Steelers Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman Is Seriously Focused On Giving Opportunities

The Pittsburgh Steelers' offseason has ushered in a lot of new faces to the organization following the 2025 NFL season. This goes for not only players on the roster, but with the coaching staff. It is a fresh look in the Steel City as the team hired Mike McCarthy as their first new head coach in almost two decades. His staff has been assembled, including new special teams coordinator Danny Crossman. On Monday, several players were made available to speak with the media following Organized Team Activities. Crossman had the opportunity to do so on Tuesday and his mind appears set on one specific goal.

While speaking, Crossman mentioned that he is very focused on giving opportunities to guys on the roster ahead of the 2026 season. His experience has taught him that while some guys may not flourish in their current role or position on the field, it is possible that they find a niche somewhere else on the field in the NFL. It appears that many players, at least for him, are going to get a long look at and will have a chance to showcase how they can help the team.

"We've talked about this," Crossman said. "Guys' roles constantly change. I've had players that position coaches and coordinators on the other side of the ball have been like, 'I don't see it.' And 9 or 10 weeks later, they're like, 'Well, maybe I've gotta get that guy involved.' So sometimes, it just takes opportunity. We're going to give every guy opportunities in every phase."

The organization made several moves to bring in players to fill out their roster. Travis Homer signed a one-year deal with the organization and should see plenty of opportunity in 2026. He was originally a running back, but transitioned throughout his career into a return specialist on special teams. The team drafted Kaden Wetjen during the 2026 NFL Draft, a wide receiver and return specialist from Iowa, who won the Johnny "The Jet" Award in 2025. That is given to the nation's most outstanding return specialist.

The organization also drafted Eli Heidenreich, from Navy and nearby Pittsburgh high school Mt. Lebanon, who was a hybrid running back and wide receiver during his college playing days. While it was mentioned that a roster spot for him may be complicated, Crossman's comments will definitely give him a chance to showcase what he can do to the new coaching staff. Good, healthy competition is a very valuable element to have, and can be beneficial to an entirely new coaching staff. 

Steelers Have A Golden Opportunity To Round Out Talented Roster

While Homer and Wetjen may make it complicated for the Navy product to find a role, the new special teams coordinator in the Steel City just opened up a door for essentially anyone to make a name for themselves. In turn, if they take that opportunity and bust the door down, that could give them a starting roster spot. It appears that the Black and Gold are open to position battles in spots where starting positions may not be entirely certain.

Homer played seven seasons prior to his offseason deal with the Steelers. His first four seasons came with the Seattle Seahawks, followed by the past three with the Chicago Bears. Though Homer is listed at running back, his production at the position never really translated to the NFL, which is where he shifted his focus to being a core special teams player. In 2020 in Seattle, he had 12 kickoff returns for 291 yards, good for 24.3 yards per return.

While he has developed into a core special teams player, the overall numbers do not exactly jump out at you. This could pave the way for rookies such as Wetjen and Heidenreich to get the chance to prove they deserve to be on the field for kickoff and punt returns. 

#SteelerNation