The Steelers are rounding out their year, and here are the four players on the roster who were vastly overrated in 2021.
The Steelers have had a mediocre 2021, as their early playoff exit and then middling 2021 season has left a sour taste in the mouth of fans. Through all of this, there have been a few players that have been given expectations that they haven’t met. To be clear, being overrated doesn’t make you a bad player, but it means that the impact made by the said player may not be as great as initially thought.
Here are the four Steelers that were overrated in 2021.
Steelers Devin Bush
Much has been said and critiqued about the play of Devin Bush this season, and rightfully so. He looked like a player on the rise last year before his injury, but he has been a disaster since returning to the field this season. His technique is off, his coverage has regressed, and he struggles to read the simplest of plays. He has become a liability on the field no matter what type of offense he is facing.
His expectations were vastly different heading into this season. Most expected him to pick up where he had left off in 2020, but that couldn’t have been farther from the truth. For those that expected Bush to be a star, he has underwhelmed there. Heck, the only reason he is still starting is because there isn’t anyone that can play his role right now. Bush wasn’t just overrated; his job was seemingly overvalued. It has been all bad for Bush this season.
Steelers Chase Claypool
Chase Claypool took the NFL and the Steelers by storm last season when the freak athlete burst onto the scene. He was dynamic from all over the field, scoring in the short passing game, deep passing game, and even on the ground. The expectations were for him to make some progress and improve. At the bare minimum, everyone expected Claypool to play as well as he did last year.
That hasn’t been the case though, as Claypool is suffering through a sophomore slump. While he hasn’t been horrible this season, he has shown some consistency issues as a receiver. In some games, he is on and is catching everything thrown his way. Other weeks, he is way off and looks lost. The miscommunications and bad routes are quickly adding up though and making Claypool a disappointment on the field.
Worse yet, he has started to flash some immaturities that really don’t look great for a team that is struggling to be average. While all of that can change as Claypool develops, his 2021 has been a disappointment. For a player many hoped would become a central player in this offense and ascend to receiver number one, Claypool has fallen well short of those expectations.
Steelers Najee Harris
It came as little surprise when the Steelers selected Najee Harris in the first round of the NFL Draft. The team was all over him in the pre-draft process and with the front office crying for a better running game, Harris was an obvious selection. After being picked, Harris was launched into the stratosphere in terms of expectations. Almost everyone expected him to become a true game-changer in the offense from day one.
While Harris has been a great player, his expectations were clearly bloated after he was selected. While he has been a hard-running back and has been a heavy feature in the passing game, he hasn’t had the big plays or game-changing moments that you would hope from a first-round running back. For those that hyped him as one of the best backs in the league, he certainly hasn’t produced as such.
Again, Harris being overrated doesn’t make him a bad player. If anything, it really points to the fact that a team needs a good offensive line just as much as a capable running back. The lack of big runs is more of an issue, as it seems like Harris lacks the burst to be a big-play threat. Harris should be a good back for the Steelers, but those expecting him to produce like a top-three and even a top-five back may not get that. Harris will be a steady contributor, but his early expectations have led to him being overrated this season.
Steelers Minkah Fitzpatrick
Once again, like Harris, putting Minkah Fitzpatrick here doesn’t mean that he is a bad player. He is a top-five free safety in the league and is one of the best young defensive backs in the league. The issue with him is two-fold: fans perceive him as an elite defender no matter where he lined up and some even consider him the best defender on the team. Unfortunately, he isn’t either of those at this point.
The latter of the points is a laughable argument. Fitzpatrick is a good defensive back but the studs along the front seven are far more critical to the success of this team. T.J. Watt is without a doubt the best player on this defense and Cameron Heyward is right behind him. Fitzpatrick is a good player, but he isn’t near the best nor most important player on this defense.
In terms of where he is lined up, Fitzpatrick is dynamic when lined up as the single-high safety. Him being that last line of defense and ballhawk deep is a great fit for him. He doesn’t do as well when lined up closer to the line of scrimmage or in the slot though. The team tried him there earlier this season and the results weren’t great.
To be a truly elite free safety, you either have to be like Ed Reed or Tyrann Mathieu. Reed was effective in essentially eliminating the deep pass and making offenses pay with elite interception skills. Mathieu is a chess piece that can be effective as a free safety but can also play close to the line or in the slot. Just because Fitzpatrick isn’t as good as either of these players doesn’t make him bad. It does make his perceived value overrated though, as some see Fitzpatrick as an elite player. Until Fitzpatrick becomes one of those two, his perceived value will remain overrated.
The Steelers have had a relatively disappointing 2021, and part of that is due to the expectations from these four players. While these players haven’t all been bad, their actual play vs what is expected of them makes them overrated.