Steelers face challenge of developing rookies during 'virtual' offseason

If Randy Fichtner can do it, by his admission, anyone can.

The most challenging offseason program in the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers officially began Monday. Normally, that would have meant dozens of players shuffling in and out of UPMC Rooney Sports Complex for the first formal work of 2020.

But amid the coronavirus pandemic, nothing is normal. And the new plan seems anything but formal.

The South Side facility’s weight room and fields aren’t filled with players taking part in strength and conditioning activities. Instead, players will be looking into phones or setting up iPads in their living rooms and basements.

For a 56-year-old football lifer such as Fichtner, this can be jarring.

“I’m an older generational, noncomputer, no iPhone, so it’s probably going to be more difficult on me,” the Steelers offensive coordinator said. “But I’m excited about that challenge.”

Per the terms of an agreement between the NFL and its players’ union earlier this month, adjustments were made to the strict annual structure of organized team activities as the result of the closure of team facilities because of covid-19 concerns.

Over a three-week period, according to NFL.com, teams can use videoconferencing to deliver instruction and workout guidance. Teams were given a $1,500 budget per player to provide (via mail) workout equipment and monitoring devices.

When it comes to developing and assimilating rookies into a team, this is less than ideal.

“It’s going to be challenging,” coach Mike Tomlin said, “but you know my mentality: It’s going to be challenging for everyone globally, so from that standpoint, it’s fair. It’s our job to be innovative and forward in our thinking in terms of utilizing all the tools and technology and our resources to get to know them so that they get to know us so that we can begin the giving and the receiving of information that’s associated with them getting started.”

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In a “normal” offseason, two weeks of strength-and-conditioning work is followed by three weeks of instruction from coaches (individual drills allowed) before four weeks of nonpadded practice-like workouts (13 total). The final week of those workouts includes a three-day minicamp, the only portion that is mandatory during this stage.

It won’t be long before the window closes on squeezing in “normal” versions of the second and third phases of the NFL offseason program, which, by rule, are to end by June 26. If and when that becomes impossible, the league said it will adjust accordingly.

In an effort to thwart competitive disadvantages, no team facility will be permitted to be opened until governments in the jurisdictions of all 32 teams allow it. No on-field work will be allowed until facilities open.

Rookie minicamps would have been staged across much of the league late this week, although the Steelers would have held theirs next week. Either way, at this point, it is a foregone conclusion they won’t be held — at least not in person.

“I challenge our (football staff), just in working with our players … that are going to be working virtually with us on the team, to make it personal,” Fichtner said. “And to get an opportunity fine-tuning details to those that need it. I think that if we’re going to use this tool — and we’ve got a lot of things we can do with it — I’m pretty excited about it.

“I think it really helps when you have an intelligent player on the other end of the line as well.”

Fichtner then referenced second-round pick Chase Claypool, the holder of a degree in management consulting from Notre Dame.

Claypool wasn’t overly bothered by the limitations placed on his NFL development curve. Claypool said his plan is to stay in California working out under the eye of former NFL receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

“I don’t think it will be too bad,” Claypool said of the virtual offseason. “It will (allow for) more time for me to get one-on-one work.”

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