While the Steelers season is officially over, there are plenty of things to celebrate. This team exceeded expectations, and we saw players like DeShon Elliot and Payton Wilson develop into core building blocks. Most analysts wrote this team off because of the numerous questions this team had, but this team found a way to win.
However, not everything was perfect. While there were quite a few great players, this roster was also filled with some problem players. From the underwhelming to the overpaid, this roster had some notable issues. Here are the four Steelers that robbed this team blind in 2024.
Steelers didn't get their money's worth out of Larry Ogunjobi
In what has been one of the most frustrating tenures in recent Steelers history, it seems clear now that Larry Ogunjobi’s previous success won’t translate on the field for Pittsburgh. He has some flashes where you see that quality player come out of him, but for the most part, he is inconsistent at best and disappears from the defense at times.
That being said, his contract isn’t egregious. He signed his extension right before the defensive line market jumped in price, so his per-year value looks fair. The issue is that in three seasons as a starter, he doesn’t have much to show for it. It feels like every offseason there is the constant question of can the team find a capable upgrade from him.
Despite this robbery, the Steelers may not be done with Ogunjobi yet. They have no obvious replacement for him, and with Cameron Heyward as old as he is you may want to keep the room full. All of this doesn’t excuse his play though. He has made close to 30 million dollars from the team but has failed to consistently make an impact on the field. Hopefully, the team can invest in his replacement this offseason.
Mike Williams (and really, the Jets) robbed the Steelers
Despite the never-ending rumors and obvious lack of depth at the position, the Steelers ended up settling with adding Mike Williams at the trade deadline in exchange for a fifth-round pick. The hope was for him to get integrated into the offense and provide a more stable second-receiver option for the team. Unfortunately, he has yet to find his footing and looks like a wasted draft pick.
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On the plus side, the Steelers didn’t inherit a big cap charge with Williams, as the Jets had already paid him a good portion of the money that he was owed. We clearly got expired goods though, as Williams looks like a shell of his former self. Even when forced into more action with George Pickens missing time, Williams never looked like a great threat in the passing game.
I guess it is less Williams robbing the Steelers and more the Jets. His salary isn’t anything notable, but losing the fifth-round pick to the Jets seems like a bad value. No matter how you look at it, the team got robbed, although it is mostly their fault for agreeing to the trade that felt desperate at the time.
Patrick Queen wasn't worth his lofty contract
The Steelers' biggest free-agent addition ever seemed like a risk the moment the pen was put to paper. Patrick Queen had been an up-and-down player for most of his career but turned it on for a year and a half with Roqun Smith as his running mate. Pittsburgh handed him a massive contract with the hope that he would continue that strong play despite not having the elite co-starter next to him.
That hasn’t been the case. While his play has gotten better this season, he is still far too streaky of a defender and has also not been able to make a lot of splash from his linebacker spot. He hasn’t been a complete bust in the mold of Devin Bush, but his contract seems like an overpay right now considering the output the team is getting.
This will lead to a major decision that the team will have to make early next offseason, as Queen is due a hefty bonus before the offseason kicks off. It seems like the team will roll with him for at least another season, but considering the investment made in him as well as the hope of him bringing back some elite linebacker play, he robbed the team this past year.
Minkah Fitzpatrick robbed the Steelers with lucrative contract
For the longest time Minkah Fitzpatrick was a stalwart on this defense and arguably the best defender not named T.J. Watt. Things have changed though, unfortunately, as Fitzpatrick has seen his splash plays dry up in recent years. Worse yet, he is missing on some easy coverages this year, and there is a valid reason to believe he is the defender players are displeased with.
While his play has fallen off, he still isn’t a liability, and he is still a quality starter. The issue is the position that he plays. The safety market has cratered in recent years, and it isn’t uncommon to land a quality starter for five million or less a season. With Fitzpatrick not playing at an elite level the past few years, it has gotten hard to justify his large price tag.
When you put all of this together, it feels like he is stealing from the team both this season and last. If his salary was half of what he was getting paid, this would be a different conversation, but considering the pay he is getting necessitating elite play, we haven’t seen that this year. It could all culminate in him being off the roster next year.