The Lions did not hold joint practices with other teams in Jim Caldwell’s first two years as the team’s head coach, but that will change this summer.
The Lions and Steelers announced that the teams will practice together on August 9 and 10 at Steelers camp at Saint Vincent College before facing off in their preseason opener on Friday, August 12 in Pittsburgh. Joint practices have become popular in recent years as teams have found benefits in varying their practice routine by working against outside competition after weeks of banging heads with teammates.
The Patriots are frequently among the teams holding these sessions, which may explain why the Lions are shifting course from the last two years. They hired General Manager Bob Quinn out of the New England front office this offseason.
It’s the second time that the Steelers are holding workouts with another team under head coach Mike Tomlin. They last did it with the Bills in 2014.
