Steelers 2021 OTAs: Most notable names in attendance on day one

The Steelers kicked off their 2021 organized team activities on May 25th. Here were the most notable names in attendance on day one. 

It officially feels like football is back… Well, sort of. While organized team activities may not be the most exciting of events preparing for the upcoming season, they do offer a bit of insight as to what we might expect this year for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Jost eyeballing a headcount based on a few images at OTAs so far, it seems like there are approximately 64 players on hand. Players are not technically required to show up to the training facility until mandatory minicamp takes place. For the Steelers, that is scheduled to be June 8th through the 10th. For now, the team will have OTAs from May 25th-27th, June 2nd-4th, and after mandatory minicamp from June 14th-17th.

Though players are not required to show up to OTAs, it’s interesting to notes which Steelers showed up on day one and are taking that extra effort to make sure they are prepared for the upcoming season.

Ben Roethlisberger was in attendance on day one

Of the players that showed up to OTAs from the gate, none was bigger than Ben Roethlisberger (for obvious reasons). This typically isn’t the time of year we are used to seeing Big Ben. The Steelers star quarterback was willing to take a pay cut to stay in Pittsburgh for one more season.

Knowing that this is likely his last season, it’s nice to see Roethlisberger out here making every effort to ensure that this team plays up to its potential this season. Big Ben led an offense that experienced a monumental collapse over the final six games of the 2020 season and into the playoffs against the Cleveland Browns. OTAs are far from the most strenuous of activities, but it’s good to see Roethlisberger there getting acclimated with his new teammates.

Other notable Steelers attending OTAs

Some of the other notable names that could be spotted at offseason training activities include Cameron Heyward, Tyson Alualu, Alex Highsmith, Chukwuma Okorafor, and Chris Wormley. Obviously, the rookie class was on hand as well with top draft choices like Najee Harris, Pat Freiermuth, and Kendrick Green all participating in drills. It’s also worth noting that all four Pittsburgh quarterbacks were on hand for day one of OTAs.

Ben Roethlisberger and Cameron Heyward are two of the most seasoned veterans on this team – each leading their respective side of the football. It’s good to see them both in attendance. I did not notice JuJu Smith-Schuster or the other top Steelers receivers in attendance during day one. As well, it appeared that much of their starting secondary was still absent from the field.

Notes about drills

Obviously, not much is known at this time, but it’s worth noting the order in which positional groups were running drills. At quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger obviously was the first in line to lead the group, followed by Mason Rudolph, Joshua Dobbs, then Dwayne Haskins. It’s worth noting that Dobbs was still running ahead of Haskins in the pecking order. This could be a formality because of his seniority with the team, or perhaps the Steelers are still viewing him as the number three passer.

At running back, rookie Najee Harris led the group, followed by Anthony McFarland, Benny Snell, and Jaylen Samuels, among others. I found it interesting that McFarland was second in line over Snell in drills despite having much less experience under his belt. This could mean nothing, or that perhaps the Steelers are thinking McFarland will be their change-of-pace back in 2021.

Obviously, we shouldn’t read too much into the minor things that we see during the first day of 2021 offseason training activities. What’s important is that most hands were on deck and that Ben Roethlisberger looks ready to get to work this year. Stay with us as we will continue to bring you updates through OTAs and minicamp this year.