The Steelers have a lot of hope in place with their new roster, but any of these five scenarios would dismantle that dream and turn 2022 into a nightmare.
The Steelers have a very new roster put into place for the 2022 season. While expectations should be relatively tempered (no one should be expecting a Super Bowl push with this roster), there is hope for a winning season and potentially even the playoffs. That said, there are plenty of ways that this season could end in a disaster. Here are the five nightmare scenarios for the Steelers this season.
Steelers Daniel’s isn’t a savior
Much has been said about the state of the Steelers offensive line. Last season, the team barely addressed the trenches to a relatively disastrous effect. While there are still some players that can start, the team went into the offseason knowing they had to find some key starters. They seemingly landed one when they signed James Daniels to a three-year deal.
Daniels has been one of the steadier linemen in the league with the Bears, flashing some dominance from the guard spot. The Steelers expect that same level of play based on his contract. What if he doesn’t pan out though? The expectation is that he will pick up right where he left off, but that isn’t a guarantee.
There is a chance that Daniels struggles in a new offense. While it isn’t the end of the world if he isn’t the best of the five, he should unquestionably be one of the best players. If he falters and struggles though, that would be a huge blow. Expectations are rightfully high for Daniels, but if he doesn’t live up to them it could spell disaster.
Steelers corners don’t step up
The Steelers are in a really weird spot heading into training camp at cornerback. They have three capable starters at outside cornerback and a decent backup to boot. On paper, cornerback is one of the deeper positions on the roster, but this group is lacking a great starter. That was Joe Haden before, but age has taken its toll and he is no longer with the team.
Cameron Sutton was fine as a full-time starter last season and Ahkello Witherspoon flashed in a limited showing towards the end of the season. Both will be back in 2022. New to the group is Levi Wallace. A steady veteran from Buffalo, Wallace is battle-tested and should be figured in as a starter.
The issue with the trio is that none of them are anything more than above-average options right now. Ideally, one of them steps up and becomes that steady presence that this team had in Haden. On the flip side, all of them can even take a step back and leave this group as a potential weakness heading into the season. This group has a lot to prove in 2022, and a lot will be riding on them playing well.
Steelers Harris gets injured
Let me start by saying an injury to any of the Steelers key players would obviously be detrimental. While Najee Harris isn’t the most important player on the entire roster, one could easily argue that the offense is being built around him this season. There are other defenders to fill in if one of the stars gets hurt. If Harris goes down though, this offense will sink.
From the improvements to the offensive line to the lack of a defined quarterback, Harris will likely be locked into a huge role on this offense. The Steelers clearly want to bring back their feared running game from years past, and Harris has the capability to do that. Running backs are a notoriously injured group, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see Harris miss time.
If he were to go down, this offense would suddenly be featuring Benny Snell as their feature running. That is a significant decline in talent, and if the offense is moving through the running game, it could lead to a disastrous result. The team opted to not get a better backup running back, so Harris has to stay healthy in order for this offense to function as intended.
Steelers Highsmith doesn’t make a leap
While 2022 wasn’t quite the breakout season for Alex Highsmith as many had hoped it would be, he certainly finished the year better than how he started it. Inconsistencies and injuries marred the earlier portion of his season, but by year’s end, he was consistently applying pressure and getting after the quarterback. Many are hoping that he takes that next leap in 2022.
While the Steelers should have no issue with their other pass rusher as T.J. Watt will likely be his usual dominant self, having a steady pass rusher opposite of him would make this defense that much more dangerous. A steady pass rush from both sides is hard to combat for an offense. Highsmith was almost there last season, and the expectation is for him to get there this year.
The issue if he doesn’t is that with this being his third year in the league, it would seem unlikely that he gets that much better. That means an edge rusher suddenly is atop the list of needs for the team next offseason. Highsmith still has a lot to prove this season, and the results for the defense this season and next year are riding on Highsmith finally making that list.
Steelers still have questions about Pickett
One of the best aspects of Kenny Pickett as a prospect was the fact that he was the most pro-ready prospect in this class. Because of this, I fully expect the quarterback job to be given to him at some point. No matter how the rest of the season plays out though, the biggest issue the Steelers could encounter is still having major question marks about their rookie quarterback heading into next year.
Perhaps he looks horrible in camp and the team opt to not play him even if things go south with Mitch Trubisky. Maybe he does get into the game and looks lost. Either scenario will leave this offense with more questions than answers in 2023. Quarterback is the most important position on the field, and if Pickett struggles out of the gate, the team will be in a bind next season.
This doesn’t mean Pickett has to be perfect as a rookie. He won’t be, as he will inevitably have some growing pains. If we don’t see him at all though, we will have no clue what the team has in him. It will be even worse if he struggles heavily when called upon. There is a lot riding on Pickett, and if he falters, it will easily be the Steelers worst-case scenario in 2022.
The Steelers have a lot of intrigue on the roster as of now. While there are plenty of reasons to be excited about this group, there are certainly ways that this team can struggle in 2022. In particular, these five scenarios would be nightmares for this team.