The Steelers have been struggling to consistently field a competitive roster, and with the season on life support, these three starters need to be benched.
The Steelers has had one of the weirdest seasons to date in 2021. In some games, this team comes out with their hair on fire and dominates the opposing team. Other times, they look like a college team that can’t play. Worse yet, half the time the team plays like both of these games over the course of a single game. Because of that, the team’s season is likely done, and now the future of this roster has to be considered.
Here are three Steelers that need to be benched going forward.
Steelers Chukwuma Okorafor
I’ll be the first to say it: Chukwuma Okorafor has progressed well this season. While far from a great tackle, the beginning of the season was a disaster for the fourth-year tackle. He was easily the worst player on the line and was aiding in crippling this offense. His play has improved since then, but he is still one of the weaker names on this line.
While Zach Banner has done little to earn a spot on this line, he is still under contract past this season and the team saw enough in him to extend him this past season. Okorafor is a free agent this offseason and it seems almost certain that he doesn’t return to the team next year. Banner has to be given a few games to see if he should be kept next year. With the results of the season likely set, now is the time to sit Okorafor down for Banner.
Steelers Henry Mondeaux
A name that was quietly a fan favorite in camp this offseason, Henry Mondeaux has earned the chance he received this season on defense. He was a unique player, as he could play on every special team’s unit (including kickoff coverage) and had been a valuable backup in the past. Unfortunately, him seeing regular defensive snaps has been bad, as his play has been wildly inconsistent and hindering to this run defense.
Worse yet, he is playing out of position as a nose tackle for this team. He is a player that when he does well, it is due to his sneaky athleticism, not his strength and power. He has been bullied at nose tackle and he can’t continue to start there. All of this is especially true when you consider the fact that the team has two names on the roster healthy and with far more potential than Mondeaux.
Montravius Adams has been a revelation since joining the team when he was signed from someone else’s practice squad, playing well when he has seen the field. Carlos Davis is finally healthy again, and he should be the one penciled into the nose tackle job. At this point, Mondeaux should be relegated back to his reserve role where he excelled at. The occasional backup snap and special teams work is a good fit for him. It’s time for him to see less playing time.
Steelers Terrell Edmunds
Similar to Okorafor, Terrell Edmunds hasn’t been a bad player this season and he has seen steady development since being drafted in the first round. The issue now is that Edmunds is neither a critical player for the defense and his odds of returning to the team next season doesn’t seem great. He is a free agent next offseason and seems destined to go to a different team.
With the options so bare at strong safety, the Steelers should explore a new face to see if he can start there, at least in the short term, next season. Karl Joseph is from a premiere option at strong safety, but he has been a regular starter in the league and has been on the practice squad all season. If Edmunds departs next year, he should be the favorite to start week one while a rookie develops. This means the team should see what they have in the veteran.
This wouldn’t completely take Edmunds off the field either. He can play closer to the line in the role that Miles Killibrew has taken on in recent weeks. This gives Joseph the chance to audition for the strong safety job next season in the last few weeks of the season. Edmunds has been about as average as they have come, and with him returning next season seems unlikely, it is time to assess the other options on the roster.
The Steelers season seems to be over at this point, as the odds of making the playoffs seems unlikely. Because of this, the team should begin looking over other options to start over middling options. At this point, these three starters need to be benched in favor of other players moving forward.