Training camp is in (somewhat) full swing at Heinz Field and it’s just over a month until the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.

It’s been a hectic offseason, no thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. But business is as close to usual as it’s going to get in the NFL.

Here are a few Steelers storylines to follow as we head into the next four weeks.

1 Cam Heyward contract negotiations

Typically, the Steelers sign players who have one season left on their contract during the offseason. While there has not been any progress made yet, there are still five weeks left to get a deal done. Cornerback Joe Haden and defensive tackle Stephon Tuitt both had their contracts extended the week before the season opener. Heyward is an integral piece of their defense who will be hard to replace if he walks in free agency.

2 The development of Terrell Edmunds

Edmunds has had two underwhelming seasons since he was selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He improved from year one (78) to year two (105) in tackles, but as a coverage man, he regressed from two interceptions in his rookie season to zero in 2019.

If coaches are as through with Edmunds as the Steelers fanbase is, they aren’t showing it.

“I think having Minkah across from him is going to help him in terms of communication and the way they play and how they can complement each other,” defensive coordinator Keith Butler said in a press conference last week. “As we roll along, the more and more he plays, the more comfortable he is going to get mentally. In that case, if they start to get comfortable mentally, most of the time, they are going to play faster. So, let’s hope that happens with him”.

(AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

There’s little to no competition behind Edmunds. Jordan Dangerfield is a special teams lifer, and Marcus Allen was only active in three games since 2018. It’s doubtful rookie Antonine Brooks sees much playing time outside of special teams. The Steelers recently signed Curtis Riley but he’s played more at the free safety position.

Edmunds’ rookie contract expires in 2021. He will need to make significant strides for the Steelers to even consider exercising his fifth-year option to extend him into 2022. If he does develop as a safety, he and Fitzpatrick will make for a dangerous defensive backfield.

3 Randy Fichtner's schemes

For the first time since 2018, Randy Fichtner has one job: Coordinate the offense. He was juggling the roles of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for two seasons, and having to coach two inexperienced signal callers along with the offense appeared to be more than Fichtner could handle last season.

In January, the Steelers brought in Matt Canada to coach the quarterbacks, allowing Fichtner to focus on getting the offense back on track. With two skill position draft selections in wide receiver Chase Claypool and running back Anthony McFarland and the addition of tight end Eric Ebron and fullback Derek Watt in free agency, the Steelers should be more versatile offensively.

When Ben Roethlisberger went down Week 2, it forced Fichtner to go back to the drawing board. No Big Ben meant severely limiting whatever plans Fichtner initially had for his offensive unit. In 2020, with a healthy and rejuvenated Roethlisberger and a bevy of weapons at his disposal, the sky is the limit.

Look for Fichtner’s schemes to reflect the talent new to the team, as well as the young group of receivers who are just getting started.