While the Steelers’ start to the season hasn’t been what most have hoped for, these four role players have been quietly great so far.
The Steelers have plenty of issues on their team right now, but despite their early struggles, some players have really stepped up their game. While not traditional starters, these players have stepped up in the case of injury or developed key roles despite not starting.
Here are the four Steelers depth players that have played extremely well.
Steelers Joe Haeg
The original signing of Joe Haeg was a bit puzzling. While the swing tackle was a good player with the Buccaneers, his contract averaging around 2.25 million dollars a season was extremely high. While not expected to contribute much outside of some reserve snaps, Haeg has had to step in for injury and has held his own for the most part.
He has only played 28 percent of the offensive snaps so far, including one start against the Packers, and his play has been consistent. PFF grades him at 67.2 overall, which is one of the highest grades for a Steelers lineman. Again, he isn’t regularly playing, but when he has, he has done more than enough to earn his contract.
Better yet, Haeg actually had to fill in at left tackle last week, and once again, he showed that he can handle it. No, the Steelers don’t need to get Haeg more snaps, but keeping him around as a depth tackle and injury starter is perfect for this team right now. While his play hasn’t been revolutionary, he has been a steady piece on a line that has struggled so far.
Steelers Arthur Maulet
After a relatively underwhelming training camp and a brief time cut at the start of the season, Arthur Maulet has really developed into a stout slot defender for the team. Essentially, he plays like a worse version of Mike Hilton, as he is stout in run defense but is only average against the pass. This type of play isn’t suitable for every occasion, but it gives the team some flexibility when playing nickel against teams that may still run the ball.
Now, Maulet isn’t a player like Hilton that you want on the field 75 percent of the time. He does everything Hilton does a step or two worse, and as a defender, he has some physicality overall but is pretty limited. Early in games when teams have the ability to run or throw though, getting Maulet on the field has worked. He can allow the Steelers to be in a better pass defense unit while also adding some pop in terms of run defense.
While James Pierre and even rookie Tre Norwood are developing into better coverage players, Maulet is giving the team that physical edge they want in their slot cornerback. While he won’t get to the level that Hilton ever was, having the flexibility to get that physical style of cornerback on the field makes the defense better. Maulet has been a surprisingly strong addition to this defense despite not being a conventional starter.
Steelers Zach Gentry
I’ll be the first one to say, I’m completely surprised by just how well Zach Gentry has played for the Steelers this season. I fully expected him to get cut out of camp, as the former fifth-round pick had size and literally nothing else. His athleticism was horrible, he offered little as a blocker, and couldn’t block. He had shown little development from year one to year two, and despite making the roster, he rarely played.
All of that has seemingly changed, as he hasn’t only just made the roster, but he has also been a regular face on the offense in the tight-end rotation. While still extremely limited as a receiver (that isn’t likely to change), he has taken a lot of steps forward as a blocker. While Pat Freiermuth is still developing there, it is safe to say Gentry is the best blocking tight end on this roster. While not the caliber of blocker that Matt Speath was, Gentry is doing his best to open lanes for the Steelers rushing attack.
All of this shows as he has been key in Najee Harris finally finding some amount of success on the ground recently. All of this isn’t to say that the team has a quality starter in Gentry, but through the 97 snaps he has played on offense so far, he has shown the ability to be a solid reserve tight end that can block. The Steelers had to wait a while, but they are finally getting something out of Gentry this season.
Steelers Chris Wormley
While the previous players have all been solid for the Steelers in reserve roles, Chris Wormley has looked stout as a defender stepping in for the elite Stephon Tuitt. He has essentially become the starting defensive end next to Cameron Heyward, and he hasn’t disappointed. No, his stats haven’t been gaudy (he only has a half a sack so far), but he has been regularly stopping the run and applying pressure to the quarterback.
Wormley was an ok player for the Steelers last season after they traded for him, but he wasn’t anything astounding. It was a minor surprise that he was brought back in the offseason, but the moves look great so far. Tuitt has been healing from a knee injury and recovering from the loss of his brother. Wormley’s solid play has given Tuitt the proper time to heal before h has to take the field.
All of this to say that the team should still be hoping for Tuitt to get back on the field sooner than later, but in his place, Wormley can hold his own. The defensive lineman has really come into his own as of late, and he should continue to be a valuable reserve even after Tuitt returns. He is easily having his best season as a pro, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
While the Steelers themselves have struggled as of late, these four players have shown some promise despite limited playing time. While they may never be traditional starters, the players have shown that they can succeed with their teams in a limited role. Easily, these four role players have quietly had strong seasons for the team.