What’s the more intriguing training camp battle: Starting job or roster spot?

The Pittsburgh Steelers concluded all of their organized team activities for the 2022 offseason and have now entered the six week ‘time of darkness’ leading up to training camp. As fans patiently await their team to return to prepare for the upcoming season, there are many topics to think about and discuss.

One topic of discussion will be the numerous training camp battles going on with the Steelers in 2022. Rather than dive into the specific battles, I first wanted to raise the question as to which battles are more significant, those of players fighting for a starting position or those players fighting for a spot on the 53-man roster?

While I firmly believe the answer of ‘it depends on the battle’ may be the very best answer of all, sometimes it’s the name of the players and a position in which they are battling which means everything. For some, the battle for the third quarterback position may be more intriguing than the battle for the starting defensive lineman osition. For others, who the Steelers start at the interior of the offensive line may be much more important than the last linebacker on the roster.

But rather than get specific, this is just a general question knowing that there will be outliers in either case. So before you make your final decision, which you may very well have already made, here is an argument in favor of each stance:

The Battle for Starter

When it ultimately comes down to it, the players that are starting and receiving the majority of playing time is the most significant battle of them all. While there are positions where players still get snaps on a rotating basis, there are plenty of others where the starter sees all the snaps and the reserve is only there just in case. Players such as the defensive secondary, offensive line, and quarterback are all positions where a player could play 100% of the snaps on their side of the ball in a given game. Since those are the players that will make the most impact on the outcome of each contest, the battle for who is the starter has to be the most significant.

The Battle for the 53

Since these battles are specifically the ones taking place at training camp, simply getting onto the roster is more important. Players can gain or lose starting positions as the season rolls on based on their production, but in order for a player to be in the mix they first must make the roster. Even with the 16-man practice squad where players who come up just short of the roster battles often land, there is no guarantee they will make it through waivers and still remain with the Steelers. In order for a player to first earn a game day helmet, contribute on the field, and possibly be in line for a starting position, they first must make the roster. Additionally, looking beyond the upcoming season and shaping the roster for the future is also a consideration as it is beneficial for the Steelers players to grow while being a part of the team. So while who ultimately starts is noteworthy, it’s getting the cart before the horse when it comes to getting all the players on the roster for Week 1.

So there are at least part of the arguments for which type of training camp battle is more intriguing. But what are your thoughts? Make sure you vote in the poll and leave your thoughts in the comments below.