chart.
George Pickens vs. Joey Porter Jr.
George Pickens and Joey Porter Jr. are two of the most talented players on the Steelers roster, and they are both top tier competitors. Pickens is an extremely physical receiver who makes a living bullying defensive backs and coming down with 50-50 balls. Meanwhile, Porter Jr. is an equally physical cornerback who’s calling card is his ability to jam receivers at the line of scrimmage and force them off their routes. Porter Jr. is also incredibly physical at the catch point, and he possesses a unique ability to prevent receivers from coming down with 50-50 passes.
In addition to being the best player on the team at their respective positions and possessing aggressive attitudes and competitive personalities, Pickens and Porter Jr. take the opposite sides of an identical style of aggressive play.
They’re both physical at the line of scrimmage, and they both love to compete at the catch point. This isn’t a case of a speedy receiver against a physical defensive back, or a physical receiver against a corner who’s great in coverage but struggles to fight for the ball. These are both guys who want to go up to get the ball while it is in the air and beat the other one to the catch point.
Pickens is an elite receiver and Porter Jr. is an excellent defensive back. Iron sharpens iron, as Mike Tomlin would say. There’s almost certainly going to be some scuffles between these two players during training camp, but they’ll both be better for it when the calendar turns to September and the regular season rolls around.
Steelers find QB1 in Russell Wilson-Justin Fields battle
This will be an interesting positional battle because of the prominent role a quarterback plays on any football team. It's been widely assumed that Wilson is a lock to be the starter, and he's certainly in a favorable position at this point.
However, with a great performance from Fields during training camp and the preseason games along with some stumbles from Wilson, the former Ohio State star might just have a chance to steal the starting job.
It’s probably better for Fields if he has the opportunity to sit for a while and watch how a veteran like Wilson goes about his business. It also doesn't hurt that Wilson plays a stylistically similar game to Fields.
In Chicago, though, the former Buckeye was essentially forced into the starting role before he was ready. If he legitimately wins the starting job away from Wilson during a genuine competition, it would show that Fields is indeed ready to start.
Najee Harris vs. Patrick Queen
This should be a fun matchup just because Harris and Queen are two physical players who both like to initiate contact. Neither one of these players are likely to lose their role on the team due to training camp or preseason, but both of these guys like to play aggressive and put the hurt on their opponents.
Harris loves to run between the tackles and embrace collisions with linebackers, while Queen takes pride in stuffing the run game at the point of attack. Harris also sometimes tries to get to the outside where he can physically punish smaller cornerbacks and safeties. However, Queen has the speed and athleticism to raise Harris to the outside and meet him for a thunderous collision.
Backs-on-‘backers should be fun this year.
Dan Moore Jr. vs. Troy Fautanu
This battle may have the most significant implications for the team as a whole. Moore Jr. is an adequate player, but he's really not starter material. That's not meant to be a criticism of Moore Jr. as a player or an indictment of him as a person, it's just the reality of life in the NFL.
Moore Jr. certainly has a spot on this team. He would be an excellent option as a backup tackle who can step in if there is an emergency without letting the entire offense crumble around him. He doesn't always give up sacks or other impact plays, and if he only had to be on the field for a few snaps it probably wouldn't be the end of the world for the Steelers. However, the problem is that he’s not somebody you want on the field for 40 or 50 snaps per game.
That's because he'll eventually falter and give up a potentially game-changing play such as a sack in a critical moment or even an unimpeded pass rush that leads to a fumble.
If Fautanu can show enough upside to take the starting job from Moore Jr. during training camp heading into his rookie season, it will go a long way toward upgrading the talent the Steelers have along the offensive line.
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