The Pittsburgh Steelers' search for a quality No. 2 wide receiver has been the story of the preseason, with several potential options battling it out. Fans hoped it would be one of Calvin Austin III or Roman Wilson, two recent draft picks with explosiveness and upside. It would be a welcome departure from what they have they have been doing the past few seasons.
Pittsburgh has tried to rely on over-the-hill veterans to play a significant role on the offense. Allen Robinson, Van Jefferson, and Mike Williams have all failed to fill that void in recent years, so it was a bit concerning when Robert Woods was brought in as a free agent this offseason. He has produced just 629 receiving yards and a single touchdown over the past two seasons as a role player for the Texans.
Woods is no longer the 1,000-yard receiver he was with the Rams half a decade ago, and he would only limit the playing time of the Steelers' young wideouts. Luckily for them (and unluckily for Woods), it seems like his time in Pittsburgh will be short-lived.
Robert Woods has been a complete non-factor for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Woods had a startlingly bad preseason in terms of production. Despite playing over a full game's worth of snaps, he saw just one target for four yards. Every other Steelers receiver with even close to his amount of snaps this preseason outproduced him with ease.
That would be a problem by itself, but it gets worse for the 13-year veteran. He played deep into the Steelers' final two preseason games, indicating his spot on the roster is far from secure. Players like Scotty Miller, Brandon Johnson, and even Ben Skowronek have had bigger impacts than Woods.
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Based on what the other receivers have shown, especially the emergence of Roman Wilson, there is no reason to keep an aging receiver who isn't impactful on special teams. He was one of the better No.2 receivers in the NFL during his prime, but Father Time comes for every player eventually.
Perhaps a team that desperately needs a veteran to show their young guys how to be a pro will pick him up, but his time with the Steelers appears to be just days away from being over. If they do keep the former Pro-Bowler past final cuts, it would be a huge upset based on the tape he has put up this preseason.