Steelers, Mike Tomlin entering Week 1 with optimism after off-season of turnover
The Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing to begin their 2025 season against former Steelers quarterback Justin Fields and the New York Jets.
Head coach Mike Tomlin offered a fresh sense of optimism that only arrives with a new season of Steelers football.
"It's awesome to be here. It's awesome to get this regular season started."
The opposition
The New York Jets bring with them plenty of intrigue, especially on offense, with quarterback Justin Fields under center one season removed from playing in the black and gold.
Tomlin said the Steelers will obviously need to monitor Fields' "physical abilities" with designed runs or ad-libbed plays that he's become known for.
Tomlin also praised New York's "deep and talented backfield led by (Breece) Hall and (Braelon) Allen."
Focusing on the receiver corps, it is led by the "talented and emerging" former Ohio State product, Garrett Wilson, who previously played with Fields at Ohio State in 2019 and 2020, connecting for 66 receptions, 1,031 yards, and nine touchdowns over 22 games.
The Jets' defense, constructed by veteran defensive coordinator Steve Wilks with input from the defensive-minded rookie head coach and former NFL cornerback Aaron Glenn, has invested premium draft capital in their front seven, with players like Quinnen Williams and Will McDonald IV.
The defense is led by arguably one of the best defensive backs in the game today with Sauce Gardner, who Tomlin described as "a top-flight bump corner."
"We have some planning of our own. We got some physical work ahead to ready our guys and to further divide our labor up, particularly situationally," Tomlin said. "So, we got a bunch of decisions to make, but such is life this time of year."
Tomlin expecting Cam Heyward to play
Following a training camp and preseason "hold-in" as he looks for a restructured contract, Tomlin expects longtime defensive lineman and recently elected team captain Cam Heyward to suit up for Week 1.
"I'm certainly expecting Cam to play. My job is to get him in and out of Latrobe," Tomlin said. "There is no reservation about his participation or readiness."
Confidence in the offense
The Steelers enter 2025 as a drastically different team on offense compared to last season, notably with a different starting quarterback in future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers and wideout DK Metcalf.
Despite all the new faces, Tomlin reiterated his confidence in his new players.
"I'm extremely confident in (Calvin Austin), but I'm also equally confident in Roman Wilson and Jonnu (Smith) and (Pat) Freiermuth. There's a lot of speculation and narratives about a quote-unquote No. 2 [receiver], and I think in today's game, it comes at you in a lot of ways," Tomlin said. "Jonnu is somewhat of a positionless player. Calvin is growing and has grown and made big strides a year ago. We've been really excited about Roman Wilson in team development, and so I'm less concerned about who occupies the No. 2 position.
"One thing is for certain: a talent like DK (Metcalf) dictates a lot of schematics. His presence is going to provide opportunities for others, whether it's Calvin, Roman, Jonnu, Freiermuth; it's not a big issue for me or for us."
Injury report
The Steelers will enter the Week 1 clash with a relatively clean injury report. The team's first-round pick in April's draft, defensive lineman Derrick Harmon, will remain out as he continues to rehab a knee injury he suffered against the Carolina Panthers in the team's final preseason game.
Tomlin also described linebacker Nick Herbig as questionable, but sounded optimistic on his availability for Sunday based on Monday's practice.
The Steelers kick off the 2025 season against quarterback Aaron Rodgers' former team, the New York Jets, on Sunday, Sept. 7. Kick-off is set for 1 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on KDKA-TV.