4 Steelers that need to see less playing time going forward

James Washington

This one was hard to put on the list, but James Washington needs to see less playing time as the season goes on. This isn’t due to his ability and talent more so than it is what he excels at and what the talent around him excels at. Washington is a great deep threat, but he struggles in open space to make guys miss. He has great hands, but he struggles to do much after he catches the pass.

Considering Ben Roethlisberger’s struggle with the deep ball so far, Washington’s role in the offense isn’t clear. He has gotten a handful of targets, but he is only averaging nine yards per reception on the year. This is due to the struggle to connect deeply. As well, the other receivers do a great job with the ball in their hands. Diontae Johnson is one of the slipperiest receivers in the NFL, JuJu Smith-Schuster can muscle his way through defenders, and Claypool just showed what kind of a weapon he can be.

With Claypool emerging as both a deep threat and one that can make big plays after the catch, Washington is losing his value in this offense. If Roethlisberger was connecting deep more often, Washington would have more of a role on the offense. As of now, there isn’t that opportunity, and the other three receivers provide more in the short game. Washington is a talented receiver, but he is lacking a true role in how this offense is structured.