The Pittsburgh Steelers held their annual night practice at St. Vincent College in Latrobe on Saturday, with nearly 8,500 fans in attendance. It has become a staple of training camp every season, and the players put on quite a show for those lucky enough to attend.
In what has been a very different style of camp under new head coach Mike McCarthy, the physicality wasn't at the level fans became accustomed to during Mike Tomlin's 19 years leading the franchise. At least, that's the sentiment from members of the media who were present.
Still, there were plenty of exciting plays and notable individual performances to be excited about as Pittsburgh prepares for its first preseason game next week. With that being said, here are the big takeaways from Saturday's practice.
Young QB's shine, secondary makes some major impact plays during the Pittsburgh Steelers annual night practice
Drew Allar and Will Howard flashed their potential
The Steelers know what they have at the top of their quarterback depth chart, with Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph providing plenty of experience. Will Howard and Drew Allar, meanwhile, represent the unknown.
On Saturday, both showed the qualities that make them intriguing prospects behind the established veterans. Howard had one of his sharpest days, according to Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot, and Allar showed off his arm talent in an admittedly less consistent day. It's too early to know how the QB depth chart will play out, but both young passers had solid days under the lights.
The new-look secondary started to show promise
The secondary in Pittsburgh has been a sore spot more often than not in recent years, but general manager Omar Khan seems determined to change that. Free agent pickup Jamel Dean has had a mostly uninspiring camp, but he made one of the plays of the day by intercepting Aaron Rodgers and returning it for a touchdown.
Not long after that play, rookie cornerback Daylen Everette continued his excellent camp with a near interception of Mason Rudolph that also could have ended with a score. Add in some other solid plays from multiple defensive backs throughout the night, and it was a good showing for the improved secondary.
Big days for two important young defenders
The Steelers need more out of the younger pieces on defense this season. Nick Herbig and Joey Porter Jr. have already ascended to a high-level, but players like Payton Wilson and Derrick Harmon taking a step forward in 2026 could be massive for Pittsburgh's playoff hopes.
Wilson has been coming on strong during recent practices, and he continued that rise with several nice plays as a run defender on Saturday. Harmon also continued to make his presence felt up front, imposing his will against the run while showing some juice as a pass rusher in individual drills.
If both of those players can elevate their units this year, a top-5 defense could be on the table for the first time in several years.
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