Steelers set 'feisty' mentality following training-camp fight

The Steelers took the field for their sixth day of training camp and second with the pads on Wednesday, but there was a mentality shift from the start.

On Wednesday morning, head coach Mike Tomlin posted a picture of himself wearing black Air Force 1s with the caption, "Work Day!"

Whether or not that rubbed off on his players is up for debate, but Pittsburgh's offense and defense brought a little extra intensity, nonetheless.

During the latter parts of practice, linebacker Elandon Roberts and undrafted rookie cornerback Beanie Bishop knocked quarterback Justin Fields to the ground. His offensive line, led by fourth-round guard Mason McCormick, came to his defense and a large fight ensued.

Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin isn't worried about it as long as it doesn't become a regular occurrence for his defense.

"It got a little feisty, but that's camp," Austin said . "We want to be aggressive; we want to be physical, but you have to keep your cool. If you do that stuff in a game, you're out of the game and it hurts our team."

Pittsburgh believes it can have one of the best defenses in the league this season, but it has several new faces who joined this offseason. That's why linebacker T.J. Watt thinks setting a mentality this time of the year is important.

"It's good, especially when you have so many new players," Watt said . "You're trying to figure out what everybody's all about and to be able to see guys wanting to run to the fight and not run away from it is awesome to see."

The offense may not feel the same, however. Offensive lineman Nate Herbig wants to let everyone know his quarterback is off limits.

"Nobody's gonna hit our quarterback, cheap shot, and get away with it," Herbig said . "It's a big emphasis for us, a big emphasis for our unit. It's nothing personal, we just protect our quarterback."

All in all, the skirmish shouldn't be anything the Steelers need to worry about, especially because Fields walked away from the play uninjured.

If anything, it may just prove that Pittsburgh could live up to its ambitions of being the most physical team in the NFL in 2024.

"It was just a little tap," Roberts said with a smile. "But the offense did what they supposed to do. You're always supposed to protect your quarterback."

All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.