In the final period of practice for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, inside linebacker Robert Spillane stepped in front of a Mitch Trubisky pass, intercepted it and took off down the left side.
Center Mason Cole gave chase and eventually found himself in enemy territory surrounded by defensive players who had engulfed Spillane to celebrate the pick. Some pushing and shoving ensued.
“We were just hugging each other,” Spillane said, smiling. “I felt bad for him and I gave him a hug after practice. It was teammates being teammates, having fun.”
The brief dustup was unusual in that such training camp altercations don’t take place until players are donning shoulder pads. The Steelers are in the second day of the NFL’s mandated heat-acclimation period in which no pads or tackling is permitted.
Coach Mike Tomlin made light of the early feistiness.
“We’re in camp,” Tomlin said. “It’s a part of development and doing so appropriately, displaying that passion and using those displays as an opportunity to teach and learn, and that is what we are doing here.”
The scrum was one of the highlights of a practice that was halted for about 20 minutes because of a heavy rain that engulfed the Saint Vincent campus. In anticipation of the rain, the Steelers shifted practice to their turf field. Even though the tarps were removed from Chuck Noll Field after the rain subsided, practice didn’t shift back to the grass surfaces.
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“I love the uncertainty of the weather,” Tomlin said. “It forces us to be light on our feet and adaptable and challenges them from a mindset standpoint. When the weather is less than ideal, it’s an opportunity for defenders to ball search, and it’s a great opportunity for offensive players to focus on ball security and make routine-like plays routinely.”
Tight end Pat Freiermuth didn’t finish practice because of what Tomlin termed “lower-body tightness.” Defensive end Larry Ogunjobi didn’t participate in team portions as the Steelers remain cautious in his recovery from ankle surgery.
Wide receiver Diontae Johnson continued his routine of skipping team and most individual portions of practice. He worked on the side with a staff member while quarterbacks took turns throwing to receivers. Johnson did return to the field after practice to catch passes and work on pass routes.
