One week down, one week to go before the Steelers play their first preseason game against the Green Bay Packers. Mike McCarthy’s first training camp as head coach has been a different experience for his veterans.

The physicality of previous camps has been toned down and replaced by high-tempo workouts that focus on quality reps. He calls it his “systematic” approach to readying his team for the coming season.

Many questions — and 39 days — remain before the Steelers open the season at home against the Atlanta Falcons. But here are five things we learned from the first week of camp:

1. There’s no clear backup QB

Aaron Rodgers reiterated on the first day of training camp that this will be his final season in the NFL, which is making the battle for the backup job — and the inside track on who will start in 2027 — one of the biggest stories of camp.

McCarthy had veteran Mason Rudolph open camp second on the depth chart, but Will Howard and Drew Allar have been given plenty of opportunities to work with the second-team offense, so much so that it’s difficult to determine if there is a pecking order at all.

Allar, the rookie third-round pick out of Penn State, has predictably been up and down. But he has the most upside of anyone in the derby. He’s shown that in spurts, with some great throws in tight windows during competitive periods of practice.

The first preseason game is coming soon. Perhaps then we’ll see some separation among the trio.

McCarthy says he’s open to keeping four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, but the Steelers have not done that in years.

In 1995, Bill Cowher kept four, but one of them was a rookie named Kordell Stewart, who by season’s end developed into one of their best receivers. There is no such versatility in this quartet.

2. These rookies are all right

Some eyebrows were raised when the Steelers made Max Iheanachor their first-round pick, but he’s a serious contender to earn the starting job at right tackle.

Dylan Cook entered camp as the starter and has been solid, but Iheanachor’s talent is evident. If Iheanachor continues to play at his current level, his time as a starter will come sooner rather than later. He is one of 10 picks in camp, making the 2026 draft class the largest the Steelers have had since 2010.

The other rookie with the most hype after one week is cornerback Daylen Everette, a third-round pick out of Georgia.

“He doesn’t look like a rookie,” McCarthy said. “I’ve been impressed with him.”

Allar, receiver Germie Bernard and offensive lineman Gennings Dunker also were top-100 picks. Bernard and Dunker have had quiet camps so far, but the front office has high hopes for both.

3. Steelers are deep at corner

Joey Porter Jr. remains on the physically unable to perform list as general manager Omar Khan tries to work out a long-term contract, but one positive to come out of Porter’s absence has been the emergence of Everette, as well as veterans Asante Samuel Jr. and Brandin Echols.

Samuel has taken Porter’s place in the starting lineup and he’s been consistently good going up against DK Metcalf and other receivers. Echols has been the starting slot corner and has been equally impressive.

As the Steelers navigate a difficult negotiation with Porter, they have discovered their depth is better than many had anticipated. That’s reassuring should Porter or Jamel Dean get injured at any point during the season.

4. Linebacker roles are in flux

We’ve heard in years past about packages featuring three outside linebackers, but defensive coordinator Patrick Graham appears committed to getting T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig on the field at the same time.

Herbig, who signed a $100 million contract in the spring, is getting his usual reps on the edge, but he’s also working on the inside. It will be interesting to see how this package evolves as the season goes on.

Veterans Patrick Queen, Cole Holcomb and Malik Harrison are in the final years of their contracts, and Payton Wilson has two years left on his rookie deal. The inside group is very much in flux in the short and long term.

Graham will figure out a way to use all of them, but all eyes will be on his usage of the edge rushers and how he gets enough snaps for each of them.

5. Injured guys being eased in

Two starters who suffered season-ending injuries are being slowly worked back into the practices.

DeShon Elliott and Broderick Jones avoided the PUP list to start camp, but the coaches have been careful not to expose them to too much too soon.

Elliott has not taken many reps in competitive team periods, which has led to seventh-round pick Robert Spears-Jennings getting work with the first-team defense. The feeling is the Steelers are simply being careful with Elliott as he comes back from his knee injury.

The vibe with Jones is different.

He is practicing in the competitive team periods, but he hasn’t been getting much work with the first-team offense. Iheanachor has received more reps with the starters than Jones, whose rehabilitation from neck surgery prevented him from lifting weights until late spring. He is noticeably lighter than the other tackles.

Unless his participation is ramped up soon, it’s hard to see Jones having a realistic opportunity to regain a starting job on the offensive line.