Updated
Updated · Steelers.com · Jul 31
Steelers Stage 2-Phase Helmet-Free Mock Game on Day 3 as McCarthy Maps 5 Padded Practices
Updated
Updated · Steelers.com · Jul 31

Steelers Stage 2-Phase Helmet-Free Mock Game on Day 3 as McCarthy Maps 5 Padded Practices

2 articles · Updated · Steelers.com · Jul 31

Summary

  • Pittsburgh used Friday’s third acclimation practice for an extended mock game without helmets, with Mike McCarthy calling it a lighter 10:30 a.m. session built around game situations.
  • Two phases drove the workout: game-management and special-teams communication first, then a review of the previous 2 days to prepare a 90-man roster for preseason demands.
  • Next week’s schedule escalates to 5 padded practices around a review day, with the heaviest workload leading into a Saturday night practice in downtown Latrobe.
  • Will Howard threw 2 touchdown passes in the session, but both came with defensive backs largely acting as spectators under the mock-game format.
  • The Steelers next announce their 2026 Hall of Honor class on Aug. 1, while their first padded practice is set for Aug. 3 alongside a live Pat McAfee Show on campus.

Insights

Can Asante Samuel Jr. turn unexpected first-team reps into a career-defining comeback amid a depleted secondary?
Will McCarthy’s tackle-free training camp leave the Steelers defense unprepared for the brutal reality of Week 1?
Is Pittsburgh's situational camp focus a genius coaching strategy or a desperate tactic to protect an aging Aaron Rodgers?