5 players mentioned by Mike Tomlin following Day 2 of minicamp

As the 2023 Pittsburgh Steelers assembled together at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on Wednesday for the second “mandatory” session, we were also graced with a media session from head coach Mike Tomlin. Since he was asked about a number of players following the team’s activities, a “players mentioned” article is able to make a brief appearance before the lull in football activities kicks in for several weeks. Remember these are players where a specific question was asked during the Q&A period.

Kenny Pickett

In an earlier interview, Kenny Pickett stated he felt the Steelers were ahead of last season in terms of installation and how fast they are going through things. Coach Tomlin was asked what that reflects about Pickett.

“His maturation has got a lot to do with it and so it’s probably true, but probably from a perception standpoint. He’s probably a little bit lower anxiety than he was a year ago. And so, he’s able to absorb the totality of what it is that we’re doing and the things that come with being him, the leadership component, and I just think he’s in position to receive things from a different perspective this year, that may change his outlook on what it is.”

Patrick Peterson, Joey Porter Jr. & Cory Trice Jr.

With several players missing the first day of minicamp, everyone appeared to be there for Day 2. Coach Tomlin was asked about if he had all the players on hand, and in his response he mentioned Patrick Peterson, Joey Porter, and Cory Trice.

“I think we did. Sometimes this time of year man there’s things that come up, and we’re afforded the opportunity to kind of take care of people in their individual needs this time of year. When we have an opportunity to do so we do but less important, or more important than that, is you know when people miss work as opportunities for others to elevate and the groups in which they work, the number of reps they get. We got some veteran players out here, whether they’re here or not. I minimize them in environments like this. Every rep that Patrick Peterson doesn’t take is an opportunity for Joey Porter Jr. and Cory Trice Jr. to get better, for example. So that’s our mentality.”

Najee Harris

In an interview on Tuesday, Najee Harris talked about being aware of what’s going on around the league at the running back position with players getting cut, tagged, and staying away from minicamp. Coach Tomlin was asked his perspective of these things going on which Harris mentioned.

“I don’t worry about the Joneses. I worry about the Pittsburgh Steelers. I acknowledge some things that go on around us, but I try to learn from it. But very rarely do I have a significant opinion regarding things that don’t pertain to us.”

Mike Tomlin’s interview can be seen here: