Steelers Eliminating Contact to Focus on Learning at OTAs

Pittsburgh Steelers players want classroom-style OTAs.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers joined the rest of the 

NFL in reporting to Organized Team Activities on Monday, heading to UPMC Rooney Sports Complex for the week.

The Steelers, who promoted Matt Canada from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator this offseason, will spend the week focusing on learning from their new OC. According to ESPN's Brooke Pryor, the players asked to eliminate contact and instead spend their time adjusting to the new offense.

With Phase III of the NFL’s voluntary offseason workouts beginning today, don’t expect to see the Steelers work in 11-on-11 periods. Per source, players pushed eliminate contact while still getting learning, teaching opportunities — especially with a new offensive coordinator.

— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) May 24, 2021

Canada is one of a few new coaches, or coaches changing roles, in 2021. Offensive line coach Adrian Klemm was promoted from assistant o-line coach, Mike Sullivan joined the team as the new quarterbacks coach, and Alfredo Roberts is replacing retired James Daniels as the tight end coach. 

OTAs will run through June 10. Mandatory minicamp will be hosted from June 15-17. 

The Steelers finished rookie minicamp earlier this month. Head coach Mike Tomlin said the team is early in their offseason program, and the focus right now remains to educate their players. 

"Our goals are to get an assessment of conditioning and for them to have an opportunity to display their conditioning," head coach Mike Tomlin said. "To do some teaching and learning, to understand how they take in information individually and collectively. To deliver information to them, to utilize all our teaching tools in an effort to get to know them from a teaching and learning perspective."

Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.

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