The Steelers had higher expectations than this in 2022, and here are five players on their naughty list this season.
The Steelers haven’t quite lived up to most fans’ expectations for the team in 2022. While regression was expected given the amount of change this team went through, this team has played miserably for most of the season. While there are a wide variety of reasons for this, a part of the issues has come from the players not living up to expectations.
Some of those expectations came from new contracts these players received in the offseason. Some young players were expected to make a jump and develop into better players. No matter the reason, these players stand out as ones that haven’t lived up to the expectations that were given to them. Thus, they find themselves on the Steelers naughty list this Holiday season.
Dan Moore hasn’t stepped up for the Steelers
A player I was eagerly hoping to see a jump this season was Dan Moore. Taken in the fourth round of the draft, Moore became the surprise left tackle due to injuries and his own solid play. He had a mixed rookie season, but for a fourth-round pick, it wasn’t a bad first season. He was firmly in place as the left tackle this season.
While he hasn’t been the worst offensive lineman this season, his play has once again been very inconsistent. His run blocking has become pretty solid, but his pass blocking has still been inconsistent. I think he could carve out a role on the right side in the future, but he certainly hasn’t lived up to expectations this season.
Ahkello Witherspoon had a poor second showing
Ahkello Witherspoon was added to the roster right after last season’s training camp via trade. He struggled to see the field for the first half of the season, but once he got on the field, he was arguably the Steelers best cornerback. He did enough to warrant a new deal this offseason, and the expectation was for him to be the primary cornerback this season.
That didn’t work out, and as this season went on, he lost snaps to Levi Wallace before eventually being benched for James Pierre. The Steelers secondary hasn’t been anything special this season, and it is quite the testament that Witherspoon couldn’t hold down a job there. He had high expectations but has fallen short of them.
At this point, it seems like his Steelers career will end shortly after this season ends. He isn’t owed a lot of money, but if he can’t crack a starter role, it doesn’t make sense to keep him around. Inconsistencies have plagued him for most of his career, and they have resurfaced in an ugly way. His inability to play well on a regular basis lands him squarely on the naughty list.
Gunner Olszewski has served no purpose for the Steelers
The Steelers were quick to add Gunner Olszewski to the roster after losing Ray-Ray McCloud in the offseason. While listed as a receiver, Olszewski is a special teams player first and foremost and he can serve on coverage units as well as be the primary returner. That was the expectation for him when he signed his deal with the team.
It hasn’t been a good season for Olszewski though. While he has served on coverage units well enough, he lost his role as the returner. Fumble issues took him to the bench initially, and then the better play of Steven Sims as a returner kept him there. Now, Olszewski serves as one of the slot receivers on occasion but has been mostly ineffective overall.
Despite this not being a huge contract nor were there huge expectations for him given his contract status, he couldn’t even maintain his role as the primary returner for the team. That was the main reason he was brought in this year. Expect him to be cut in the offseason, and his short stint with the Steelers was very uneventful.
Myles Jack hasn’t been the superstar we wanted
There was a lot of excitement when the Steelers signed then recently cut linebacker Myles Jack in the offseason. He was a former superstar with the Jaguars, but injuries and a lack of talent around him caused him to regress and eventually be cut. Pittsburgh, needing a true top guy at linebacker, was quick to add him after he was released.
Jack hasn’t been a horrible player this season by any means. He has been the primary guy for the team when healthy, but he has looked more like his recent form as opposed to his star self that the team was hoping they were getting. He has been very average, and given the contract he signed, I expected him to play better.
This is a tricky one long-term though. While Jack’s play hasn’t been spectacular, the Steelers are set to lose potentially three of the remaining four options behind him. Cutting him would be a complete rebuild of the linebacker spot, something this team may not be able to do with so many other needs. While he finds himself on the naughty list, he could still be around next season for the sake of consistency.
Najee Harris hasn’t been the Steelers “guy”
I was never a fan of the Najee Harris pick from the get-go. The Steelers were content with fixing their running game by simply adding Harris and expecting him as a first-round pick to revitalize the position. With the line and rest of the offense lacking though, that couldn’t have been farther from the truth. His rookie season success was a result of touches, and that inefficiency showed up again this year.
To be clear, Harris isn’t a horrible back. It was frustrating to watch him dance in the backfield, but he has gotten back to running more north to south. Even with his improved play, he is still far from the elite powerhouse many thought he would be. For a team that was seemingly trying to run through their running game, Harris has been a letdown.
While Harris will certainly be around past this season, it has been a disappointing two seasons for the former first-round pick. While it all hasn’t been his fault, he hasn’t been the difference-maker that everyone wanted him to be. His lack of game-changing plays and overall efficiency puts him squarely on the Steelers naughty list this season.
It hasn’t been the season that the Steelers nor their fans wanted, and while there is plenty of blame to go around, these five players stick out as some bigger disappointments. Because of their disappointment this season, they find themselves on the Steelers naughty list during this holiday season.