It’s hard to believe that we haven’t been able to watch a Pittsburgh Steelers game in six months.

The last time we saw them, they suffered a 28-14 loss in Baltimore in the wild card round of the American Football Conference playoffs.

That loss, on Jan. 11, marked the team’s fifth in a row and brought an end to what had had all of the makings of a pretty good season just a month or so earlier.

A lot has changed since that dreary Saturday afternoon — quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields have moved on, as has wide receiver George Pickens.

Both of the former quarterbacks have found new homes in New York City — Wilson with the Giants and Fields with the Jets.

Pickens, meanwhile, was traded to Dallas, and delivered a parting shot to the Tri-State Area on June 24 when he pulled out of the George Pickens Youth Football Camp. That forced organizers of the camp, which had been scheduled for June 28, TrueEdge Sports, to postpone the camp to Sunday at Highmark Stadium.

TrueEdge, which organizes camps for other NFL teams, said Pickens had assured them after the trade that he would make good on his commitment. Fan favorite Pat Freiermuth stepped up to rescue the camp.

But even that wasn’t the biggest story of the off-season. That, of course, centered on the addition of quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

A sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Famer, Rodgers finally signed with the Steelers and likely will be the team’s starting quarterback this season. He’ll lead a quarterback room that will include Mason Rudolph, who rejoins the team after a year in Tennessee, and Will Howard, who directed Ohio State to the national championship.

Just like the last couple of summers, the quarterback situation will be the main focus when training camp opens this week at St. Vincent College in Latrobe. As always, fans will have the opportunity to attend camp sessions, which begin at 1:55 p.m. Thursday. Sessions continue at 1:55 p.m. Thursday through July 27; July 29-31; Aug. 2-6; and Aug. 7, Aug. 11 and Aug 12.

The popular night practice will be held at 7 p.m. Aug. 1 at Latrobe Memorial Stadium.

There is no charge to attend any of the sessions, but you still have to obtain a ticket through Ticketmaster and the team’s website.

The only home game on the preseason schedule is a 7 p.m. Aug. 16 contest against Tampa Bay. Road games are set for 7 p.m. Aug. 9 in Jacksonville and Aug. 21 at Carolina. It all leads up to the season-opener at 1 p.m. Sept. 7 in New York against the Jets — and likely Fields.

Browns fans will have several opportunities to catch a practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus in Berea. Sessions are set for Friday and July 26; July 28-30; and Aug. 1-4. Like the Steelers, there is no cost to attend, but you have to obtain a ticket through the team’s app or website.

Cleveland’s preseason schedule includes games at Carolina (7 p.m., Aug. 8), at Philadelphia (1 p.m., Aug. 16) and at home against the Rams (1 p.m., Aug. 23.) The Browns open the regular season at 1 p.m. Sept. 7 when they host Cincinnati.

Fans of college football will be looking toward Aug. 30, when all of the region’s teams will open their season. Ohio State will host Texas and Pitt will host Duquesne in noon kickoffs, WVU will host Robert Morris at 2 p.m. and Notre Dame will visit Miami at 7:30 p.m.

High school football actually was scheduled to return at 7:15 p.m. Saturday, when the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference held its 79th-annual Rudy Mumley Charity All-Star Football Game at Wheeling Island Stadium.

That will start the clock ticking on the opening of the high school football season, which returns in about a month. Buckeye Local will visit Bellaire on Aug. 21 to get things going. On Aug. 22, Steubenville Big Red will host Youngstown Ursuline, Catholic Central will visit Wellsville, Indian Creek will visit Cambridge, Toronto will host Southern Local, Edison will visit Shenandoah and Harrison Central will visit Claymont.

West Virginia schools will get started the following week, on Aug. 28, when Weir High hosts Oak Glen. Brooke opens its season at home against Beaver Local on Aug. 29.

No matter which team you follow, the best way to prepare for the coming season will be to get a copy of Prep Football 2025.

It’s our annual football edition, and it will feature in-depth previews of each of our area’s high school football teams. It’s an award-winning publication, having been honored numerous times in contests conducted by the Ohio Associated Press Media Editors and West Virginia Press associations.

You will find it included in the Aug. 20 editions of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times.

Fans of pro and college football will be able to find a preview edition looking at those two sports included in the Aug. 31 editions of the newspapers.

There are questions at the start of every season. With training camps set to open, it’s certain that we will be able to get some answers — and find a whole new set of questions — in the coming weeks.

(Gallabrese, a resident of Steiubenville, is executive editor of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times)