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Steelers Training Camp Takeaways No.8: Alex Highsmith injured, offense continues concerning trend, and recent pick flashes

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Rob Gregson | Last updated Aug 3, 2025 7:46 PM ET

Week 2 of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp ended on Sunday with the final padded practice of the week.

Now at the point in camp where we can start to make some educated reactions, Sunday was more of the same for the offense, and it's starting to be concerning.

That and more from Sunday practice in Latrobe...

Key Takeaways

WR Calvin Austin III missed practice with an undisclosed injury. Alex Highsmith exits practice after tweaking his groin
LT Broderick Jones, LG Isaac Seumalo participate in team period
Broderick Jones rebounds
DeMarvin Leal finally starting to fit in
Defense wins 7 Shots 6-1, dominates team run and goal-line period

Injuries

Anytime a player is not on the field and it's due to something not being disclosed, it's usually something to ignore or something fairly serious. Seldom is it anything in between. We will see if Austin returns after Monday's day off.

A player with a known injury is Alex Highsmith, and his groin. He missed time last season with a groin injury, though we are unsure of which groin he tweaked on Sunday, and Mike Tomlin didn't have enough info to comment on the severity.

What was a good sign, however, was the return of the left side of the Steelers line to full capacity on Sunday, with both Broderick Jones and Isaac Seumalo taking on full contact in team drills.

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Broderick Jones rebounds

After what has been a shaky start to camp for Jones via injury or just getting beaten, he had one of his best days of camp by all accounts on Sunday. It's been talked about at naseum at this point, but his importance to this offense and this team can't be overstated.

DeMarvin Leal is making plays

Coming into camp, if you told me DeMarvin Leal was cut before the 53-man roster was finalized, I would have believed you. If you told me he was going to finally put it all together and round out an elite five-man pass rush, I would also believe you. He's consistently flashed excellence, but whether it's been injury or struggling to find a role, the former third-rounder from 2022 has yet to pan out.

Maybe the lightbulb has finally clicked.

Offensive struggles continue

At some point, the lack of continuity or chemistry within the offense becomes an excuse, and the lack of execution, inefficiency, and situational flaws start to become a real concern.

We are starting to reach that point.

The defense won 7 Shots 6-1, let up no ground in team run, and stonewalled all three offensive units in the goal-line drill. This comes on the back of interceptions and incompletions that have marred team periods, bad snaps, false starts, and the offensive line being forced to run gassers because of too many errors.

We know the Steelers' defense is good. DK Metcalf told NFL Network after Sunday's practice that it's the best defense he's ever played against.

So maybe it's just iron sharpening iron. Or maybe, the Steelers offense is in trouble.

Time will tell.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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