(TNS) —A lot is being made of the first 11-on-11 play of the Steelers’ 2025 training camp: Aaron Rodgers intercepted by Patrick Queen on a throw intended for DK Metcalf.

Of course that was going to get some buzz.

I was kinda intrigued by the third play, though. T.J. Watt was standing up pre-snap, looping to the inside of the formation from his home on the left side of the defense. Then he dropped back into coverage.

Granted, by the time the ball was snapped, Watt had almost wandered back home to his usual starting point opposite the right tackle. A short curl was completed in front of him.

But it was refreshing to see, and it’s evidence that a lot of what Watt stated before he left Pittsburgh at the end of last season may be manifesting in 2025.

“It’s been a tough year for how offenses scheme things to try to get me out of the game,” Watt said during his exit interview. “It’s going to be a big breakdown for me to try to find ways to make plays. … I need to find ways to continue to win off of chips and slides and things of that nature. I’m gonna work tirelessly this offseason to get that sorted.

“I need to be more open to moving around more and trying to affect games as much as possible.”

Maybe $123 million can buy an open mind, because Watt came back endorsing the theory of trying to find different ways to create a pass rush.

“This time of year is perfect for us to move around, to get comfortable. It’s not about winning every single rep and (getting) everything mastered on the left side. It’s about trying new things and moving around. I’m sure you guys will see a good amount of that,” Watt said Wednesday. “I’m sure we’ll have some cool packages and some new stuff for you guys to see.”

Thursday’s first team drills, hopefully, were just the smallest taste to whet our appetites.

“He is primarily left, I am primarily right,” said fellow outside linebacker Alex Highsmith. “So I think we have to just throw different looks at teams. We are going to try to work on that in camp and see how it goes.”

But it’s not simply a matter of Highsmith and Watt occasionally swapping sides in an effort to mess with the rhythm of the offensive tackles. It’s about creating more of a collective pass rush than just hoping Cam Heyward can push the pile from his spot along the defensive line, and that Watt and Highsmith can meet in the middle from either edge to bring a quarterback down.

It’s about getting more creative with blitzes and scheming ways for Watt to attack different gaps along the offensive line.

For his part, coach Mike Tomlin seems to believe that the additions of Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay at cornerback will help in that regard.

“That’s what is exciting to us — our ability to match up and play man-to-man against anyone in this game,” Tomlin said. “I think it’s going to do nothing but strengthen our schematics — the supplemental things, the zone pressures, the bogus pressure and things of that nature. I’m really excited about the talent that we acquired.”

Whatever the case, for as much as the Steelers have a reputation for getting after the passer, the Steelers could only boast a pedestrian 40 sacks last year, tied for 16th in the NFL. They were 12th in blitz rate at 25.9%, down from 34.1% in 2023.

Watt’s personal total of 11.5 was his lowest total for a full season since he posted seven in his rookie year. He failed to register a sack in five of his last six games.

Tomlin seems to think that Watt is going to be open to new ideas. In fact, it sounds like some conversations have already transpired.

“We’ve had an ongoing relationship for a number of years, and he has a desire to be obviously successful, and we do for him as well,” Tomlin said. “So that’s just been ongoing and part of our offseason leading up to now.”

Much like a lot of things with the Steelers this time of year, that all sounds really good in theory. Now it’s time to put that theory into practice.

Watt and company will have plenty of those practices here at Saint Vincent College over the next few weeks to figure out what works and what doesn’t.