5 Things to Watch for Pittsburgh Steelers in First Preseason Game

Preseason games for all NFL teams will get underway in just a few days. The Pittsburgh Steelers will face the Houston Texans in their first game of the preseason.

Although the preseason is by no means an indication of how the season will progress, the Steelers will want to take this time and see how everything is coming together, especially after the big player changes on the roster.

The following five points are just some of the things to keep an eye out for in Pittsburgh’s first exhibition game of the year.

Will Justin Fields make his case for the starting QB job?

The biggest headline from the Steelers this offseason looked like the signing of Russell Wilson as their new starting quarterback. That signing paved the way for Kenny Pickett to be traded away to the Philadelphia Eagles. But the Steelers didn’t stop there, adding former Bears quarterback Justin Fields, as well.

Throughout the entire offseason, the talk has been whether or not Fields will be able to supplant Wilson as the starting quarterback, and if so, when. As per various reports, the job is Wilson’s to lose and Fields’ to win.

Training camp reports indicate that Fields did struggle a bit in the first week. However, he quickly made the required adjustments and has been much better in the second week. Perhaps the first preseason game against the Texans will give us a better idea.

What will the Steelers’ receiving corps look like?

Last year, the Steelers’ top two receivers, George Pickens and Diontae Johnson, hauled in 63 and 51 catches for 1,140 and 717 yards, respectively. After that, though, Pittsburgh didn’t have a third receiver above 370 receiving yards.

During the offseason, the Steelers traded Johnson to the Carolina Panthers and brought in Van Jefferson as his replacement. At least on paper, this is a severe downgrade, but news from the Steelers training camp seems to indicate that he and Fields have forged quite the connection.

On the other hand, Wilson has had better chemistry with Calvin Austin III, meaning Pittsburgh’s receiving unit is something of a work in progress.

Will Nate Herbig or Zach Frazier be better at center?

Pittsburgh signed 26-year-old Nate Herbig in 2023, as general manager Omar Khan had put his faith in the former Eagle for the center position. Then, in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Steelers went on to select Zach Frazier in the second round. Wide speculation has led many to believe that the rookie will be the starter.

However, Herbig has been doing a phenomenal job with very little to no errors on the field. Thus, there is a good possibility that the starting position battle at center could be decided based on their performances in preseason.

How good will rookie tackle Troy Fautanu look?

In order to strengthen their offensive line, the Steelers drafted tackle Troy Fautanu with their first pick of the 2024 draft. Fautanu was the sixth tackle off the board, but he had a splendid 2023 season in college. He won the Morris Trophy, which is handed out to the top offensive lineman in the Pac-12.

Fautanu has been getting reps at both tackle positions and is eventually expected to start alongside 2023 rookie Broderick Jones to form a formidable, young offensive line. However, when that time will come depends on his performance in training and preseason.

How good will rookie linebacker Payton Wilson look?

Pittsburgh’s linebackers room is looking quite good. T.J. Watt is as good of a player as you can get, and the Steelers have added Patrick Queen to the mix from Baltimore. Alex Highsmith also remains on the team.

Yet, there will be a lot of excitement to see rookie Payton Wilson in action. Wilson, an alumnus of North Carolina State, is coming off an amazing year in college football where he won the Butkus Award along with being the ACC Defensive Player of the Year.

If Wilson can show promise in the preseason, it will add to the depth of this already dynamic Steelers defense.

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