The Pittsburgh Steelers officially wrapped up training camp at Saint Vincent College this week. Pittsburgh will now continue its preseason work on the South Side as the team prepares for its second preseason game. Cutdown day is less than 10 days away, with plenty of tough decisions on deck.
Training camp provided plenty of opportunities for players to change their projected fortunes. Guys like Gabriel Rubio have especially made significant strides. However, alongside some unexpected developments came some overall predictable circumstances.
Here are a few unexpected and expected things we learned from Steelers training camp.
Unexpected: Drew Allar’s Progression
Allar has taken many by surprise. Granted, it’s only training camp and preseason play, but there weren’t many high expectations for him to look this progressed at this stage of his development. His performance has led to plenty of buzz surrounding the rookie quarterback.
The reality, though, is that Allar likely won’t participate in regular-season play barring drastic circumstances. This is essentially a redshirt year for him. Still, it has been encouraging to see him start off hot. Allar will get more opportunities throughout the preseason.
Unexpected: Max Iheanachor Ahead of the Curve
Prior to his injury, Iheanachor was kicking rear and taking names at camp. He held his own against the Steelers’ top four EDGE rushers. The expectation was that Iheanachor would be a bit behind the curve due to his limited experience.
However, Iheanachor took many by surprise once padded practices got underway. That’s a big win for the Steelers, who might be thinking about his contributions earlier than expected this season once he’s healthy.
Saw It Coming: Malik Harrison Buried on Depth Chart
reuters.com,2025:newsml_MT1USATODAY27736158:736043003
Harrison faced an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster. Between the depth at inside linebacker and his cap hit, things were not looking great. Training camp’s pecking order confirmed that once things got underway.
On top of all that, the team brought back Elandon Roberts. All of this should seal Harrison’s fate when cutdown day arrives.
Unexpected: Asante Samuel Jr.’s Blazing-Hot Start
reuters.com,2026:newsml_MT1USATODAY29480212:1939267718
This isn’t to say no one thought Samuel was capable of this type of performance. It just wasn’t necessarily expected so soon after he underwent a major neck procedure a year ago. However, Samuel has been off and running since camp started.
Then, he showed even more in the preseason game, operating on the boundary and in the slot. Samuel has made it very difficult not to envision him having a bigger role in this defense during the 2026 season.
Unexpected: Kaleb Johnson Having Almost No Shot
It was going to be a tough battle for Johnson to see the field in 2026. However, not many expected him to be a virtual non-factor in the preseason and training camp to this point.
Johnson is very much on the outside looking in and would need a borderline miracle to make the 53-man roster. There’s still time, but it’s not on his side.
Saw It Coming: Germie Bernard Looking More Veteran Than Rookie
The buzz coming out of the draft and minicamp was about how pro-ready Bernard looked. There have certainly been some rookie moments, but Bernard has been as advertised.
He can play multiple roles and brings significant yard-after-catch ability, making it harder not to see his contributions coming sooner rather than later.
