Winners and Losers From Steelers Minicamp

The Pittsburgh Steelers leave UPMC Rooney Sports Complex for the third time this offseason, marking the end of minicamp.

There was plenty of excitement this week as the team inked two players to second contracts and even had one of their biggest names not on the field during their final practice.

Leaving practice for the final time, there is a lot to talk about, and plenty of observations to go through. Plus, some clear winnners and losers from on (and off) the field.

Winners

Nick Herbig & Darnell Washington

The Pittsburgh Steelers have two pieces they now view as the next superstars of the franchise. Nick Herbig and Darnell Washington kicked off contract extensions for the 2023 draft class, giving both players added juice for the 2026 season and showing the team's faith in their development.

Herbig is going to be the next star edge rusher in Pittsburgh, even if he's not there in 2026. The Steelers know that, which is why they handed him a deal now.

Washington is a key piece to the puzzle in 2026, but also moving forward. Mike McCarthy has visions for his tight end room and Washington is going to be a huge piece of that. Expect bigger things from the Georgia product this season.

Roman Wilson

The person who stole the show during minicamp was Roman Wilson.

The third-year wide receiver is finally starting to look comfortable on the field. During his rookie season, he looked like a rookie; nervous, slower than everyone in drills and thinking a lot. Last year, it was honestly a lot of the same. While the footwork and the timing got much better, you could tell that Wilson was in his head with every catch.

This year, there seems to be a confidence from him that he's able to do this. That the game isn't as fast and he's not trying to impress anyone. The nerves of the NFL seem to have faded, which is huge.

His biggest moment came during a 70-yard bomb from Aaron Rodgers, where he beat Sebastian Castro and scored a touchdown. A head-turning play. And one Wilson needs more of so fans can be excited about this season.

Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers looks good. It's hard to deny it. He has a lot more chemistry with DK Metcalf, Darnell Washington, Pat Freiermuth and even Roman Wioson. His passes are still crisp, and every one in a while he throws a football where you're just in awe.

He should be better than everyone in shorts and helmets, but after weeks of observing Will Howard and Drew Allar, it was time to check in on No. 8. And he looks great.

There should be some excitement about what Rodgers can do this season, especially considering he's the quarterback to a good receiving core, unlike a year ago.

Losers

Mason Rudolph

Maybe it's just because he was working next to Rodgers, but Mason Rudolph didn't look sharp during minicamp. His passes didn't have the zip you were looking for and there were serval moments during the periods when media could take notes when Rudolph just threw a pass that had little behind it.

It's early and minicamp is a very small piece of the offseason work, but it wasn't a good week for him. Maybe he's too comfortable believing he'll win the QB2 job or we just caught him on some rough throws. Whatever it was, it wasn't exciting.

Alex Highsmith

On the other side of the Herbig and Washington contracts was Alex Highsmith. Probably the player you would least expect to cause issues in Pittsburgh's locker room, but the moment Herbig signed his deal, Highsmith was absent from practice.

Now, the Steelers claim he was sick. You can believe what you want, but it's a pretty big coincidence with the timing.

Herbig and Highsmith are probably more of the future for the Steelers than T.J. Watt even is, but it may not get there. If Highsmith wants out after the Herbig deal, the team may listen, and he could end up elsewhere this summer.