4 Steelers that must play better for the rest of the season

With the Steelers still in the playoff hunt, they need to get more out of these four players moving forward.

The Steelers have had quite the turnaround this season. After their miserable start, the team has rebounded to get their record back in a respectable state. That said, there are still some players that are underwhelming on this roster. No matter what their expectations were coming into the season, they have underperformed in 2021.

Here are four Steelers players that need to play better for the rest of the year.

Steelers Ahkello Witherspoon

The Steelers made a relatively surprising trade at the beginning of the season when they gave up a future fifth-round pick for cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon. The expectation was that he could chip in some snaps as a reserve given his decent play previously. Ever since he has joined the team though, he has struggled to make it onto the field, and worse yet his play when on the field has been mediocre.

Witherspoon’s first game came against the Raiders, and he was soundly beaten by Henry Ruggs. Witherspoon got the nod this past week, and the results weren’t anything special. He was a liability in coverage and his tackling was just ok. It was a meh performance overall, and he needed a stronger one given his weak play so far this season.

At this point, there may not be a point in hoping Witherspoon plays better. The veteran should be riding the bench for the rest of the year unless injuries continue to mount in the secondary. It has been a waste of a draft pick so far, as Witherspoon hasn’t been worth a roster spot let alone a draft pick. If he has to see the field again though, Witherspoon needs to play better.