10 bold predictions for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2023

9. Patrick Peterson gets benched after a tough start to the year

Patrick Peterson is going to have a big role on the Steelers one way or another this year. He will get every chance to be the multi-role player that the team has teased throughout the preseason process. He has been hard at work with the coaching staff, and they seem content with this surprising role to play out in front of everyone’s eyes once the regular season starts.

Peterson is a future Hall of Famer who Pittsburgh signed this past offseason shortly after free agency opened. He did not get much playing time, which is the normal process for aging veterans like himself. When he did play this preseason, those snaps never impressed. Perhaps it was the "meaningless" snaps during those contests that led to him playing it safe.

Another concern is that he was struggling with speed during practices at training camp. Receivers were beating him when they were able to use their speed. It seems like his playing days as a lockdown number one corner might be over. It could be a useless argument if Peterson works out in this new role that the club is apparently cooking up.

Luckily for the Steelers if Peterson is not working out for some reason, there are other options that can fill that void. Joey Porter Jr. is going to be ready to start at any moment and Levi Wallace is a reliable second outside corner option. Pittsburgh also reportedly signed Desmond King earlier this week and that could soften the blow of a potential Peterson benching.