The NFL has informed teams that it will allow fans to return to training camps this summer, according to a report by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
That should pave the way for the Steelers to return to St. Vincent College for training camp, something that team president Art Rooney II has repeatedly said he wants to do.
NFL vice president Peter O’Reilly said the NFL is still finalizing protocols for things like proximity to players, autographs with the NFLPA, according to Pelissero.
Welcome back! The NFL told clubs on a call today it expects fans to return to training camp this summer, subject to state and local guidelines, according to the league's executive VP of club business and league events, Peter O’Reilly.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 25, 2021
The Carolina Panthers recently officially announced that they will be returning to Wofford College for their training camp. The Steelers have not made an official announcement about returning to St. Vincent.
The NFL had announced earlier this month that it would permit teams to have training camp outside team facilities, but Rooney said he was unsure if the Steelers would take the step of moving the team 40 miles east if fans were unable to attend.
The Steelers will also have to submit a COVID-19 health and safety mitigation plan to the NFL for league approval before June 11.
Before the 2020 training camp, which was held at Heinz Field due to the pandemic, the Steelers had spent 54 straight seasons at St. Vincent, where the field is named for former Steelers coach Chuck Noll and Rooney Hall is one of the on-campus dormitories that the team typically stays in during its visit.