4 Steelers that receive unjustified dislike from the fanbase
By Andrew Falce
NFL players are always developing, but these four Steelers are getting some undeserved hate despite still having potential.
Fans in general have a knack for developing an opinion on a player and sticking with it. Perhaps the player dropped the ball in a big moment or struggled in previous seasons and now, no matter what improvements they make on the field, the fanbase is still convinced they are bad players. The Steelers just saw this unfold with Bud Dupree. Labeled a bust by many, Dupree was a late bloomer that despite solid stats in back-to-back years still earned some of the ire of the fanbase. He developed into a fine player, but some couldn’t get past his previous struggles to see that. Some things haven’t changed either, as these are the four Steelers that are unfairly disliked by the fanbase.
Steelers Anthony McFarland Jr.
There was quite a bit of hype attached to Anthony McFarland last season after the Steelers selected him in the fourth round of the draft. Despite a limited workload in college, McFarland had one thing that the other backs on the roster didn’t have: speed. He struggled mightily during his rookie season, and while no one should be expecting him to be a starter this year, he is getting some undeserved hate by the fanbase.
For starters, the Steelers’ offensive line was mediocre last year, and most backs wouldn’t have been able to do much running behind them. As well, McFarland was only a redshirt sophomore after he left Maryland, so it wasn’t shocking that he lacked some of the finesse that more experienced backs have. He was young and inexperienced as a running back last season, so having a full offseason this year should help.
Finally, Matt Canada has some experience coaching McFarland, and his style of offense could use a good speed option at running back on occasion. Obviously, Najee Harris will be the go-to guy this year, but a solid camp could make McFarland the backup. At the very least, his inexperience warrants another year for him to prove himself.