Steelers Week 1 OTAs Recap: T.J. Watt feeling the side effects of football, QB battle heats up, year two corners flash

"I feel old," T.J. Watt told Teresa Varley of Steelers.com "This is the first time in my career that I've started to feel old. This is my eighth year and I'm one of the only guys that's been around a long time, so that's the only difference. But this is the best job in the world. It still is. It's so much fun. And we're just flying around and having so much fun out there and I expect that to continue throughout the offseason."

A candid revelation, Watt is undoubtedly still in the middle of his prime. But as he enters his age 30 season, the superstar is looking around at yet another rookie class and realizing that he's one of the few that are still around from his rookie year of 2017. 

Realistically, someone who pays attention to their craft as carefully as Watt does has another 2-3 elite years of play, before dipping a bit to very good status into his mid-30s. 

But what Watt was really saying is something many Steelers fans already know...

He has a finite amount of time to reach his goal of winning a championship. 

Pittsburgh seemingly agrees when judging their offseason moves, with time telling how close they come. 

Battle For QB #1 Begins

"To be honest, l'm taking it day by day. I'm definitely competing. I think Russ knows that we're competing against each other every day," Justin Fields told reporters earlier this week. "Him being out there, for me, that helps me getting better, us pushing each other. I mean, I definitely don't have the mindset of me just sitting all year, so I'm coming in everyday giving it all I got."

Throwing in shorts and jerseys with no one screaming upfield to try and take your head off is a lot easier than live action, but no make mistake, every move both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields make is being watched. 

Everything from the spin of their spiral, to their body language between reps, to how they talk to the media and their teammates. It will all be taken into account when the Steelers release their official depth chart before Week 1. 

And sure, Russell Wilson has the upper hand, as he should. A veteran presence with a Super Bowl ring, his leadership, and his ability to ingratiate himself may be his best traits. 

But as we know, football is a results-laden business. So when training camp comes and preseason games begin, if Fields is outperforming Wilson in an obvious manner, Pittsburgh will have no choice but to make the best decision for the team. 

Second-Year CBs Showout

“It’s been a long journey for sure, but just to be back in this building, I’m grateful, grateful, grateful for the opportunity and just looking forward to carving out a role here in this organization, whether it’s defense or special teams, you know, so I’m just here to compete every day and instill some trust into these coaches to show that I’m able to compete and play for them,” CB Darius Rush told Nick Farabaugh of Steelers now. 

The second-year DB from South Carolina was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the fifth round of last year's draft before being waived after training camp. The traits dominant corner then spent time on the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad before being poached by Pittsburgh, where he played in three games. 

Talent was never an issue with Rush, who after the Senior Bowl in 2023 looked like a lock for day two of the draft. But the technical and mental side of his game has needed development and is noticeably better through the first week of OTAs. 

Rush wasn't alone, however, with last year's 7th-round pick making his return:

Trice was showing promise through his first few months in Pittsburgh, fitting in well and looking like an absolute steal between his length and agility. 

But mere days into training camp, Trice tore his ACL and was unavailable for the duration of his rookie season, something many teams were worried about as he was medically red-flagged during the pre-draft process in 2023.

And look, no one is saying that Pittsburgh should put all their chips in on two corners that went on day three of last year's draft, but if they continue to develop at the rate they currently are, it leaves you optimistic regarding the depth of the secondary.