5 Steelers players barely hanging onto a roster spot

Gunner Olszewski needs to wow the coaching staff immediately

Gunner Olszewski is a veteran special teams ace who has been very solid this summer. However, the Pittsburgh Steelers understand that they still didn't get the player they paid for. Olszewski was a former All-Pro return man for the Patriots, but he very much underwhelmed in this area for Pittsburgh in his first season in 2022 -- seeing career lows in both kick return and punt return averages.

Now the Steelers are poised to move forward with Calvin Austin as their primary punt returner, and Olszewski could be an afterthought. Knowing the deep list of receivers sure to edge him out for offensive snaps, Olszewski once again needs to earn his bread on special teams.

The problem is that he might be the sixth receiver on a team that sometimes only keeps five players at the position. If Danny Smith loves Miles Boykins' ability as a gunner and they only intend to keep one of the two receivers to round out their roster, Olszewski needs to prove that he's more valuable in every other area.

I don't think that Gunner Olszewski is a bad football player, but he happens to be in a really tough spot right now. He will have one more game to put it all on the line and show the Steelers why he offers value as a receiver, return man, a gadget on offense, and a special teams defenseman. As of now, he's barely hanging onto one of the final roster spots in Pittsburgh.