Overview

• Steelers completed their first full-contact padded practice on July 30 in Latrobe after a one-day rain delay, shifting evaluations from walkthroughs to live drills.
• Joey Porter Jr. recorded three run stops in team drills, reinforcing his emergence as a reliable run defender.
• Starting left tackle Broderick Jones returned to first-team reps without setbacks after a lower-body injury, stabilizing the protection for Aaron Rodgers.
• Troy Fautanu and Calvin Anderson both posted two consecutive one-on-one wins against top defenders, intensifying the competition for tackle depth.
• Defensive coaches rolled out new blitz schemes—including Double A-gap pressure and disguised fronts—that have entered the regular rotation, and the Steelers placed Jeremiah Moon and Montana Lemonious-Craig on season-ending injured reserve.