The Pittsburgh Steelers will have their first of three days of Mandatory Minicamp Tuesday, and there are many storylines to keep tabs on as the workouts ensue. No, none of these will be performance based considering the players are still in shorts and not doing any tackling, but these storylines will still be ones to track.

With that out of the way, let’s get to what to watch for during Steelers Mandatory Minicamp:

Mike Tomlin deal is done, who’s next?

Mike Tomlin earned himself a new 3-year extension, but will there be any news of any other contracts getting done? Would someone like Cam Heyward earn himself an extension, which makes sense for both sides? Or will it be all quiet on the contract front? Either way, it’s at least good to see Tomlin’s deal get done so he can avoid questions about his future moving forward.

Rookies getting acclimated

The Steelers 2024 rookie class will continue their trial by fire during mandatory minicamp, and it is a great opportunity for the younger players to get acclimated to life in the NFL. Again, this isn’t performance based, but merely having the rookies getting comfortable with the new playbook, new teammates, and new terminology. Seeing how the rookies handle the next step of the process will be key.

The ‘where’, not necessarily the ‘how well’

Of course we all want to see where players like Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu play, but let’s not go overboard and start to read reports about how they are performing at their day-to-day tasks as NFL offensive tackles. In reality, seeing where players like Jones, Fautanu, Mason McCormick and many others line up is pretty valuable at this stage of the game. I wouldn’t take reports of linemen not performing well to heart when there is no contact and they can’t truly put their hands on players like T.J. Watt.

Any no-shows?

These workouts aren’t voluntary, but players can still choose to stay away. If they do, they’ll get fined heavily. Will anyone not show? My money is on perfect attendance, unless someone has a planned absence which is approved by the head coach and organization.

Quarterback carousel?

Russell Wilson is in “pole position”, but how will the Steelers handle the quarterbacks when the team is doing more team-like drills? At the end of Organized Team Activities (OTAs) it was reported Justin Fields did some work with the starters. Will this trend continue, or just be a blip on the radar? Unlike the offensive line, watching how the quarterbacks throw the ball will be something to keep an eye on. If there is a genuine competition at quarterback, and many doubt there is a competition, it officially starts Tuesday.

Be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as minicamp gets underway!