Steelers' Mike Tomlin Gives Wild Reasoning For Deciding When Practice Should Be Held

The Pittsburgh Steelers have officially wrapped up mandatory minicamp. There will be a nice, long break between now and the start of training camp. This will be a good chance for the newcomers to study the playbook, especially expected key contributors like Aaron Rodgers and Derrick Harmon. It's also a good time for the front office to get some extensions done, especially with star edge rusher TJ Watt. Once training camp begins, though, it will be time for everyone to hit the ground running and officially prepare for the 2025 season. 

Part of that conditioning will be practicing in the afternoon, as opposed to the mornings. Head Coach Mike Tomlin confirmed that after the last practice in mandatory minicamp, and he later explained the reasoning for that decision. 

"It wasn't hot enough last year," Tomlin said. "To be quite honest with you, heat aids in the developmental and physical conditioning. It makes it a more stressful environment, and that's what we go to camp for. We go to camp to get better, and if it's a little bit more miserable later in the day, that's what we want."

Nothing tests a player's mental and physical toughness more than running reps in the blazing heat. Just because Pittsburgh is north of the Mason-Dixon Line, doesn't mean July weather isn't miserable. Practicing in comfortable conditions is seen as weak to nearly every coach at every level of football. The best performers are the ones that step up when Mother Nature is against them. 

Obviously, working out when it's hotter means that everyone has to be extra-focused on staying hydrated. The last thing any player wants to do is let his team down, so avoiding a heat stroke is very high on the priority list. That doesn't mean anyone can take a rep off, though. If you can dominate when it's hot and miserable, you will be able to light up all your opponents when the weather is nice and breezy come October. 

Were The Steelers Truly Affected By Less Heat In Training Camp In 2024?

Tomlin's complaint was that the weather was too nice when they practiced in the mornings, which is why they're moving back to afternoon practices for training camp. A lot of that helps with early-season games, since that is when the games are the hottest. However, the Steelers did not have to deal with the heat much during their 2024 campaign at all. Their Week 1 game was in a climate-controlled dome. Week 2 against the Denver Broncos may have been impacted slightly by the weather, especially since they played in the Mile High city. The Steelers started out with a 13-0 lead after the third quarter, but struggled in the fourth. They were able to make the stops when they needed to the most at least, and they hung on to preserve a 13-6 victory. 

The Steelers' first loss came in another climate-controlled dome. They went down big early against the Indianapolis Colts before attempting a comeback that fell short in the fourth quarter. The next week, they lost in a game where rain was a big problem, as opposed to heat. They may need that more than they need the heat, although it's hard to simulate rain in practice. 

In recent years, the cold and the precipitation have been a bigger threat to the Steelers than most of their opponents. They even focused their draft on players from the Big 10, who had to deal with those kinds of conditions. Now, the team will get to see if they can handle the heat, as well as the rain and cold. 

What do you think about Tomlin moving training camp practices for the purpose of dealing with more heat? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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