Steelers 2024 Offseason: Evaluating Each Offensive Player

A review of the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive players from our very own contributor John Walker. This is the second of a two-part series that started with the defensive and special teams players from the 2023 team. You can read that story here.

Steelers Quarterbacks

Kenny Pickett - Super disappointing season for Pickett. This season was a bigger “failure” for him than any other player on their roster. He took care of the ball, but he seemed to regress in every other aspect of his game. The front office certainly didn’t do him any favors and handicapped him with Matt Canada, which completely stunted his growth. However, even when things were dialed up nicely, he struggled to execute. This was the year he was supposed to cement himself as “the guy.” The total opposite happened as he lost his starting job to Mason Rudolph. 

His pocket presence needs to improve drastically, and I can’t tell if he just overthinks too much or can’t process things quickly enough. Either way, it was a disaster on all fronts for him this year. Perhaps it’s too early to completely write him off, but nobody can feel good right now with him being the quarterback of this team moving forward. He’ll be on the team next year and will have a shot to be the starter, but he’ll have to actually earn it in 2024.

Mitchell Trubisky (released and signed by the Buffalo Bills) - Thanks for your services, Mitch. Not really. He’s a no brainer cap casualty. He killed the team and was head and shoulders the worst guy commanding the offense. Not sure what his future holds in the NFL, but it certainly is over in Pittsburgh. 

Mason Rudolph - Nobody I’m happier for than Mason. He proved he belonged in the NFL. He was the clear-cut best quarterback on the roster for the Steelers. He completely resurrected his career the last month of the season, and I really think there are teams that are going to give him a shot to start in 2024. Maybe it’s the Steelers? Either way, he’s not going to be had for as cheap as he was in 2023. At absolute worst, he secured himself a nice backup job that’ll pay him well. But he’s given himself some options this offseason. 

Steelers Running Backs

Najee Harris - He finished the season STRONG. He’s emerged as a real leader for the offense. When things are clicking for him, it does wonders for the offense. He’s come a long way and has become a player the team really needs to continue to lean on. I wouldn’t extend him just yet, but it’s absolutely apparent he’s the guy the offense will continue to funnel through. He’s earned that responsibility for another year.

Jaylen Warren - Nobody plays harder or with more heart. He always appears to just want it more than everyone else. Warren was the spark plug the offense desperately needed many times. He’s as good as it gets for a change of pace back in the NFL and is the perfect partner for Harris. This was such a big find for the Steelers in 2022 and it was really fun to see him grow even more. He won’t have to fight to carve out a role in 2024. He’s already cemented an important one for himself. He’s a “backup” by title only, and is key piece for the Steelers.

Godwin Igwebuike - We only saw him as a kick returner, but he was solid there and usually made good decisions. With his price tag, no need to look anywhere else if they choose not to. But they can definitely take a look into adding someone else to that room late in the draft. 

Steelers Wide Receivers

Diontae Johnson - Proved his value once the offensive coordinator change was made. Missed a quarter of the season with injury and the offense suffered majorly in his absence. Once he was back and utilized properly, he returned to being the playmaker that got him paid. This was the third time in five years he led the team in receiving touchdowns, scoring in five of the last seven games. He is such an important and crucial part of the offense. 

While George Pickens' route running took a major step forward in '23, Johnson is still amongst the class of the NFL in this aspect of the game. The passing game runs through him and the offense needs to continue to get him as many touches as they can in space. The YAC for everyone was a night and day difference over the last month. Nobody benefited from it more than Johnson. 

George Pickens - Not sure anyone had a more roller coaster of a season. He was vilified by the media, but also praised many times. His character and maturity were questioned heavily, but he seems to have made gains in that area as the season went on. He was fined over $100,000 this season by the team and NFL for various reasons. On field, they have to commit to giving him more chances. 

He’s proven he can break a game wide open if given the opportunity. If they can get him to buy in and remained focus, he’ll be a serious problem for opposing teams. But if they can’t, he’ll be a serious problem for the Steelers. Hope he puts and keeps it together, because Pickens truly does have everything needed to be a star. 

Allen Robinson II - The Steelers got about exactly what I expected out of him. The Robinson from years ago was never coming through those doors. He had limited opportunities, but did what was asked of him. Short yardage and move the chains. But there’s absolutely no chance he returns at his current price tag/cap hit, however, he could take a pay cut to stick around.

Calvin Austin III - Really disappointed with his season. Not sure how much of it is his fault. He didn’t bring any positivity to the punt return game, but after the nightmare of the Gunner Olszewski experiment, not bringing any negativity is a huge win in itself. Just don’t turn the ball over and I’m good. As a receiver, I thought after the Las Vegas Raiders game they’d utilize him more. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen too much. 

He has burning speed, but that can’t be your only trick. With Diontae’s absence he had a major chance to carve out a role and just didn’t do anything with it. I have to remind myself he was essentially a rookie. Hopefully he becomes a more polished player this offseason, and next year, Arthur Smith can use him to his strengths. Unlike Johnson or Pickens he doesn’t need many touches a game. Just dial up a couple plays a game for him. With his speed, he only needs a couple touches to make an impact.

Miles Boykin - As advertised. You know exactly what you’re getting from him. He doesn’t offer anything as a wide receiver, but earns his paycheck on special teams. He’s rock solid in that area, and I think the Steelers should re-sign him.

Steelers Tight Ends

Pat Freiermuth - One of the most disappointing seasons of them all. Freiermuth battled a few injuries, and even when he was healthy, he was rarely utilized correctly. His blocking did a complete 180 down the stretch. He went from looking uninterested to completely committed. His role needs to be completely overhauled more than anyone's. He is a real weapon. USE HIM. 32 catches in 11 games for a guy like him is criminal.

Darnell Washington - Was touted for his run blocking, and that’s exactly how he was exclusively used. He only received 10 targets on the season which seems insane. No reason for him to come off the field in the red zone. He’s a matchup nightmare in goal-to-go situations. No idea why he wasn’t at all used in those passing situations. Team obviously wasn’t high on what he offers as a receiver because when Freiermuth was hurt, Rodney Williams got the uptick. Anyways, he’s a people mover and is definitely a mauler. I just hope his role can expand a little bit next season.

Connor Heyward - Just a football player. Not big. Not fast. Not strong. And doesn’t do anything at a very high level. But he does a little bit of everything really well. He’s a fun player to have at your disposal. He’ll never have a significant role. But every once in a while, he’ll pop off a really nice play and give you a spark. A solid special teams contributor as well.

Rodney Williams - Not much to say here. Just a guy this season in which nobody probably even expected him to suit up for any games to begin with. Didn’t really contribute much so he’s not a plus or minus. He’ll likely get another year as the fourth tight end that just kind of hangs around.

Steelers Offensive Line

Mason Cole (released and is currently a free agent) - He was one of the biggest liabilities amongst the Steelers' starters in 2023. Not sure what exactly happened, but a major drop off from last season in which he was at least decent. He struggled in all aspects, but especially with erratic snaps. The Steelers need to seriously be looking for an upgrade over Cole. 

Dan Moore Jr. - I don’t dislike Moore as much as most and I don’t want him gone. That being said, I don’t think he should be in the starting lineup, either. Moore struggles mightily in pass protection, but he is a mauler in the run game. I think being the 6th OL/swing tackle may serve him well. With his experience and price tag, he’s not going anywhere. Just find a right tackle so Broderick Jones can slide over to his natural position and replace Moore. 

Isaac Seumalo - He was a great pickup for the Steelers. While their offensive line still leaves much to be desired, there’s no doubt they took a noticeable step down the stretch, and Seumalo is a major reason why. He was reliable in every facet of his game and was a huge part of the emergence of the run game. He’s a silent leader for the offensive line, and he’s a guy the offense badly needs moving forward.

James Daniels - Admittedly, there’s not a player I know less about what to say for. Sometimes he looks really good. Other times, he is just kind of there. He’s solid in pass protection and he’s certainly done his job well enough to not need to go searching for an upgrade. He provides stability, but he’s not necessarily a needle mover. You can have a really good offensive line with Daniels as your starting guard.

Broderick Jones - I really don’t like playing him at right tackle. I understand wanting to get him on the field, but I just don’t understand the thought process for the choice. He was drafted to be your franchise left tackle. Let him get his experience there. Jones was much better in the run game than he was in passing attack. He hit a pretty hard rookie wall and capped it off with a brutal performance in the Wild Card game. 

Overall, I think Jones is definitely their franchise tackle moving forward. He did a lot of things well. We knew he was a raw project, so it’s good for him to get in and just play. Hopefully they continue to develop him. But please play him at left tackle. 

Chukwuma Okorafor (released and signed by the New England Patriots) - His quick downfall was unexpected. With his age, amount of experience, and size of his contract, him being permanently benched might have been the most surprising decision of the year. He had the fourth highest cap hit on the team and rode the bench permanently for majority of the season. Mike Tomlin knows much more than I, but I can’t fathom the decision to start Jones at right tackle in place of Okorafor instead of his natural position in place of Moore. 

He is serviceable, will only be 27 years old, and has four years of starting experience. The team obviously believed in him enough to give him that big contract, but they have officially parted ways.

Nate Herbig - Not much to say here. The Steelers offensive line stayed healthy all season, so these backups didn’t get much tread. Hard to give an analysis on a player that didn’t really play. But with him being a backup, I suppose that’s a good thing.

Spencer Anderson - The seventh-round rookie didn’t get a chance to show anything. But the fact he was able to not only make the roster, but stay there all year shows the team is satisfied with what he’s done and showed them to this point. Just making it with where he was drafted is a good season for him. Maybe he’s in their future plans for a bigger role? Next camp will be a big one for him.

Dylan Cook (re-signed to one year contract) - Just as Anderson, Cook (a regular game day inactive) didn’t get the opportunity to show what he’s got. And again, just like Anderson, the fact he was just able to stick on the 53 is a major win for him. He was a camp guy that fought his way onto the 53. 

What are your thoughts on the team's 2023 offense? Let us know in the comments below!

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