Steelers' Kordell Stewart Would Be A Serious Problem In The Modern NFL After Latest Words From Former Teammate Surface

The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted quarterback Kordell Stewart in the second round of the 1995 NFL Draft. In his first season, he quickly made his mark lining up as a quarterback, wide receiver, and running back. His versatility played a critical role in helping the Steelers reach Super Bowl XXX during his rookie year. In the 1997 season, Stewart took over the full-time quarterback position and helped lead Pittsburgh to two AFC Championship Game appearances in 1997 and 2001.

At first, the Steelers were not quite certain how they were going to deploy Stewart, but they figured it out pretty quickly. However, many pundits who followed the team during that era would argue that Pittsburgh never fully maximized what they had in 'Slash,' a nickname Stewart earned for his versatility.

His teammate, Levon Kirkland, joined the Coach Gibbs Defense Lab YouTube channel on Wednesday, and he couldn’t help but bring up some interesting comments regarding Stewart. Kirkland articulated that Stewart was such a special player and that if he played in today’s NFL, his career would look even more impressive than it already does.

"Oh yeah, Kordell Stewart, before Kordell started playing that year, he was a rookie on the practice squad basically," Kirkland said. "I mean he made the roster, but he was doing scout work for us just showing us and then they put him at wide receiver stuff, and he was just absolutely killing us. We literally could not cover the guy."

At that point in camp, it became clear that Stewart’s athletic ability was on another level compared to most players on the field. Coaches began moving him around just to see how he would respond in different roles and situations. 

Even in practice settings, he consistently created problems for the defense, Kirkland said with his speed and natural playmaking ability. It didn’t take long before teammates started realizing he was too dynamic to keep off the field in a limited role.

"I guess [the coaches] saw that and was like, we got to put this guy on the field," Kirkland said. "We got to be able to capitalize on what he can do. Kordell was a pretty big dude, he could throw that ball, but I am telling you man, this guy was a great athlete. He probably would have been an amazing wide receiver if he would have chose to stick with that, but man, the first time they put him in the game, they put him at QB. He went out, he scrambled to the right and to the left, touchdown on a Monday night. Really, he was one of the guys that really helped us get to the Super Bowl that year. Kordell Stewart is that guy, man. Again, he was just another guy before his time."

Steelers' Stewart Would Be Star In Modern NFL

Even though he finished with strong career statistics after playing 11 seasons in the NFL, including 14,746 passing yards and 77 passing touchdowns, he also added 2,874 rushing yards and 38 rushing touchdowns, along with 658 receiving yards and 5 receiving touchdowns, showing just how unique and versatile his skill set truly was. 

Many feel that Stewart’s talents would have been maximized if he had played in today’s game. That’s certainly the truth, as the league has increasingly favored players who bring his level of athleticism and versatility.

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