With the Pittsburgh Steelers' recoup this offseason, several departures come with it. Safety Terrell Edmunds announced his departure on Thursday before officially signing with the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday. Before that, Cam Sutton, Devin Bush, and others signed with teams around the league. Now, there's another one. Returner and wide receiver Steven Sims is headed to the AFC South.
Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (@JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
Steelers will now have a new return man in 2023 after the departure of Steven Sims.
After meeting with the Houston Texans last week, Sims signed with them on Friday according to beat reporter Aaron Wilson. It's the second consecutive offseason that the black and gold have lost their primary return man, as Ray-Ray McCloud signed with the San Francisco 49ers last year. While this would indicate the Steelers need to go out and either sign or draft a returner, that may not particularly be the case.
Source: #Texans signing veteran wide receiver-kick returner Steven Sims Jr. @KPRC2 https://t.co/wZ74S0oxug
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 24, 2023
Gunner Olszewski, who was benched a month into the season in favor of Sims, still has the pedigree to win the job again. As he remains on the roster, he will always be in the conversation as the return game is the best attribute that he brings. Calvin Austin III is another option that makes sense, as he took reps on both the kick and punt return team in training camp last year.
Photo Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (@JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
Steelers returner Gunner Olszewski struggled mightily in his first season in Pittsburgh in 2022.
A foot injury ended up costing Austin his whole rookie campaign, but he could have been the one to take Olszewski's job if he would have been healthy. The Steelers could and may very well still look for a free agent with experience in the return game, but it doesn't seem to be a huge need. A lot of it depends on Olszewski, a former All-Pro returner who struggled in 2022.
Who will be the Steelers' returner in 2023?
Sims was better than some may give him credit for. Coming into the offseason last year, it seemed like he had an outside shot to make the 53-man roster. After an impressive training camp in Latrobe, he worked his way onto the team. Amongst guys with at least 15 kick returns in 2022, Sims' 25.5 yards per return ranked 10th in the NFL. He brought some unique elusiveness, which he wasn't really able to translate to the offensive side of the ball. Best of luck to him in Houston.
Who do you think will be the Steelers' return man in 2023? If you had a choice between the two, would it be Austin or Olszewski? Who could the team target in free agency or the draft as a potential option if Olszewski is cut? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
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