We are back, baby! After roughly half a year without so much as a scrimmage, the Pittsburgh Steelers are suiting up tonight against the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay, Florida for their first preseason game of 2023. It doesn't matter that it's only exhibition action, you better believe that fans will be tuning in.
Considering that this is their first preseason game and the fact that there are 90 players on Pittsburgh's roster, we know that the backups are going to earn the most playing time tonight. Mike Tomlin is going to want to preserve his players the best he can, which means that the second half could consist primarily of players who won't ultimately make the roster.
However, there's no doubt that fans are wanting to see the starters in action -- even if it's only for a few drives. So what is the game plan tonight for Steelers vs Buccaneers and which starters can we expect to see in Week 1 of the preseason?
Which Steelers starters will play in the first preseason game?
In past years, there have been veteran starters and star players who have been healthy scratches from the first preseason game of the year. Those players typically don't have much to prove, and it's more about preserving their health than anything else.
While health still comes first, Mike Tomlin made it very clear in his pre-game press conference that every healthy player will suit up to play tonight against the Buccaneers in the first preseason game of the year. Quarterback Kenny Pickett will begin the game as the starter, and based on his comments, we can assume that even players like T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward, and Minkah Fitzpatrick will take the field.
Pittsburgh's trio of All-Pro defenders have less to prove than anyone on this team, so we don't expect to see them much in the first preseason game -- maybe just a series or two. For everyone else, that could depend on their performance.
If Pickett and the starting offense are pulled from the game very early on, it probably means that Tomlin saw everything he needed to see. Perhaps Pickett leads his offense on a touchdown drive during his first or second possession of the game before Coach 'T' calls it a night for the first-string offense. If this unit struggles, it will be interesting to see how long they play.
While some teams are opposed to playing their starters much at all during the entire preseason, Tomlin has shown that these exhibition snaps are important and he doesn't want his team starting flat during the regular season.
Depending on the youth and experience of certain players, we can expect some starters to play longer than others -- both on offense and defense. It's probably safe to assume that the longest-tenured players will get the least amount of playing time against the Buccaneers tonight, but performance could have an impact on how snaps are ultimately divided.
Still, this is Week 1 of the preseason. If you are hoping the starting offense and defense get the entire first half, you may not want to hold your breath. The biggest thing is to escape Tampa Bay without any injuries, but we would love to see a sharp starting offense and defense in the process.