On Tuesday, it was announced that Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Anthony Miller, as well as safety Karl Joseph, is out for the season due to a shoulder injury. Miller had established himself with the Steelers after signing on last season. He was en route to likely make the 53-man roster behind the four main receivers.
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Now, that opens up a spot on the roster for an additional wideout, as the team will likely carry six of them. Gunner Olszewski albeit seems to be a lock to make the team now, as he was already a strong possibility. His All-Pro return abilities were the reason the Steelers signed him to a two-year, $4.2 million deal earlier in the off-season. In addition to his return skills though, he's surprisingly displayed some receiving abilities throughout training camp and into the first preseason game.
In 37 career games with the New England Patriots, Olszewski had little offensive impact, racking up just nine catches for 127 yards. In the Steelers' preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks, he caught three balls for 47 yards, including breaking wide open for a 13-yard touchdown from Mitch Trubisky. While he won't be a major offensive contributor, he could help provide some surprising production there.
This likely only leaves the sixth spot open. It should also be noted that rookie wideout, Calvin Austin III, was seen in a walking boot on Tuesday due to a foot injury. That's something to keep an eye on, as he could potentially miss the start of the season and even beyond. That would open up two spots for three of the upcoming names if Austin were to miss extended time: Steven Sims, Tyler Vaughns, and Miles Boykin.
The trio will be battling for a roster spot now. Starting with Boykin, he came over to the team this off-season after spending the first three years of his career with the Baltimore Ravens. He had a mostly unproductive career with the Ravens, including a career-worst year in 2021. He's had some bright spots in the off-season and likely has the leg up on the other two for that open spot.
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Vaughns has arguably had the best off-season of these three mentioned. Heading into the off-season, he was the least-known name, but he's established himself quickly. Vaughns has made plays throughout training camp, and that continued into the game against the Seahawks. Along with Sims, Vaughns was one of the main standouts from Saturday's game. Being able to do it in camp is one thing, but showing it in-game, Vaughns elevated himself after that performance. He now has a few weeks left to try and make that final roster spot. Luckily for him, he'd likely end up on the practice squad if he misses out on the 53-man roster. That is, if a team doesn't scoop him up.
The last candidate, Steven Sims, has had the best success at the NFL level. In his first two career seasons in Washington, he had 64 catches for 608 yards and six touchdowns. That included an impressive performance in the 2020 playoffs, in which he caught a touchdown and racked up 33 receiving yards. In a numbers crunch, he was released just under a year ago.
While he hasn't yet seen the field much with the Steelers yet, he has perhaps the biggest ceiling of these three guys. Sims only caught one pass in the preseason opener, but he stood out in other areas. First, he took a carry 38 yards. He also had a 38-yard punt return, flashing an ability to evade tacklers. With the injuries to Miller and Austin, Sims could come in as the backup punt returner to Olszewski. That could play a role in who makes the 53-man roster as well, just who can be a big contributor on special teams.
Of these three guys, who do you think will make the 53-man roster? Who are you most looking forward to watching for the rest of the preseason? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!
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