Steelers HC Mike Tomlin Reveals Surprising Return Specialists For 2nd Preseason Contest

We will get another look at the Pittsburgh Steelers in the coming days. Head Coach Mike Tomlin and his squad will travel up north to face the Buffalo Bills for their second preseason contest. The team shined in the opener, defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-17. Now, they get to face one of the best teams in the NFL. It’ll be another nice test, as Tomlin will get to see how far along his group is. 

The healthy starters will play, as the youthful offense still needs more snaps together. If you remember, the Steelers got destroyed by the Buffalo Bills in 2022 by a score of 38-3. In his press conference on Thursday, Tomlin addressed a few specific positions for Saturday’s preseason game. According to Tomlin, running back Anthony McFarland Jr. will be the man returning kicks. 

He has a little bit of experience there in his NFL career, as he has returned three kicks for 73 yards in the 2021 season. This continues to lock in his spot on the 53-man roster. Only about a month ago, McFarland’s status was up in the air. Since then, he’s solidified his third-string running back role, and it seems like he’ll bring some special teams value as well. As far as punt returns go, that will be handled by speedster Calvin Austin III. 

He’s impressed at wide receiver in training camp, which then translated into a long touchdown in that preseason opener. His electrifying speed is something that could be valuable on special teams as well. Punter Pressley Harvin III and kicker Chris Boswell will be the specialists that are playing. Boswell, signed to an extension last offseason, is locked into that starting spot for 2023.

BT Potter was brought in as the second leg for camp this year, and despite Boswell’s disappointing 2022 campaign, there was never a competition there. As for the punting job between Harvin and Braden Mann, perhaps this suggests Harvin has a leg up. Tomlin did say that he simply chose the specialists that have played regular season games for the Steelers in the past. 

Who will be Steelers' specialists in 2023?

Perhaps the team will utilize Mann and give him a chance in the third and final preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons. Neither of them have necessarily taken the competition and ran away with it. Through two seasons of his NFL career, the 2021 seventh-rounder Harvin has struggled with inconsistencies more than anything. Everyone knows that he has a huge leg, but he’s had far too many shanks for Tomlin or Danny Smith’s liking. 

In the team’s initial depth chart release though, Harvin was indeed listed as the starter. Over the past week or so, it seems like he has really started to take over the competition. On Tuesday, his powerful leg was on full display at practice in Latrobe. As a result, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette thinks Harvin has essentially already won the competition.

For a guy like Gunner Olszewski, it’s not great news in regards to McFarland and Austin returning kicks. The former New England Patriots All-Pro returner has actually done quite well at wide receiver throughout training camp. In fact, quarterback Kenny Pickett recently touted him as a standout from camp. While that’s promising in itself, his career track record suggests he’s not a legitimate depth piece on offense.

In four career seasons, Olszewsk has just 14 total catches for 180 yards. He’s made his living as a returner, and it seems like he’s being completely phased out there. If he doesn’t bring any kind of special teams value anymore, it will significantly hurt his chances of making the 53-man roster. Thankfully for him though, none of the other wideouts, like Hakeem Butler and Cody White, have stepped up in camp.

What are your expectations for the team's second preseason game? What are you specifically looking forward to watching? Who do you think will end up being the team's returners in 2023? Will Harvin win the job over Mann? Share your thoughts in the comment below, yinz!

#SteelerNation