The Pittsburgh Steelers barely made the playoffs and some good performances by these players surprised many.
The Steelers made it into the playoffs during their 2021 campaign and that alone is a major accomplishment for this group. They went through a bunch of trials and tribulations before the season ended. It took things to go their way so they could make the tournament for the prized Super Bowl trophy.
The team made it into the dance with a 9-7-1 record as the seventh seed in the AFC. It was a tough road that saw them win three of their last four games. With help from the Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders, the black and gold clinched the last playoff spot up for grabs.
This season has seen some highs and other times where there were extreme lows. Early in the season, this club was 1-3 to start the year before bouncing back. They lost very important games, barely emerged victorious in others, and were even blown out a couple of times.
It has been a crazy story for Pittsburgh and some players had rough years while others were shocking surprises. The good surprises outweighed the bad for the most part and that gave them a chance to get into the postseason for another year. It was not pretty but the team was able to overcome just enough to make it.
These players on this list were good surprises that helped the team more than many may have thought of before the start of 2021. Rookies, veterans, and new additions helped by stepping up and playing a major role in this squad. They were able to be positive contributors to the efforts of the team.