One of the positions that saw the most change over the offseason for the Pittsburgh Steelers is the wide receiver room. It was a group coming off a season where they lacked both talent and depth. The group relied on DK Metcalf covering their woes, and it forced desperate additions late in the campaign with Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Adam Thielen as hopeful fixes.
It was a campaign of some of the worst play from wide receivers that the Steelers have seen in some time. In recent years, the position has gone from a common strength of the team to one in need of consistent upgrades. Pittsburgh is still in an uneasy spot with its group of playmakers, but for the most part, it is improved from last year. They made it a point to invest in several upgrades.
One of those upgrades was veteran pass catcher Michael Pittman Jr.
He is a been-there and done-that type of player. Not only did the Steelers trade for him, but they immediately signed him to a hefty contract. They truly believe pairing him with Metcalf will finally turn their fortunes around. In reality, Pittman could be someone with high hopes but loses his starting job late in the season.
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. could lose his role this season
As he enters his seventh season in the NFL, Pittman Jr. should keep an eye over his shoulder. His new contract with the Steelers should give him a sense of job security, but nothing is guaranteed. If Pittsburgh wants to, they could cut bait with the wide receiver if this season fails.
Pittman has a ton of talent, but if someone supplants his starting job, he could be one and done in the Steel City.
An area of concern that will continue to linger around this playmaker could be potential injury concerns. His time with the Colts showed that he can produce strong numbers, but he will also miss time. His NFL career has only seen him miss six games due to injury problems, but as he gets older, don't be shocked if these possible red flags rise higher on the flagpole.
Since the Steelers invested heavily in the position Pittman plays during the offseason, there could be some young players on the rise this year. Germie Bernard is someone the team is excited about, and the rookie could challenge Pittman. If that happens, it could mark the beginning of the end for the veteran in Pittsburgh.
Having a rookie take over an expensive veteran's spot might be ideal for the team's long-term outlook, but it would make the move to add him go from a no-brainer to a big miss.
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