The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars in what was a very exciting preseason opener. Several Steelers had notable outings, so let’s dive into the first Varsity and JV of the year.
The second-year nickel corner had a tremendous outing. He made tackles at the catch point and broke up a pass off a pick play that would have gone for big yards. Bishop has felt like one of the forgotten members of the secondary after the Jalen Ramsey trade, but he’s showing that he’s a very quality piece that could still get defensive snaps in the regular season.
Speaking of forgotten players, hello Skylar Thompson. He entered training camp as the fourth-most important quarterback on the Steelers’ roster and only got the No. 2 reps because Will Howard injured his hand. That said, boy did he make the most of his opportunity. Thompson went 20-of-28 and tossed three touchdowns, including a 26-yarder to Ke’Shawn Williams that proved to be the game-winner. He now goes from a guy the Steelers would have put on the practice squad to someone who could garner a 2027 draft pick in a trade to go be a backup somewhere else.
Rudolph had as good a night as he could have wanted. In two drives, he went 9-of-10 for 84 yards and a beautiful touchdown pass to Darnell Washington down the seam. It’s good to see Rudolph back in Pittsburgh, and he’s clearly happy to be back, as well. A good performance from one of the better backups in the NFL.
Speaking of the big tight end, hopefully the toss down the seam to Washington is something we see a lot more of come the regular season.
Williams was one of several skill position players who had a tremendous camp and were hoping for it to translate in exhibition play. He caught two passes for 55 yards and a touchdown. He’s making a real push to be the No. 6 pass-catcher on the depth chart.
One of the favorite players of the Steelers beat this training camp has been the versatile weapon from Colgate. He transferred to Notre Dame and became the team’s kick returner in 2024, and now is trying to crack a spot on Pittsburgh’s 53-man roster. He had two catches against the Jaguars, one of which was a reception through traffic down the middle to set up his own touchdown reception a few plays later, which he celebrated with a standing backflip. Even if he doesn’t make the final roster, he’ll certainly have a practice squad spot waiting for him.
Taylor had two receptions, both of which went for big gains. A 22-yard catch and a 16-yard catch summarized what he did in camp at St.Vincent for two weeks. These fringe receivers aren’t making the Steelers’ final decision any easier.
Echols made a great play on the ball, getting two hands on a Nick Mullens pass that was nearly intercepted. He also got into the backfield to make a tackle for loss.
Thornhill cemented himself as a Steeler in the first quarter when he laid a huge hit on Brian Thomas Jr, separating him from the ball and forcing an incompletion. He’s done enough this summer to be the Week 1 starter alongside DeShon Elliott.
Perhaps the most important player on the Steelers’ roster, Jones had an excellent outing. Go back and watch the time Rudolph had to throw. Pockets were clean, especially on the Washington touchdown. This was a big green flag game for Jones. If he and the rest of the offensive line give that much time to Aaron Rodgers, book your playoff tickets.
It says a lot that the Steelers dialed up a look to Wilson on their first play from scrimmage, and it went for a 19-yard gain. A promising star for No. 10.
The exciting pass rusher had a solid outing. He broke off a block to bring down Trevor Lawrence before he could get a big gain. On the final drive, he got to the quarterback, who then made a circus behind-the-head pass that somehow worked out. The Ohio State product showed a high motor and ability to get to the passer, which is a sign of good things to come.
While the pass protection was great, the Steelers couldn’t run the ball. They had just 66 yards on 25 carries, which is good for just 2.6 yards per carry.
The Steelers didn’t register a sack and only got to the quarterback on three occasions during the game. Obviously, the big names weren’t out there so this isn’t a huge worry, but you would have liked to see a bit more from guys like DeMarvin Leal who need to show some sort of spark if he wants any shot of making the roster.
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