There are no answers. At least not right now.
The 2022 Steelers will have more personnel questions than answers. As of this writing, QB Ben Roethlisberger is expected to retire, GM Kevin Colbert is stepping down after the 2022 draft, and a number of current players may well be jettisoned in favor of rookies and free agent pickups. Most expect this Steelers team to look significantly different in 2022 despite the presence of head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Matt Canada; the OC in particular clearly didn’t field the offense he wanted in 2021. It’s a good bet the team will draft for offense first, most notably along the offensive line, in an effort to keep any incoming QB candidates upright and healthy. Few QBs have the size and constitution of Roethlisberger; if the Steelers expect that level of durability, they may be very disappointed.
Here’s how the Steelers fared positionally in 2021:
Quarterback
As mentioned above, QB Ben Roethlisberger is presumably hanging them up after 18 years, two Super Bowl wins, countless hits and nary a losing season. Whatever your opinion, Roethlisberger is a likely first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee, and he’s earned it honestly. That said, “Big” Ben struggled at times in 2021, although the causes weren’t generally of his making; Roethlisberger’s time of release was among the quickest in the NFL due to mediocre offensive line play and (probably by design) a desire to see him take less punishment. While far from his worst year, Roethlisberger’s performances were somewhat anemic, relying on the aforementioned quick passes, screen and short dumpoffs to create offense, and even then, the venerable QB was sacked 38 times. Holdovers Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins, among others, will have a chance to take the starting job in 2022, and they’ll have – slight pun intended – some big shoes to fill.
Running Back/Fullback
2021 rookie RB Najee Harris was brought in to revitalize the Steelers’ ailing rushing attack, and while Harris put in a yeoman’s performance (1,200 yds, 7 TDs, 3.9 YPC), the offensive line was again a culprit in limiting his effectiveness. To his credit, Harris remained upbeat and forward-thinking, at least to the media, throughout the season, and barring injury, he’s almost guaranteed to improve on his rookie numbers. Backup RB Benny Snell Jr. was competent in his appearances, but suffered the same sort of difficulties as Harris; running lanes simply weren’t available much of the time. Safe to say Harris is the only guaranteed member of the RB room in 2022.
Wide Receiver
Sometimes expectations fail you, and in the case of WR Chase Claypool, it can happen quickly. After a promising rookie campaign, Claypool posted almost identical numbers in 2021 as he had in 2020 except for touchdowns, which dropped significantly from 9 to 2. Injuries and COVID-19 didn’t help, of course, but Claypool’s playing rehabilitation will be a key project in 2022. Perhaps coincidentally, WR Diontae Johnson enjoyed his finest year in the NFL (107 receptions, 1,168 yards, 8 TDs) and narrowly missed a Pro Bowl selection. 2022 is Johnson’s walk year, so the Steelers will undoubtedly be watching him closely and may well sign him before he gets to free agency. Third WR JuJu Smith-Schuster was limited to five games due to injury in what’s probably his swan song in Pittsburgh. Backups James Washington and Ray-Ray McCloud were adequate when called upon, but like Smith-Schuster, Washington has most likely seen his last action for the Steelers.
Tight End
Rookie TE Pat Freiermuth was excellent in his rookie campaign, notching 69 catches on 79 targets – dropping the ball just doesn’t seem to exist in Freiermuth’s world. Needless to say, he remains the most dangerous TE the Steelers have fielded since the retirement of Heath Miller, and Freiermuth may be more talented from a receiving perspective. He’ll be leaned on as a safety blanket for his QB going forward, regardless of who that QB may be. Backup Eric Ebron was buried by injuries in 2021 and is an unrestricted free agent in 2022.
Offensive Line
Whoo boy. This remains the Steelers’ most deficient area, and one that’s expected to be addressed heavily through the draft. Nearly every position on the line could stand to be upgraded, and if that sounds grim, imagine playing behind them as Roethlisberger did. Without dwelling on the particulars, rookie T Dan Moore Jr. showed some promise after filling in for RT Zach Banner and eventually switching to LT, displacing LT Chuks Okorafor. Moore is penciled in as the primary LT in 2022, while Okorafor will probably continue at RT, but the three interior spots remain unsettled and deservedly so, as the Steelers’ worst blocking in 2021 often occurred right in front of the QB. The collective quality of this group will determine the ultimate direction of the team next season.
Defensive Line
Veteran DE Cam Heyward posted the best stats of his 11-year career in 2021 (89 tackles, 10 sacks) with no signs of slowing down; fellow DE Chris Wormley, filling in for injured DE Stephon Tuitt, added seven sacks, easily a career high. Starting NT Tyson Alualu lasted all of two games before landing on IR, and his backups (Henry Mondeaux, Carlos Davis) did little to claim the job; this will be a potential draft area. Given Heyward and Tuitt’s age (and in Tuitt’s case, injury history), the Steelers should also be considering depth pieces…lots of them.
Linebacker
What’s left to say about WLB T.J. Watt after a season in which he logged 22.5 sacks and five forced fumbles (he recovered three)? Other than a few dings and missed starts (groin aggravation, COVID-19), Watt posted a season for the ages. There was enough room for SLB Alex Highsmith to collect six sacks of his own, which were probably made available by Watt’s dominance. Regardless, OLB is the least of Pittsburgh’s defensive worries. Internally, however, starting LILB Devin Bush and RILB Joe Schobert both lost their jobs to fill-ins Marcus Allen and Robert Spillane, respectively. Bush’s decline in particular is a concern as the Steelers had assumed, based on prior seasons, the position was settled for the next few years at any rate. Allen and Spillane didn’t disappoint, but there’s a lot of shuffling to do here this offseason, and adding a rookie or two to the mix isn’t out of the question.
Defensive Back
CB Joe Haden was limited by injuries to 12 games, but still managed to provide solid coverage when called upon. Fellow starting CB Cam Sutton had an encouraging year with a couple of INTs and some effective pass coverage (six passes defensed). Sutton is a lock to return, while Haden may be inching towards retirement. SCB James Pierre had a quiet, understated season in which he didn’t disappoint, but his production should be easy to replace should he move on. At S, holdover Minkah Fitzpatrick turned in an excellent year, including 124 tackles and two INTs; he fared better than fellow S and first-rounder Terrell Edmunds, whose contract expires after 2022. If Edmunds doesn’t show more consistency next season, the Steelers will have no problem letting him go wherever he chooses.
Special Teams
K Chris Boswell remains steady and effective, nailing 90% of his FG attempts in 2021, including a season-long 56-yarder. Rookie P Pressley Harvin III has quite a leg, and it showed. He also has to work on his control, and that also showed. Return man Ray-Ray McCloud was adequate and produced positive yards on almost all of his returns, but McCloud remains underwhelming with a 9.7 punt return average; one gets the impression the Steelers would move on from him if a better option presents itself.
Coaching
In perhaps his most challenging year, head coach Mike Tomlin willed his bunch to the playoffs in Roethlisberger’s final season; a fitting tribute to the QB that has presided over most of Tomlin’s success. Regardless, Tomlin’s “boring and ponderous” game plan (my words earlier this season) was good enough to gut out nine wins and the aforementioned playoff berth. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada’s playcalling came under fire, but his designs managed to keep Roethlisberger alive and throwing all season, which may have been the sole goal. Defensive coordinator Keith Butler has been let go; a bit of a surprise considering the Steelers’ defense was often the reason they competed at all.
Outlook
Grim in the short term. With the front office and roster shuffling that’s already begun, the Steelers will experience some transitional pains next year and possibly beyond. While they’ve managed to stockpile a few pieces, this is far from a complete roster, and it may take an offseason or two to fix.
JimOraky
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