With no unsuccessful regular season, but also no playoff win since 2016, the Steelers’ HC Mike Tomlin understands the urgency in Pittsburgh. With the Jacksonville Jaguars waiting for their preseason matchup set for August 9, there’s, at this point, no time to waste. And so, he took some steps to ensure not just a postseason win but a chase to the Super Bowl-

• HC Mike Tomlin brought in experienced WR DK Metcalf and QB Aaron Rodgers for the veteran energy.
• He continued to conduct the training camp about 40 miles Southeast of Pittsburgh at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA, for better team building. 
• Tomlin introduced the new metaphor “unpacking” to his team, asking them not to live out of their suitcases despite a road training camp.

Mindset-wise, the Steelers know they need to give their city more. However, that hasn’t been the case. While the defense for the team has been a steel curtain, the offense has been a slow start. To prepare them, the training has gotten more intense than what Pittsburgh is already known for. And with that have come injuries. But Mike Tomlin has found newer answers– if a player isn’t contributing, they aren’t staying.

Earlier today, Steelers beat reporter Alan Saunders tweeted the roster update, “The #Steelers have released WR Montana Lemonious-Craig and OLB Jeremiah Moon from their injured reserve list with injury settlements.”

The Steelers signed undrafted agent Lemonious-Craig after a rookie minicamp tryout back in May. After that, he earned his stay by making his case over the minicamps and the OTAs. But despite his connection with the rookie QB Will Howard, his career was derailed with his soft tissue injury. He was day-to-day after July 27 and was finally released from the Steelers. The WR is now free to sign with another team after he is healthy again.

The wide receiver played his first three collegiate seasons in Colorado, he had 34 catches for 497 yards and 5 TDs. He continued his growth as he moved to Arizona for the next two years. He could not add much to the team despite size and athleticism on his side. He posted 45 receives for 468 yards ad 4 TDs for the Wildcats. Lemonious-Craig also played for special teams of all units, including as a gunner.

On the other hand, EDGE Moon returned to Pittsburgh this offseason after the team claimed him off the waivers from the Baltimore Ravens. He was in the outside linebacker rotation last season as the team’s No. 4. In 13 games, he did get a start but couldn’t register a sack. This year, the Steelers had already reduced his 53-man roster chances by selecting former Ohio State edge rusher Jack Sawyer in the 2025 NFL draft. But his injury added to the condition.

He went down during the first team period and was carted off to the locker room on July 26. When he didn’t return over the next week, Tomlin and Co. probably remembered his preseason ankle injury last season. Then, it took him over a month of the preseason and another four weeks of the regular season to recover. He later only returned to be a depth player and special team contributor in the final 13 games.

Going with injury settlements will allow the two players to recover on their own terms and return to find a new home in the NFL. Mostly, players only opt for the settlement when they know they can participate again later in that season. However, with the Pittsburgh in an urgency and already continuing a rough training camp, complete recovery is a must.

Mike Tomlin, though, is not looking to develop his team only through their performance on the field though. In fact, he made some clever choices while taking his team to Latrobe. He kept WR DK Metcalf and BQ Aaron Rodgers’ connection as his top priority as well.

Mike Tomlin’s planning suffers as DK Metcalf still salty with Aaron Rodgers

Traveling to another site not only gave the Steelers a condition of the road games but also brought the team close. If they had stayed in Pittsburgh, they would’ve came to the camp, praticed, and returned to their homes. However, now they are stuck in the same building. They don’t just talk on the field about the game but also off of it to truly know each other. And that’s exactly how the 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers is already up to.

“I love that we’re out here in Latrobe. I love the opportunity for true camaraderie… Last night, I was in (linebacker Alex) Highsmith’s room. So, it’s pretty cool to see everybody hanging out the way they are. It’s a lot of fun,” Rodgers explained this week. But for Tomlin, he needs to gain chemistry with Metcalf.

So, the HC made sure the two stayed in connected bedrooms. The veterans have been sharing a bathroom that connects their bedrooms. They even have policies together, including how not to flush at night because the noise is too loud. They also have been communicating through the doorway. The ice, indeed, has been broken. But there’s one bump in the road– video games.

Turns out, while Rodgers has been busy with many of his teammates, playing video games, Metcalf hasn’t found his chance yet. And that’s exactly what he had to explain to the reporters. Standing in front of reporters at Steelers camp, half-grinning and half-grimacing, he said, “Y’all should check with other people on the team. They got him to pick up the sticks before me. Offended is not the word. I’m a little salty. But no, he’s a good dude off the field… So, he’s a real good dude.”

Red zone drills, seven-on-sevens, and live-contact reps are putting real weight behind the viral dorm-room banter. Meanwhile in the meetings, serious roster decisions are being made. It will be interesting how Tomlin rebounds from this news.