The retirement of longtime Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, was an impactful loss for a multitude of reasons. Beyond the simple fact that the team had to find a new quarterback for the first time in nearly 20 years, the leader of the team was gone. Cam Heyward and TJ Watt are the leaders of the defensive room, but Roethlisberger's departure left an opening on the offensive side of the ball.
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - SEPTEMBER 14: Ben Roethlisberger #7 talks to JuJu Smith-Schuster #19 of the Pittsburgh Steelers ahead of a regular season game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on September 14, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Benjamin Solomon/Getty Images)
The offense is young, with most of the guys being drafted in the last two or three years. Running back Najee Harris has been praised throughout the off-season, and many have advocated for him as the team's new offensive leader. That includes Heyward, as well as head coach Mike Tomlin, as they feel his natural charisma makes for the perfect leader. Harris continues to become more of a leader each day, but it's important to remember he's entering just his second season. That's not to say he can't become the primary leader, but it'll more likely be a few guys carrying the load this season.
A guy that will help lead the offense, along with Harris, is wide receiver Diontae Johnson. Entering his fourth NFL season, Johnson is actually one of the longest-tenured players on the offensive side of the ball. He's not only coming off a career-best season in 2021, but he was also able to reach a contract extension with the Steelers before the preseason began. He's looked as good as ever in training camp as well, as he figures to once again be the team's top wideout. Via Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Jason Mackey, Johnson described just what kind of leader he is, as well as the transition process in becoming a leader.
"I wasn't a very big leader, but I'm slowly stepping in and saying what I want to say. If I feel like something is off and we're not getting the energy going, that's how I'm a leader," Johnson said via Mackey's piece. "I'll continue to build off that and let my play do the talking, too."
Like Harris, Tomlin has advocated for Johnson as an evolving leader on this team as well. That was even before the extension took place, so it's obvious these two guys figure to be the leaders of the offense. For Johnson, as he mentioned via Mackey's article, he's more of the "lead by example" kind of leader.
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Becoming a leader isn't always a smooth transition either, thus why it'll be a multitude of guys on the offensive side this season. While Heyward didn't give any specifics on who has become the leader(s) of the offense, he did say that some have emerged.
“We’ve just been up here trying to get better,” Heyward said to Mackey. “New people have emerged. We’ll see what happens.”
Heyward has been adamant on Harris' leadership traits and abilities throughout the off-season, so he's likely talking about him at the least. Who will be the team's future leader on offense: Najee Harris, Diontae Johnson, or both? Are you worried about there not being a clear leader? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
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