Training camp was cut short thanks to some unforeseen circumstances, which means we're evaluating the biggest winners and losers from the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2026 trip to Latrobe a little early. From a standout quarterback who silenced doubters to one 2025 standout who's struggled with a positional change, here's a look at the biggest winners and losers from Steelers training camp. Winners QB Drew Allar Allar more than exceeded expectations at training camp. Will Howard vs. Mason Rudolph may have generated the most buzz heading into Latrobe, but Allar walked out of camp as the biggest winner from the quarterback room. CB Asante Samuel Jr. Samuel made the biggest winners list more often than not at training camp, making the most of his first-team opportunities in Jalen Ramsey and Joey Porter Jr.'s absence. Samuel's strong performances in Latrobe translated well to preseason action and should easily earn the 26-year-old rookie more playing time this upcoming season. OT Max Iheanachor Despite being viewed as a developmental project, Iheanachor wasted little time showing everyone why the Steelers took him in the first round. The rookie found tremendous success against some of the Steelers' top edge rushers in T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig. Iheanachor unfortunately saw his training camp availability cut short due to injury, but he more than earned his placement on the winners list. OT Broderick Jones Our next winner brings us to the player Iheanachor was drafted to replace: Broderick Jones. With his future in Pittsburgh uncertain due to a severe neck injury and an expiring contract, Jones got himself cleared for practice at training camp and made the most of his limited opportunity, which was especially evident during the annual night practice. It may be too little, too late for the former 2023 first-rounder, but Jones deserves to be praised for his strong performance at training camp.
Losers It's worth noting that none of the players listed below are really "losers", but they didn't show enough over the past few weeks at training camp. OT Troy Fautanu Fautanu was incredible at right tackle for the Steelers last season, but the switch to the left side has been a rough transition. The young offensive tackle showed tremendous promise last season, but it remains to be seen if he can handle left tackle responsibilities at the NFL level. G Gennings Dunker This isn't to say that Dunker had a bad training camp, but it was definitely underwhelming. Coming out of the draft, Dunker was regarded as one of the top round-three steals. But Dunker just hasn't shown the Steelers enough to earn more responsibility as he navigates the transition from tackle to guard. RB Kaleb Johnson In a similar situation to Dunker, Johnson wasn't terrible at camp. In fact, the young running back showed some improvement in key areas like pass blocking. But plenty of other Steelers running backs had bigger performances at camp, which is bad news for Johnson's odds of making the 53-man roster. For up-to-date Steelers coverage, including any training camp news and updates, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like. This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Biggest winners and losers from Steelers' 2026 training camp