The Pittsburgh Steelers off day Monday allowed us time to calculate the team’s training camp stats through the first four practices. I know it’s a controversial topic that many aren’t fans of. My apologies to J.J. Watt. But we’ve been tracking everything in camp for years and use it as one tool in our evaluation process. It’s not the end-all and context matters but it’s important to put data to the eye test to help us better understand trends and performances.
Keep in mind these stats are only tabulated from the 11 on 11 team periods. Not the 7 on 7 sessions.
There’s still 12 practices left and the team puts on the pads today, meaning there’s plenty of time to evaluate. I’m not making any conclusions from these numbers. Nor should anyone else.
We’ll update these stats throughout camp, hopefully in a week following the Steelers’ next off day.
Training Camp Stats (No. 1-4)
Quarterbacks
Aaron Rodgers: 23/40 (57.5-percent) 129 yards, 6 TDs 2 INTs – 3.2 YPA, 5.6 YPC
Mason Rudolph: 20/33 (60.6-percent) 193 yards, 1 TD 1 INT – 5.8 YPA, 9.7 YPC
Will Howard: 9/16 (56.3-percent) 65 yards, 3 TDs 0 INTs – 4.1 YPA, 7.2 YPC
Skylar Thompson: 8/13 (61.5-percent) 60 yards, 0 TDs 0 INTs – 4.6 YPA, 7.5 YPC
Numbers aren’t great across the board, though understand they tend to perk up throughout camp. Much of the passing game early on has been the short-passing variety, boots and rollouts off the team’s inside/outside zone run scheme. The seven shots rep from the 2-yard-line also keeps the yardage down, another factor that needs to be considered for the low YPA/YPC.
We’ll have a better gauge of things after this upcoming set of six practices. Rudolph, though, has been the most aggressive downfield. Really the only guy testing things. Rodgers had one or two deeper throws but that’s been about it.
Quarterback Reps
Aaron Rodgers: 56 (12-16-8-12)
Mason Rudolph: 41 (7-14-8-12)
Will Howard: 28 (11-7-5-5)
Skylar Thompson: 19 (6-6-3-4)
Perhaps a wider disparity than normal. Partially due to the shortened practice nature due to weather that impacted the second and fourth sessions. Rodgers has gotten a couple extra reps because he’s come in as for the tiebreaking seven shots reps the last three days where the coaches bring the starters back in when they’d otherwise be sidelined for the seventh rep. Thompson has been the odd-man-out in seven shots but has split time with Howard otherwise, getting more snaps than a typical No. 4.
Running Backs
Kaleb Johnson: 10 carries, 41 yards (4.1 YPC)
Jaylen Warren: 7 carries, 15 yards (2.1 YPC)
Evan Hull: 6 carries, 18 yards (3.0 YPC), 1 fumble
Trey Sermon: 6 carries, 12 yards (2.0 YPC)
Kenneth Gainwell: 5 carries, 8 yards (1.6 YPC)
Max Hurleman: 1 carry, 7 yards, 1 fumble
Keep in mind running back numbers tend to be lower in camp than in-game scenarios. And yardage is pretty approximate until they start tackling. But Johnson has shown burst and found the hole a few times while the others haven’t had much daylight.
CATCHES/TARGETS/YARDS/TOUCHDOWNS – CATCH PERCENTAGE
DK Metcalf: 5/13, 12 yards 2 TDs – 38.5 percent
JJ Galbreath: 6/9, 41 yards 2 TDs – 66.7 percent
Lance McCutcheon: 6/7, 56 yards – 85.7 percent
Kenneth Gainwell: 6/6, 33 yards – 100 percent
Calvin Austin III: 3/6, 36 yards – 50 percent
Connor Heyward: 3/5, 22 yards – 60 percent
Scotty Miller: 4/4, 34 yards 1 TD – 100 percent
Pat Freiermuth: 3/4, 11 yards 2 TDs – 75 percent
Kaleb Johnson: 3/4, 26 yards – 75 percent
Jonnu Smith: 2/4, 7 yards 1 TD – 50 percent
Darnell Washington: 3/3, 22 yards 1 TD – 100 percent
Ben Skowronek: 3/3, 18 yards – 100 percent
Brandon Johnson: 2/3, 33 yards – 66.7 percent
Max Hurleman: 2/3, 16 yards – 66.7 percent
Roman Wilson: 1/3, 5 yards – 33.3 percent
Jaylen Warren: 2/2, 27 yards – 100 percent
DJ Thomas-Jones: 2/2, 12 yards – 100 percent
Evan Hull: 2/2, 9 yards 1 TD – 100 percent
Trey Sermon: 2/2, 8 yards – 100 percent
Montana Lemonious-Craig: 1/2, 15 yards – 100 percent
Roc Taylor: 1/2, 12 yards – 50 percent
Robert Woods: 1/2, 5 yards – 50 percent
Ke’Shawn Williams: 0/2, 0 yards – 0 percent
Interesting stat line for Metcalf. Still working on his connection with Rodgers, though the Steelers’ coverage has been tight in many instances. He’s made plays in the red zone, though, and his camp has been fine. Better than the numbers suggest.
Galbreath has been active and productive. His production matches the eye test. McCutcheon and Johnson have made some downfield plays, too.
Quiet start for Roman Wilson, who hasn’t received a lot of looks and has just one catch through four practices. For comparison, Wilson has seven receptions for 97 yards and one touchdown during his first four practices last year, before getting hurt early in the fifth one.
Certainly worth noting, and one reason why we track these stats, that RB Kenneth Gainwell has more receptions (6) than rushes (5) so far. And he’s been actively split out wide as a receiver. These aren’t all checkdowns. Gainwell is a versatile and accomplished receiver who burned Pittsburgh in the passing game while with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024. Steelers will keep using him as such.
Drops
Calvin Austin III: 1
Ke’Shawn Williams: 1
Kaleb Johnson: 1
Max Hurleman: 1
Interceptions
Patrick Queen: 1
Brandin Echols: 1
Jalen Ramsey: 1
For comparison, Pittsburgh had 13 interceptions across 16 camp practices last year and 11 the year before. We’ll see what the 2025 group ends with but they’re off to a good start.
