Getty T.J. Watt and the rest of the Pittsburgh Steelers will not be returning to Saint Vincent College this year.
It’s been a long time coming. First the Pro Football Hall of Fame game was postponed and rescheduled for next summer. Then a report emerged that the NFL was planning to cancel half of the league’s preseason games. Next it seemed that NFL teams might try to play one preseason game. Now it appears the preseason will be cancelled in its entirety, with multiple reports emerging that the NFL Players Association has advised its members that there will be no preseason games in 2020.
Along with that information, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com and NFL Network reports that “roster sizes [are] expected to be 80 to start camp,” though “[t]he NFL Management Council Executive Committee has not yet signed off on the 80-man roster, per source.”
What Does This Mean for the Pittsburgh Steelers?
For one, if the training camp roster is set at 80 players, that means the Steelers will be cutting ten players before training camp begins on July 28, most likely a mix of undrafted free agents, former XFL’ers and first- or second-year players.
It also means Tom Brady will not be making his Tampa Bay Buccaneers debut against the Steelers at Heinz Field; it means Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints will not be paying a visit to Pittsburgh in 2020; it means there won’t be a trip to play the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium without fans in attendance. Most notably, a 17-year-long preseason streak will come to an end, as the Steelers have closed out the preseason against the Carolina Panthers for 17 consecutive seasons.
Steelers Busy Signing 2020 Draft Choices
In the meantime, the Steelers are busy hammering out contract agreements with the team’s 2020 draft choices. Third-round draft pick Alex Highsmith was the first to sign, through more announcements are expected in the next 24 hours or so.
The Steelers still expect to hold training camp at Heinz Field. It’s not yet clear if any fans will be allowed to attend games in Pittsburgh, but if they are, a mask requirement is expected to be in effect.
The Steelers have already announced their intention to return to Saint Vincent College for training camp in 2021. This year’s Pro Football Hall of Fame game between the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers has been re-scheduled for Aug. 2021, as have Hall of Fame ceremonies that will see the induction of Bill Cowher, Troy Polamalu and Donnie Shell (among others) into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Earlier this week the Steelers signed free-agent tight end Dax Raymond, who spent part of last season on the practice squad of the Chicago Bears. One wonders if the Steelers would have signed Raymond had they known about the impending 80-man roster limit, or at least the prospect of such a training camp limit.
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No Preseason Games for Steelers, All Other NFL Teams: Report