Lost in all the doom and gloom following their 33-31 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7, the Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a major blow to their special teams units due to a serious injury. Special teams captain Miles Killebrew suffered a knee injury in the contest and did not return, and we now know the severity of it and whether he will return in 2025.
ESPN's Brooke Pryor reported Tuesday that Killebrew's season is over due to a knee injury, according to head coach Mike Tomlin.
While not a factor at his defensive position of safety, Killebrew has been a consistent force for the Steelers on special teams ever since he first signed with the team back in 2021. It will be hard to replace his role, but some young players will hopefully be able to adequately fill in for him for the rest of the season.
Pittsburgh Steelers need continued strong play from young players with Miles Killebrew done for the year
As good as the two-time Pro Bowler has been for the Steelers on special teams over the past five seasons, several players have arguably outplayed him this season. Rookie's Jack Sawyer and Carson Bruener have been excellent on the kick coverage units, and Payton Wilson and Ben Skowronek have been no slouches either.
Killebrew is most well known for his penchant for blocking kicks, but the Steelers as a team have yet to block a kick of any kind in 2025. There was an explosion of blocked kicks back in Week 4 of the season, but Pittsburgh wasn't involved in any of them.
While big plays like that are what people remember when it comes to special teams play, it's more important that a team's special teams unit limits opposing teams from creating big plays.
Pittsburgh has been rather good in that department, with an average opponent starting field position of the 27.3-yard line, good for third best in the NFL according to Pro Football Reference. They are also third in their own starting field position, with an average drive starting at the 33.2-yard line.
Killebrew played a big part in both of those numbers, so others will need to step up in his place. Luckily for the Steelers, prioritizing special teams has never been an afterthought when building out the depth of the roster.
While I believe they will be just fine, fans should watch closely to see if there are any noticeable issues moving forward without their special teams captain.