Steelers' 2023 Struggles With Wide Receivers Are A Symptom Of Long-Term Organizational Rot At The Position

The Pittsburgh Steelers have not had a very good start to the 2020s. They did win one division title in 2020 after starting 11-0, but collapsed down the stretch. It is rumored that Ben Roethlisberger resorted to drawing up plays in the dirt during the only victory against the Indianapolis Colts to clinch the division. The Cleveland Browns promptly trounced them at home in the playoffs. In Roethlisberger's final season, they barely made the playoffs and were destroyed by the Kansas City Chiefs in his last playoff game.

Two short years later, Pittsburgh is in disarray. The Steelers chose Kenny Pickett as their franchise quarterback and saddled him with some of the worst offensive coaching in league history. He has left 20 percent of his starts due to injury. Currently, no NFL week is complete without social media pointing out the latest quarterback to eclipse Pickett's six touchdown passes this season.

Pittsburgh has real needs on the offensive line, the defensive secondary, and at linebacker in the offseason. Jersey Jerry on the Steel Here podcast pointed out this week to Kevin Adams that the Steelers' situation at the skill positions and the misuse of players like Jaylen Warren is a serious issue. He accused Head Coach Mike Tomlin of grave misconduct in how he handled players.

“I think Mike Tomlin, the reason he plays certain people, I think is because he has better relationships with those people on and outside of the football field,” Jersey Jerry observed.

Tomlin has gotten tremendous credit in national circles for how he handled Antonio Brown during his career. Is it possible that he didn't handle Brown as much as befriend him and defend him well past the point of viability? It was rumored that the minority owners tried to force Tomlin out because of how the Brown situation exploded. Maybe that trade market isn't as robust as being reported by Tomlin's allies in the media like Jay Glazer.

Do The Steelers Truly Have A Good History Of Drafting Receivers?

Tomlin has mismanaged the quarterbacks and the offensive coaching staff. It gets worse. The Steelers have a reputation for drafting skilled wide receivers in the lower rounds. The Steelers' reputation that is touted by media members like Colin Cowherd when it comes to drafting skill positions is suspect at best. Upon closer examination, the Steelers and Tomlin live off unjustified press clippings, especially with the recent fiascoes surrounding Diontae Johnson and George Pickens.

Since Tomlin took over in 2007, the Steelers have drafted 18 wide receivers. Three have re-signed after their rookie deals (Brown, Johnson and JuJu Smith-Schuster). Smith-Schuster played on a one-year contract in Roethlisberger's final season. Emmanuel Sanders and Mike Wallace went onto have good careers after they left Pittsburgh.

10 other receivers who are no longer on the roster have been drafted. Names like Limas Sweed, Sammie Coates, and Chase Claypool have marked just some of the compelling talent that went bust in Pittsburgh. There is serious doubt about the current roster's receivers. Johnson and Pickens are proving to be head cases that might not be salvageable. If Calvin Austin III fails to stick with the team, then the Steelers will be hitting on just 18% of their draft picks at the position for the last decade and a half.

Kevin Colbert and Tomlin were atrocious at evaluating personnel after they selected TJ Watt in the 2017 NFL Draft. 18% is slightly better than the 14% retention rate on picks since that draft. The Steelers, on average, have retained one player per draft class over the last seven years. It is no coincidence that it coincides with the longest playoff win drought in the Super Bowl era for the Steelers. 

Pittsburgh is experiencing deep organizational rot for the first time since 1968. Tomlin is often accused of being arrogant, but Art Rooney II deserves equal scrutiny for what appears to be disinterest in the results. Steeler Nation has the most incredible fan base in sports, and allowing the franchise to fall into apathy is inexcusable. Bill Cowher and Chuck Noll had bad teams, but this is the first time since before the Immaculate Reception that players have openly quit. 

No position exemplifies this more than the current receiver corps. Pat Freiermuth was ignored for most of the last two seasons. He has gotten lazy in his route running because he doesn't expect to get the ball. Johnson allegedly started a fight with Mitch Trubisky that led to his benching and has been insufferable since. The Steelers misuse Pickens, which has led first to anger and has now manifested as a malaise that may permanently damage his ability to realize his potential. 

The Steelers' only bright spot is that Omar Khan and Andy Weidl had an excellent draft class. They did not select a wide receiver in their first draft and watched the key pieces they found disregarded in favor of lesser talent. Players think the best player is not playing, and others who are favorites of the head coach are getting away with bad behavior on the field. 

 At least Brown had the decency to keep his issues behind closed doors until he quit the team before the last game of the season. The current roster refused to be outdone. They gave up weeks ago, and based on how Tomlin is managing the roster and his coaching staff, can you blame them?

What do you think, Steeler Nation? Is the current wide receiver room the problem or just a symptom of a larger issue in Pittsburgh? Please comment below or on my Twitter/X: @thebubbasq. 

#SteelerNation