At least 15 starters, including quarterback Aaron Rodgers, won't be on the field for the Pittsburgh Steelers' first preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET in Jacksonville.
They won't even have rookie sixth-round quarterback Will Howard, who is sidelined with a broken finger on his throwing hand. Instead, it'll be Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson splitting reps, with the outside possibility that newly signed QB Logan Woodside sees some action.
But even without Rodgers, wide receiver DK Metcalf and cornerback Jalen Ramsey, there's plenty to glean from the matchup.
Signs of offensive line chemistry
While LG Isaac Seumalo, who began training camp on the non-football injury list, won't suit up for the game, the Steelers should still have at least four of their core starters together in game action: RT Troy Fautanu, RG Mason McCormick, C Zach Frazier and LT Broderick Jones. Coach Mike Tomlin, though, was coy on exactly how much action they would see.
"We made no plans about the amount of playtime for those suited at this juncture," he said Thursday. "We might view some of those instances on an individual basis. We might view some of those decisions on somewhat of a collective basis because of the cooperative work component of development.
"... We won't be opposed to be light on our feet and make decisions based on what we see in game."
The reps are especially important for second-year tackle Fautanu, who missed most of his rookie season with a knee injury.
"Every single day I'm trying to get used to this being my new normal and being able to trust [my knee] every single day," Fautanu said earlier in camp. "Every rep that I take, obviously it gets more comfortable."
Jones, too, could benefit from game reps at left tackle after spending the past two seasons almost exclusively on the right side opposite of Dan Moore. Jones also missed time earlier in camp with a lower-body, soft-tissue injury and has been working back in to being a full participant.
"I'm seeing signs of growth and development, but that's to be expected," Tomlin said of his line. "I like their general approach. I like their level of conditioning. I like their commitment to continued conditioning. I love the way that they're communicating. It is a work in progress, but so far so good."
A glimpse at the defensive line future
Let's give a little love to the guys in the other trenches, too. With Cameron Heyward not scheduled to play given his contract situation, the Steelers will get a preview of what life could be like after the defensive captain eventually retires. Saturday night, that will look like Keeanu Benton, Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black against Jacksonville's first-team offense, including quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Harmon and Black have impressed early in training camp. While Harmon is consistently working with the starters and is listed as one on the initial depth chart, Black is establishing himself as a force in the middle of the field with frequent batted passes.
"That's a talent that a lot of people don't talk about, but it's important," Benton said of Black's ability to bat balls. "He is a big guy. He gets leverage, he gets extension and he's able to see the trigger and get those hands up.
"... It's just something that comes natural. You see a quarterback take his left hand off of the ball, it makes you trigger -- put your hands up, but you also got to continue to rush. So, I think he has a good balance of both."
Isaiahh Loudermilk, listed as second string behind Heyward on the first depth chart of the preseason, will also get a big opportunity as he enters the final year of his rookie contract.
Though a hallmark of the 2025 Steelers defense figures to be playing out of sub packages with more creative blitzes, don't expect to see a lot of that against Jacksonville. Not only are T.J. Watt, Nick Herbig and Alex Highsmith not scheduled to take the field, the Steelers also won't be playing Joey Porter Jr., Darius Slay or Ramsey. That likely takes their three-cornerback, man-to-man look off the menu and reduces the likelihood of seeing the available edge rushers come from different positions.
"I would neither confirm nor deny some of the questions that you asked there regarding strategy," Tomlin said. "We want to be a versatile group. We got versatile and capable players. You're not going to be good in the National Football League, let alone great, unless you have some diversity in your call sheet and that's in any of the three phases."
The battle to fill the wide receiver room
The Steelers have a bona fide No. 1 wide receiver in Metcalf. They might even have a solidified No. 2 in speedy Calvin Austin III, who won't play with an undisclosed injury. But beyond that? There's a hodgepodge of receivers vying for a limited number of spots, and Saturday could be an opportunity to gain some separation from the pack.
A year ago, the Steelers kept five wide receivers on their initial 53-man roster in Austin, Van Jefferson, Scotty Miller, George Pickens and Roman Wilson. They also kept Ben Skowronek on the practice squad and twice elevated him on game days until he was added to the active roster later in the season.
This season, Metcalf and Austin are locks, and Skowronek and Miller also appear to have clinched jobs. That leaves maybe one or two jobs up for grabs that could go to Wilson, playing in his first full camp and preseason after sustaining a series of injuries that kept him out most of last season, veteran Robert Woods, Brandon Johnson or Roc Taylor.
Though he was slow to get going early in camp, Wilson has developed a rapport with Rodgers lately, and Taylor made several key catches in Thursday's practice, including one in a two-minute drill that set up a touchdown on the next play.
"I expect to see some of the things that I've seen out here, continue to get better and playmaking," Tomlin said of Wilson. "He's highly conditioned. I expect that to show in his play. Really focused on his offensive contributions this week, next week we're going to infuse some more in special teams."
Johnson, who saw action in three games last season as he bounced between the Steelers' practice squad and active roster, got some reps with Rodgers on Thursday as Metcalf took a vet day.
"A lot of competitors in that room," Johnson said. "A lot of guys who are hungry and want to play, want to make the team, but at the same time, we do all help each other."