Training Camp Report: July 30

LATROBE, Pa. – Maybe Mother Nature is a Steelers fan after all.

Tuesday, July 30 was circled on the calendar as the date when players would wear pads for the first time during this 2024 training camp, but right up until a couple of hours before the 10:30 a.m. scheduled start simply being able to have the practice on the grass fields at Saint Vincent College looked like no sure thing.

But the storms passed, the skies lightened, and the rain stopped by the time the first players started trickling out of the locker room to make their way down to the fields. There even were hints of sun during the session, and about an hour after practice ended and the field had cleared, the next wave of showers drenched campus.

“I’ll take it however it comes as long as it’s not lightning, because we get an opportunity to work,” said Coach Mike Tomlin. “If it was raining today, then it’s ball searching and ball security as an emphasis. We’re an outdoor sport. We play in a lot of circumstances, and I’m open to all of that during team development.”

But because the weather cooperated, Tomlin was able to have the normally scheduled practice, and when it was over he assessed what he witnessed.

“A lot of spirited work,” he began. “There are certain things we really want to see in this environment. You guys know that backs-on-backers is always a featured drill, and really we’re just trying to check the mentality and the technique of the (offensive players) because you’re not afforded the opportunity to warm up to quarterback protection. And so we’re always interested in how that group represents itself in that drill. I thought they did a really nice job.”

Leading the way for the offense in that regard were tight end Darnell Washington and running back Jaylen Warren. Both of them got several opportunities in the drill, and neither looked to be “warming up to quarterback protection.” In fact, it got to the point where there were no real options for…