The final week of the NFL season is here, and the Steelers still find themselves in the thick of things when it comes to the playoffs. All of this despite a poor season offensively and a slew of problems that haven’t truly been resolved. Because of this, there are a lot of players who will be looked at under a microscope during this final game.
A big statement game could set them up comfortably in their role next year despite struggles this season. Likewise, another dud of a game will continue to put question marks around their status with the team in the future. Not only is this a big week for the team due to the playoff implications, these four players are playing for their role next season, and potentially for their Steelers career moving forward.
Steelers will have to make a choice on Mason Cole
The early eye test was actually a good one from veteran center Mason Cole. Signed to provide some stability at center, and he did just that in year one. No, he wasn’t elite, but he was a consistent force on the line and an upgrade over what the team had in Kendrick Green.
Heading into year two, the expectation was for more of the same. While Cole would never be mistaken for a top-ten center in the league, another season of stout play would be fine with the other upgrades the team had made along the line. This would have, likely, allowed Cole to see the final year of his contract even if the team looked to draft his replacement this offseason.
Instead, Cole looked like a shell of himself this year. His blocking has been atrocious at times and even his snaps have been hot and cold. While his play has steadied out over the past few weeks, it still hasn’t been anything to write home about.
Cole has a contract bonus due right after the offseason begins. If he is on the roster and earns that bonus, the team will carry him for at least another season. He will need a great game this week to have a chance at sniffing that. Even if he does, it may be too little too late for the veteran center.
Steelers never got elite play out of Larry Ogunjobi
Larry Ogunjobi has to go down as one of the bigger free-agent disappointments that this team has brought on in recent years. Signed shortly after Stephon Tuitt announced his retirement, the hope was for him to play like he did with the Bengals, where he was a force along the interior. This would help balance the defensive line.
His first season was lacking. A lot of that could be attributed to his late arrival to the team as well as lingering injuries that held him back. Surprisingly, the team opted to bring him back on a multi-year deal at a slight price increase. The hope was for a return to form following an entire offseason in this system.
Instead, it has been more of the same from Ogunjobi. He has the occasional strong game where he looks the part, but then he disappears for long stretches. This isn’t to say that his play has been as horrible as Cole’s has been, but the amount he is getting paid would certainly indicate this team wants more out of him.
His situation was a lot like Chris Wormleys from a few years ago. The Steelers traded for Wormely as he entered the final year of his rookie deal, and his season was unremarkable. The team re-upped with him though at a higher-than-expected rate and he excelled. Granted, he was mostly a backup, but a similar feel to what the hope was for Ogunjobi entering year two.
Like Cole, Ogunjobi has a bonus due, so the team will have to make a choice on him sooner rather than later. While cutting him leaves a starting size hole on the roster, it is hard to justify keeping him on the roster at his price. A great game this week could do enough to keep him around for another season.
Steelers Najee Harris could switch roles
The first two names on this list are at risk of being cut outright and off the team. The latter two will almost certainly be on the roster but could see their role on the team change. Starting with Najee Harris, it has been yet another blah season from the former first-round pick.
That certainly wasn’t the expectation. The Steelers were adamant in the offseason about building a stifling rushing attack for this offense to lean on this season. Even with the emergence of Jaylen Warren, the expectation was for him to just be second fiddle to Harris. A career-best season was expected, and a push for the rushing title wasn’t out of the question.
Instead, it has been more of the same from Harris. He hasn’t been horrible, but he has been inefficient with his carries. He benefits from the lion's share of the workload to inflate his stats, but his yards per carry is mediocre and he is more of a plodder than anything.
He is getting usurped by Warren. Initially, Warren was supposed to be just a change of pace option, but he has rightfully earned more work. He has provided more spark with the ball in his hands and could rightfully make the claim as top back. Heading into next season, that battle needs to open up.
The Steelers also need to decide what to do with Harris and his fifth-year option. As it stands, I don’t think there is a way to justify giving him that, meaning he is entering his final year with the team. Add in the questions that Warren should be forcing, and Harris is playing for a lot in this final game of the season.
The Steelers need to figure out Kenny Pickett
Like Harris, Kenny Pickett likely isn’t going anywhere this offseason, but there are a ton of questions that he needs to answer. While the hope was that Pickett could become a quality starter for this team, that hasn’t been the case through two seasons. On top of this issue, backups all over the league are opening questions about just how good Pickett can be.
Joe Flacco has looked elite for the Browns while Jake Browning has stepped in well for Joe Burrow. There have been numerous backups around the league that have outproduced Pickett in less action. Even Mason Rudolph looked better at times in his limited run as the quarterback.
While people are quick to lump their blame elsewhere as to why Pickett has struggled, I think it is also time to admit that he isn’t going to be a top quarterback either. Assuming the team acknowledges that they could look elsewhere at quarterback in the offseason.
This doesn’t mean that they will send the farm to trade up for a quarterback, but they could add a capable veteran to push him. They could also sell off some assets and try and position themselves for a top quarterback next year. The moves they make will be telling, as they will ultimately determine how they view Pickett moving forward.
The Steelers season is almost over, but this final game has some big implications for a lot of players. Some are playing for their life on the roster while others don’t want to lose their role. A big game would go a long way in securing their spot in 2024.