4 things that must happen for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2020
By Tommy Jaggi
The Pittsburgh Steelers have high hopes for the 2020 season, but the future is a bit murky. Here are five things that must happen this year.
Despite all of the changes this year, 2020 is a very important season for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They have healthy but aging Ben Roethlisberger returning to the lineup, and their defense is better than it’s been since the legendary Pittsburgh defenses of the 2000s.
Unfortunately, they are running out of time. In addition to the clock turning on Big Ben’s career, the Steelers could be without several Pro Bowlers, starters and key contributors heading into the 2021 season. Already projected to be over next-years salary cap floor, Pittsburgh has notable players like Cameron Heyward, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Bud Dupree, among many others, set to hit the market after the 2020 season.
In addition, Pittsburgh has some pivotal players who have yet to live up to lofty expectations. To not only be a competitive team this season but to have a chance beyond the 2020 season, here are five things that need to happen for the Steelers this year:
Terrell Edmunds needs to live up to his draft status
This is something that will be hard for Terrell Edmunds to do, considering my views on him when Pittsburgh selected him with the 28th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. I had a third-round grade on the Virginia Tech safety prior to being drafted in the first round by the Steelers.
Unfortunately, Edmunds hasn’t come close to playing up to his draft status. Though he showed some promise as a rookie – earning an interception in Week 3 of his first season, Edmunds is currently on a 30-game drought without forcing a takeaway of any kind.
Besides, Edmunds surrendered a 131.6 passer rating and 514 passing yards last year, according to Pro Football Reference – both the worst marks on the team. On a defense with budding young stars, Edmunds has yet to prove himself among them. He’s got to take a big leap in 2020.