Day 3 of training camp for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2026 was arguably the hottest one yet. Luckily for the players, it was an extremely light practice, as not even helmets made it onto the field -- let alone full pads.
Charles LeClaire / Imagn Images
Pittsburgh Steelers star edge rushers Nick Herbig (left) and TJ Watt (right) during the first week of 2026 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
New head coach Mike McCarthy prefaced that Friday could be a "lighter day," and that's exactly what it ended up being. It resembled a mock game-day session, and most players were only going half-speed.
Regardless, fans should know what stood out, and thankfully SteelerNation.com was on the scene once again at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA. Despite the slow session, below are two things fans should still see as two big takeaways from Day 3.
1. New Three-Safety Looks On Defense
Friday saw newly-acquired defensive back Jaquan Brisker blitz from the safety spot several times. He got to the quarterback at least once, but his versatility was on full display overall. When he wasn't blitzing, however, oftentimes, he and DeShon Elliott were joined by a third safety in the secondary.
Three-safety look now. D’Shawn Jamison is getting some reps with the first-team unit next to Brisker and Elliott. Spencer Anderson still at starting RG. #HereWeGo
— B-Wall (@BWall) July 31, 2026
Jack Henderson out of Minnesota also worked in with this group. This should tell fans that McCarthy and new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham have a plan to deploy multiple DBs at any given time, implementing the very popular "three-high safety" look, or the "big nickel" package. This should help improve the pass defense, especially in the red zone.
2. Multiple First-Team Starters
On both sides of the ball, Friday saw a heavy mix of very different lineups. SteelerNation touched on the offensive line heavily on Thursday, but Day 3 saw several playmakers swapping in and out to get reps with Aaron Rodgers.
Kaleb Johnson and Germie Bernard taking first-team reps now. TJ and Cam out there now too. Looks like they’re practicing a hurry-up offense to try and get into FG range. #HereWeGo
— B-Wall (@BWall) July 31, 2026
Running back Rico Dowdle took the majority of the first-team snaps, but the surprise of the day was watching Kaleb Johnson get significant reps alongside the starters as well. Right tackle Max Iheanachor, wide receiver Germie Bernard, and wide receiver Brandon Smith all got first-team reps at some point on Friday as well. It's clear McCarthy is trying to determine the perfect lineup of players that can best aid Rodgers in scoring more points for 2026.
Charles LeClaire / Imagn Images
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive linemen Yahya Black (left) and Cam Heyward (right) practice during 2026 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
On defense, fans also saw Cole Holcomb play alongside Payton Wilson at linebacker. The new safety package was already mentioned, and even Nick Herbig got starter minutes early when TJ Watt and Cam Heyward sat out to begin team drills before finally stepping onto the practice field.
Steelers' Training Camp Practices Feel Very Different Under McCarthy
It is still very early in the training camp process, but for fans and pundits who have been so used to a Mike Tomlin-run offseason schedule, McCarthy is already leaving his mark.
The structure, pace, and primary focuses are all different under the new head coach, and it's obvious to see that McCarthy is running his own show with his new staff. With the Pittsburgh native already announcing that there will be no tackling throughout the camp experience, it seems unlikely that things will get too much more aggressive than what has already been seen in Latrobe this past week. Only time will tell if he's better or worse for the team in the long run.
What do yinz think overall about the Day 3 summary? Any surprises so far? Be sure to follow @BWall on X for more live-tweeting during training camp, and be sure to subscribe to YouTube.com/@BWallToTheBurgh for more updates!
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