Pittsburgh Steelers mini camp is almost over, but as action begins to die down, the intensity is heating up.
The Steelers took the field on a sunny day in South Side. There was no pads on but the sunburn is sure going to feel like people got hit, tomorrow.
Okay, enough of the bad jokes. Let's talk about takeaways.
No Chris Wormley or Cam Heyward
The Steelers were without two defensive starters for the middle of mini camp as Cam Heyward and Chris Wormley were not on the field Wednesday.
While their on-field absence left Isaiahh Loudermilk and others working as the starters, it didn't impact much in the locker room. Kenny Pickett was quick to joke while playing a table game with Loudermilk that even when Heyward isn't here, his little brother, Connor, is bringing crowds to their locker.
Pickett, Loudermilk and the Heywards all share a corner of the locker room, and sometimes it's more than difficult to get into one when there's a scrum of media.
It's uncertain why Heyward and Wormley are missing practice, but certainly something to note.
The Guardian Helmets are Funny, But No Noticeable
Despite looking a little goofy on the football field, players aren't bothered by the new guardian helmet pads the NFL has implemented to help prevent concussions.
"We look like idiots," Pat Freiermuth said, laughing. "But I like it because of my past with concussions. I'll take any extra precaution I can."
"I don't really notice it until I take it off. Some guys say it's heavy, but for me it's just one there," Anthony McFarland said. "I remember the first day we got them, I was like 'these kinda look crazy on our heads.' But once you put them on, you working, you forget them."
Talking with players throughout the day, the sense is that these will stick as some point. For now, they're still a work in progress - but helpful.
Tuzar Skipper is the Best Backup OLB, Right Now
Only being allowed to take notes on individual drills leaves with little remarks on players. In this instance, however, dummy drills is all it takes to see Tuzar Skipper is bigger, faster and smoother than the rest of the outside linebackers behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.
Genard Avery did not participate in the portion of practice we could take notes, so it's unknown how good he'll look. So, judging from who we saw on the field, Skipper seems like the best option.
The Quarterback Plan is Taking Shape, With One Constant
Kenny Pickett got his first shot at a two-minute drill yesterday, and today, Chris Oladokun got an opportunity to shine. This shows Matt Canada wasn't lying about there being a plan for everyone to have their chances at this quarterback battle.
However, the other quarterback taking reps at the drill was Mitch Trubisky. And once again, he and the offense looked smooth.
The defense is working without a number of starters, but a Trubisky-led offense tends to find the endzone more times than not.
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