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There is little debate as to what Pittsburgh Steelers fans will be most eager to watch during the team’s second preseason game. All eyes will likely be on the Steelers’ two young quarterbacks come time for the 7 p.m. Friday meeting with the New York Jets at Acrisure Stadium. Coach Mike McCarthy will play only that pair, with Will Howard starting and Drew Allar coming on in relief. As fellow quarterback Mason Rudolph put it: “The fan base is starved for a franchise QB. People want to have hope for the future beyond this year.” By the nature of the position they play, Howard and/or Allar can — potentially — provide the greatest degree of hope. But what else can the Steelers show during their final home tuneup before the regular season begins in three-plus weeks? Here are five such things to watch: 1. Young gun repeat The rookie class shined during last week’s preseason opener. McCarthy said Wednesday that from here on out during the preseason that “we really want to focus on the younger part of our team.” That starts with rookies such as Kaden Wetjen, Gabriel Rubio, Daylen Everette and others who had strong NFL game debuts during the Aug. 13 preseason win against the Green Bay Packers. Will they experience a mini “sophomore slump,” if you will, in Game No. 2, or will they keep the momentum going? The umbrella “young players” moniker, of course, isn’t exclusive to the 2026 draft class. Others with scant pro regular-season experience who can continue to stand out and stake a claim for a 53-man roster spot include running back Lew Nichols, receiver Max Hurleman and linebacker Jacoby Windmon. 2. Keep it clean McCarthy made it clear he wasn’t not happy the Steelers were penalized 11 times for 134 yards during the preseason opener, including six unnecessary roughness infractions and six flags thrown against special-teams units. Special teams coordinator Danny Crossman joined McCarthy in expressing dissatisfaction with all the penalties under his purview. The starting left tackle, Troy Fautanu, getting flagged twice during one drive also was unacceptable. It’s been an issue throughout camp for Fautanu, who is moving from the right side this season. Each infraction is unique. But limiting them is priority for the Steelers this week. 3. Running out of time Early during last year’s stay at Saint Vincent, Kaleb Johnson was a training-camp darling. He was arguably the Steelers’ highest-profile rookie and most popular newcomer to the team. Twelve-and-half months later, Johnson is all but forgotten. Johnson played exactly five offensive snaps (plus three on special teams) during the preseason opener. Following a season when he had 28 carries for 69 rushing yards, Johnson netted 3 yards on his two carries against the Packers. He’s been an afterthought during recent camp practices, often slotting in behind the likes of Travis Homer, Nichols and Eli Heidenreich in regards to reps. When the Steelers “two-spot” with dual 11-on-11 practice reps, Johnson is unfailingly on the second field with the non-starters and practice-squad types. At this point, all indications are Johnson is much closer to getting cut when the 53-man roster is set Aug. 30 than he is to making an impact on the 2026 Steelers. That is saying something about a player drafted in the third round just 16 months ago. Friday isn’t Johnson’s last chance quite yet. But if he again fails to stand out, his last chance might be coming soon. 4. Remember me? Perhaps Johnson can be inspired by another relatively recent high-profile Steelers draft pick who appeared to fall off the organizational radar but has suddenly entered the realm of consciousness. Broderick Jones sat idly by as what came across as a brutal spring for him transpired. He wasn’t cleared to fully practice through the spring, his contract option for 2027 was declined and the Steelers drafted his replacement. But a funny thing has happened since the Steelers reported to Saint Vincent last month. Reports of Jones’ demise perhaps were greatly exaggerated. The No. 14 overall pick in 2023, Jones hasn’t been all that bad even as he continues to build back strength and conditioning while completing recovery from a neck injury suffered in November. No Steelers player was on the field more often in the preseason opener than Jones, who played a game-high 49 offensive snaps. The Steelers’ starter at left tackle last season, Jones has put himself in the conversation to begin 2026 as the starting right tackle. It should be noted this phenomenon is in large part because of injury to rookie first-round pick Max Iheanachor and so-so play by presumed starter Dylan Cook. But putting those items aside, Jones has been better than expected during camp. Putting together a solid performance in a preseason game could help remind everyone how high-caliber of a prospect he once was. Jones is 25 years old. 5. Secondary concerns Joey Porter Jr., Jalen Ramsey, DeShon Elliott, Jaquan Brisker and Brandin Echols could comprise a pretty good NFL starting secondary. Between the five of them, however, are not much more than a dozen completed camp practices combined. Cornerback Jamel Dean is seemingly the only starting Steelers defensive back to so far make it through this preseason unscathed. That is less than ideal for a team with a new defensive coordinator (Patrick Graham) trying to evaluate his personnel and devise a scheme that best takes advantage of their respective strengths. It’s not reached this point yet, but with Week 1 on the horizon, at some point the lack of practice time together becomes a concern. Including cornerback Donte Kent (knee), six members of the secondary have missed practice time. That has allowed for plenty of opportunity for the other defensive backs on the roster. The silver lining of the injury concerns is that it allows others to unexpectedly impress, as the likes of Asante Samuel Jr., Robert Spears-Jennings and others have. Friday against the Jets is another chance for them to do so.