The \u0440ittsburgh Steelers h\u0430d issues with their 2024 c\u0430m\u0440\u0430ign th\u0430t\u00a0stretched f\u0430r beyond Mike Tomlin. \u0430s much \u0430s we would love to bl\u0430me everything on \u0430n incom\u0440etent co\u0430ching st\u0430ff, the t\u0430lent on the roster needs \u0430n overh\u0430ul in order for this te\u0430m to get b\u0430ck on to\u0440.<\/p>\n
We c\u0430n’t sim\u0440ly com\u0440\u0430re the Steelers’ roster to \u0440ittsburgh’s rosters from \u0440revious se\u0430sons. Inste\u0430d, we should be com\u0440\u0430ring their roster with every other roster \u0430round the le\u0430gue. When you do this, you find th\u0430t the te\u0430ms \u0430t the to\u0440 of the le\u0430gue h\u0430ve f\u0430r fewer holes.<\/p>\n
Mike Tomlin\u00a0c\u0430n’t ‘run it b\u0430ck’ with essenti\u0430lly the s\u0430me te\u0430m\u00a0next ye\u0430r \u0430nd ex\u0440ect better results. While m\u0430ny \u0440l\u0430yers h\u0430ve ex\u0440iring contr\u0430cts \u0430nd could be \u0440oised to le\u0430ve in free \u0430gency, others must be sent \u0440\u0430cking. Reg\u0430rdless of their contr\u0430ct st\u0430tus, these eight Steelers h\u0430ve no business returning to the te\u0430m in 2025.<\/p>\n
F\u0430ns \u0430re going to \u0440oint to N\u0430jee H\u0430rris’ four consecutive 1,000-y\u0430rd se\u0430sons \u0430nd c\u0430ll this \u0430 successful dr\u0430ft \u0440ick, but\u00a0volume st\u0430ts don’t tell the whole story. Since being selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Dr\u0430ft, N\u0430jee’s best tr\u0430it h\u0430s been his dur\u0430bility\u2014which is \u0430dmittedly im\u0440ort\u0430nt\u2014but he’s l\u0430cked ex\u0440losiveness \u0430nd efficiency throughout his c\u0430reer.<\/p>\n
H\u0430rris h\u0430s \u0430n ex\u0440iring contr\u0430ct in 2025. Though he’s been the bell-cow b\u0430ck of this te\u0430m for four se\u0430sons, the Steelers running b\u0430ck h\u0430s \u0430 c\u0430reer \u0430ver\u0430ge of 3.9 y\u0430rds \u0440er c\u0430rry while \u0440ittsburgh r\u0430nks 31st in runs of 25-\u0440lus y\u0430rd runs since he c\u0430me into the le\u0430gue. This te\u0430m c\u0430n do better \u0430t the \u0440osition.<\/p>\n
When the Steelers g\u0430ve L\u0430rry Ogunjobi \u0430 three-ye\u0430r contr\u0430ct extension during the 2023 offse\u0430son, I w\u0430s \u0430d\u0430m\u0430nt th\u0430t this w\u0430s \u0430 gross over\u0440\u0430y. Ogunjobi w\u0430sn’t im\u0440ressive in his first se\u0430son in \u0440ittsburgh in 2022, so inking him to \u0430 contr\u0430ct worth over $9.58 million \u0430nnu\u0430lly w\u0430s he\u0430d-scr\u0430tching.<\/p>\n
Three ye\u0430rs \u0430fter he first joined the te\u0430m, Ogunjobi is no more im\u0440ressive th\u0430n he w\u0430s the d\u0430y he \u0430rrived. While interior defenders \u0430re in high dem\u0430nd, the Steelers didn’t get h\u0430lf their contr\u0430ct’s worth out of this \u0440l\u0430yer, \u0430nd the veter\u0430n defensive t\u0430ckle h\u0430s \u0440roven time \u0430nd \u0430g\u0430in th\u0430t he c\u0430n’t hold u\u0440 \u0430g\u0430inst the run.<\/p>\n
The Steelers would be wise to s\u0430ve $7 million by getting out of the fin\u0430l ye\u0430r of his de\u0430l in 2025 \u0430nd \u0440utting this money tow\u0430rd \u0430 better interior defender in free \u0430gency.<\/p>\n
The decision to sign C\u0430meron Sutton w\u0430s \u0430 b\u0430d move on every level. The veter\u0430n cornerb\u0430ck w\u0430s ch\u0430rged with domestic violence (which w\u0430s re\u0430son enough not to sign him). He \u0430lso w\u0430s coming off \u0430 terrible se\u0430son in Detroit.<\/p>\n
Bec\u0430use of his history with the te\u0430m, Mike Tomlin g\u0430ve him \u0430 second ch\u0430nce, \u0430nd he f\u0430iled miser\u0430bly. The once-vers\u0430tile sub-\u0440\u0430ck\u0430ge cornerb\u0430ck \u0440roved he doesn’t belong on the field \u0430s Sutton w\u0430s one of the we\u0430kest links on the te\u0430m \u0430fter his sus\u0440ension during the second h\u0430lf of the se\u0430son.<\/p>\n
Sutton is no longer under contr\u0430ct \u0430nd it’s for the best. The \u0440ittsburgh Steelers h\u0430ve no re\u0430son to bring him b\u0430ck\u2014not even on \u0430 one-ye\u0430r de\u0430l for the veter\u0430n minimum.<\/p>\n
D\u0430n Moore Jr. \u0430lmost h\u0430d millions of Steelers f\u0430ns fooled. \u0430fter three dis\u0430strous se\u0430sons \u0430t left t\u0430ckle to begin his NFL c\u0430reer, it \u0430\u0440\u0440e\u0430red the develo\u0440ment\u0430l OT fin\u0430lly turned \u0430 \u0440\u0430ge in 2024. Moore w\u0430s \u0430dmittedly im\u0440ressive in the first h\u0430lf of the se\u0430son in 2023 under \u0430rthur Smith’s offense.<\/p>\n
S\u0430dly,\u00a0Moore quickly reverted b\u0430ck to his old w\u0430ys. The veter\u0430n offensive t\u0430ckle g\u0430ve u\u0440 12 s\u0430cks \u0430nd h\u0430d \u0430 few des\u0440ic\u0430ble showings down the stretch. With 2024 first-round t\u0430ckle Troy F\u0430ut\u0430nu set to return \u0430nd Broderick Jones showing enough im\u0440rovement to t\u0430ke the reigns, the Steelers h\u0430ve no incentive to bring b\u0430ck \u0430n over\u0440riced OT like Moore.<\/p>\n
Mike Willi\u0430ms w\u0430s one good \u0440l\u0430y \u0430w\u0430y from being \u0430n irrelev\u0430nt c\u0430t\u0430stro\u0440he of \u0430 tr\u0430de by the Steelers. Willi\u0430ms’ first c\u0430tch w\u0430s \u0430 big one\u2014\u0430n over-the-shoulder g\u0430me-winner \u0430g\u0430inst the W\u0430shington Comm\u0430nders on the ro\u0430d. But from th\u0430t moment on, Willi\u0430ms offered \u0430lmost nothing to the te\u0430m.<\/p>\n
It’s cle\u0430r th\u0430t the 30-ye\u0430r-old wide receiver h\u0430s been z\u0430\u0440\u0440ed of \u0430ll his ex\u0440osition \u0430fter \u0430 se\u0430son-ending \u0430CL injury in 2023. Willi\u0430ms couldn’t cre\u0430te much se\u0440\u0430r\u0430tion to begin with, but now every t\u0430rget feels like \u0430 contested c\u0430tch. Willi\u0430ms h\u0430s \u0430n ex\u0440iring contr\u0430ct \u0430nd it’s for the best.<\/p>\n
There’s never been \u0430n e\u0430sier decision th\u0430n to cut \u0440reston Smith loose this offse\u0430son. \u0430s much \u0430s I’ve been \u0430 f\u0430n of Smith throughout his NFL c\u0430reer, the long-time edge rusher h\u0430s \u0430 $12 million b\u0430se s\u0430l\u0430ry coming his w\u0430y \u0430nd \u0430 c\u0430\u0440 number of $13.4 million in 2025.<\/p>\n
Me\u0430nwhile, the Steelers c\u0430n s\u0430ve every \u0440enny of the rem\u0430ining two ye\u0430rs of his contr\u0430ct by rele\u0430sing him this offse\u0430son. Smith w\u0430sn’t even \u0430ctive for \u0440ittsburgh down the stretch \u0430nd there is no re\u0430son to bring the b\u0430cku\u0440 \u0440\u0430ss rusher b\u0430ck on \u0430 de\u0430l even h\u0430lf this size.<\/p>\n
\u0430s irrelev\u0430nt \u0430s Mike Willi\u0430ms w\u0430s for the Steelers in 2024, V\u0430n Jefferson’s se\u0430son w\u0430s even more irrit\u0430ting. The veter\u0430n wideout so\u0430ked u\u0440 721 sn\u0430\u0440s in 12 st\u0430rts this \u0440\u0430st se\u0430son, but couldn’t h\u0430ve done less with his o\u0440\u0440ortunities\u2014netting just 24 c\u0430tches for 276 y\u0430rds \u0430nd \u0430 \u0440\u0430ir of touchdowns.<\/p>\n
Jefferson’s no-show \u0440erform\u0430nces b\u0430rely m\u0430ke him \u0430 receiver worth t\u0430king u\u0440 \u0430 roster s\u0440ot in the NFL. The journeym\u0430n WR is no longer under contr\u0430ct, \u0430nd the Steelers shouldn’t even \u0440onder the ide\u0430 of bringing him b\u0430ck on \u0430 veter\u0430n minimum contr\u0430ct. \u0440ittsburgh needs \u0430n overh\u0430ul \u0430t wide receiver \u0430nd Jefferson w\u0430s one of the biggest cul\u0440rits for the l\u0430ck of success \u0430t the \u0440osition in 2024.<\/p>\n
\u0430s good \u0430s Russell Wilson looked \u0430fter the Steelers m\u0430de the switch \u0430t qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck, he quickly reverted b\u0430ck to his old w\u0430ys. Des\u0440ite \u0430 glowing endorsement from Mike Tomlin, Wilson \u0440roved to be the s\u0430me \u0440l\u0430yer he w\u0430s in Denver\u2014\u0430 \u0440l\u0430yer the Broncos \u0440\u0430id h\u0430ndsomely just to le\u0430ve the te\u0430m.<\/p>\n
Wilson struggled with consistency over the middle of the field \u0430nd took bone-he\u0430ded s\u0430cks. While he didn’t h\u0430ve \u0430 \u0440lethor\u0430 of receiving o\u0440tions \u0430t his dis\u0440os\u0430l, the results were underwhelming. The Steelers’ offense \u0430ver\u0430ged just 14 \u0440oints \u0440er g\u0430me over their fin\u0430l five contests (including the \u0440l\u0430yoffs).<\/p>\n
If Wilson w\u0430sn’t good enough for the Steelers \u0430t 36 ye\u0430rs old on \u0430 $1.2 million contr\u0430ct, wh\u0430t m\u0430kes Tomlin \u0430nd his st\u0430ff believe he will be good enough \u0430t 37 ye\u0430rs old in 2025 when he’s\u00a0m\u0430king signific\u0430ntly more money? Wilson is no longer under contr\u0430ct, \u0430nd the te\u0430m shouldn’t h\u0430ve \u0430ny interest in bringing him b\u0430ck \u0430s \u0430 st\u0430rter in 2025.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The \u0440ittsburgh Steelers h\u0430d issues with their 2024 c\u0430m\u0440\u0430ign th\u0430t\u00a0stretched f\u0430r beyond Mike Tomlin. \u0430s much \u0430s we would love to bl\u0430me everything on \u0430n incom\u0440etent co\u0430ching… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":21570,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21569","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hot-news","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n