When the Clemson Tigers’ Pro Day rolls around ahead of each NFL Draft, count on the Pittsburgh Steelers being there. To be sure, they were represented as last week’s event. Two members of the front office, VP of Player Personnel Dan Rooney Jr. along with area scout Zack Crockett, made the trek.

But it appears GM Omar Khan nor new head coach Mike McCarthy had boots on the ground, breaking a long-standing tradition. For years, decades even, Pittsburgh brought one of its big decision-makers to Clemson. Kevin Colbert or Mike Tomlin. With both gone, so is the Steelers’ streak.

It wasn’t for a void of prospects to check out, either. Clemson had plenty to watch. Defensive lineman Peter Woods is a likely first round pick. Wide receiver Antonio Williams won’t make it out of Day Two. Quarterback Cade Klubnik remains an interesting name even if his pre-2025 season Day One buzz is long gone. And I’m partial to receiver-turned-runner Adam Randall, who put on a good showing.

By all appearances, Khan nor McCarthy came to check them out. Without an official list, one that’s rarely provided by schools, it’s impossible to say with absolute certainty neither attended. But the Tigers’ three hour workout was carried live (in which ESPN’s Jordan Reid did a great job offering analysis), without any mention or spotting of either man.

All I spotted were Rooney and Crockett.

#Steelers area scout Zack Crockett and VP of Player Personnel Dan Rooney Jr. attending Clemson’s Pro Day.

Still searching to see if McCarthy/Khan are there. Clemson was an annual stop for Mike Tomlin. pic.twitter.com/zm97blDWED

— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) March 12, 2026

That’s not meant as a biting criticism. Neither had to be there. Footage of the workout gets sent out by agents to every team, and If there’s anyone they truly want to talk to, they can be brought in for a pre-draft visit. Or that work’s already occurred at a previous event like the Senior Bowl or NFL Combine.

Increasingly, teams are putting less-value on in-person events. The Los Angeles Rams or Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t even attend this year’s Combine. 

Still, it’s a change for Pittsburgh. Which is what this offseason under McCarthy is worth examining. Will Pittsburgh’s scouting look any different? Mike Tomlin was known for hitting the Pro Days harder than any head coach. Colbert was such a staple of the event Clemson literally gave him a framed Colbert jersey in 2022 for his final Tigers’ trip.

Even during the 2020 Pro Day largely cancelled by COVID, Pittsburgh made it to the workout before the world shut down.

Free agency was a focus of the week, and could be a retort for why Khan and McCarthy wouldn’t do. But the Pro Day was Thursday, multiple days after the team agreed to deals for big acquisitions like WR Michael Pittman Jr. and CB Jamel Dean. Clemson’s 2025 Pro Day, for example, took place on March 13th, one day after the new league year just as 2026’s date fell. Mike Tomlins still went. The same held true in 2024 when Tomlin and Khan flew out.

This was the first test of if things would appear the same or not. So far, there’s a change. Plenty more Pro Days lie ahead. Georgia, Penn State, and Ole Miss’ Pro Day all will be held Thursday this week. Michigan is Friday. It’s likely Khan or McCarthy will attend at least one.

But the watch begins. If they aren’t spotted for those events (though Michigan’s Pro Day is often tight-lipped on attendance), it signals a shift from a team with decision-makers putting boots on the ground to a different kind of model.