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When we last saw the Pittsburgh Steelers, they were suffering through a 30-6 loss to Houston in an NFL wild card playoff game on Jan. 12.
Since that Monday night more than six months ago, the team has undergone some changes, not the least of which came when Mike Tomlin decided to step away from the head coaching spot he had held for the last 19 seasons. While we still see him as an analyst on NBC this season, the Steelers will have a new coach in Mike McCarthy.
We’ll find out if it’s a good fit, as McCarthy, the former coach of the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys, will be reunited with the former quarterback of the Packers in Aaron Rodgers. The two had a lot of success in Green Bay -- and a lot of issues.
Those seem to be behind them, which should set the stage for an interesting season.
That’s after the team works out its quarterback situation, with Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Drew Allar all looking for spots on the roster. If Rodgers, who is 42 and will be beginning his 22nd season in the NFL, has issues, one of them likely will get the chance to start.
Before we know the answers to that question -- and a whole list of others -- we’ll have to see just will happen in training camp. And for the Steelers, that will come Tuesday, when the rookies and veteran players all will report to St. Vincent College in Latrobe. If you’re planning to make the one-hour, 40-minute drive to take in a session or two, you will have that chance beginning Wednesday.
One of the big changes this year, is that the public will be admitted to the morning sessions, and not afternoon workouts. Public sessions will be held Wednesday through Aug. 1; Aug 3-7; Aug. 10-11 and 15; and Aug. 16-17. Starting times vary throughout the period. There’s no change to attend, but everyone will need a digital ticket. Check Steelers.com for the details.
At 6 p.m. on Aug. 8, the team will hold its annual night practice at Latrobe Memorial Stadium, and admission will be $15. That’s another change -- the night practice has traditionally been held on a Friday night. There are activities planned for the whole day, with games and other events and a performance by the Steelers Drumline. That happens from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and an autograph session will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., with gates for the practice opening at 4 p.m.
It all leads up to the Steelers first preseason game at 7 p.m. Aug. 13, when Green Bay visits Acrisure Stadium.
Cleveland fans, meanwhile, are facing what’s becoming an annual rite of summer. There’s another new head coach -- Todd Monken. He’s the sixth head coach the team has tried in the past 10 years.
The quest to put the overall thought that the “Browns is the Browns” behind the team actually began Thursday, when rookies reported to training camp. Veterans are scheduled to report Tuesday to the team’s facility in Berea. There are nine practices that are open to the public, all beginning at 1:30 p.m. They are set for July 31; Aug. 1; Aug. 4-8; and Aug. 11-12.
All of the free tickets to all of the sessions already have been claimed, the team said. They might pop up on resale sites, though.
The team opens its preseason schedule Aug. 15 in Chicago.
It all will lead up to the start of the regular season on Sept. 13, when the Steelers host Atlanta and Cleveland travels to Jacksonville in 1 p.m. contests.
College football fans will need to wait a little bit longer to see game action. Pitt will host Miami of Ohio at 12:30 p.m. Sept 5. WVU will host Coastal Carolina at noon and Ohio State will host Ball State at 12:30 p.m.
And, the clock is ticking toward the start of the local high school football season, which will get underway on a Thursday, Aug. 20, when Indian Creek hosts Cambridge in a 7 p.m. start.
As always, the best way to get ready for the high school football season will be to pick up a copy of Prep Football 2026. You will find it included in the Aug. 19 editions of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times.
(Gallabrese, a resident of Steubenville, is senior writer for the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times)