3 questions surrounding the Steelers entering the bye week

Entering their bye week the Steelers are a .500 football team, but still have some pressing question marks that the team must look into.

The Steelers enter their bye week on the upswing after winning two in a row against the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks. However, this is not to say the team doesn’t have question marks surrounding them.

The Steelers are currently a .500 football team, but in order for the team to expect to continue to succeed the rest of the season, they should address the following questions.

3. Why is James Washington not being used

James Washington entered the season as the Steelers’ number four wide receiver behind Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, and Juju Smith-Schuster, which is why he requested a trade. However, after Smith-Schuster suffered a season-ending injury, the belief was that Washington would be the unquestioned third receiver, which would equate to a large snap share.

However, last week against the Seahawks, Washington only saw an 11% snap share, while Ray-Ray McCloud saw a 69% snap share, according to Sleeper. While McCloud may fit the slot role better, Washington should not be ceding snaps to him, as it would make a lot more sense to move Washington outside while shifting either Johnson or Claypool inside in three-receiver sets.

With all their struggles moving the ball and gaining consistency on offense this season, the Steelers need to keep their best players on the field at all times. Washington is one of the Steelers’ top three options at wide receiver, and the playing time should reflect that.