The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the process of trimming their roster down to just 53 players. Among many moves the team already made was the decision to part ways with outside linebacker Kyron Johnson. Now a more notable name joins the mix.
Just hours before the deadline, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported the Steelers are releasing wide receiver Quez Watkins. Watkins was a sixth-round pick of the Eagles in 2020 and spent his first four seasons in Philadelphia.
#Steelers are releasing WR Quez Watkins, per source. A bit of a surprise given Pittsburgh's depth issues at receiver.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) August 27, 2024
When the Steelers signed Watkins early in the offseason, it was with the assumption that he could carve out a role as a slot cornerback and kick returner. Unfortunately for him, this won't be the case. The Steelers later selected Roman Wilson in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft and signed WR Scotty Miller in May -- creating unnecessary overlap at the position.
These moves made Watkins potentially expendable on paper. When the preseason kicked off, Watkins dug his own grave.
Watkins botched opportunity to revive his career on the Steelers
The speedster wide receiver fair caught his first punt return attempt despite no players within 23 yards of him. On his second try, Watkins tried to field a punt over the shoulder, which resulted in a fumble and was picked up by the opposing team.
These two bone-headed decisions already had Watkins on the outside of the roster bubble looking in. Over the course of the preseason, Watkins did virtually nothing to make up for his mistakes and was just another face in the crowd.
Watkins once showed ample promise in this league. In his second season with the Eagles at 23 years old, the athletic receiver racked up 647 receiving yards (including a 91-yard reception) and averaged 15.0 yards per catch while primarily working from the slot.
Sadly, his performance has gone downhill over the past two seasons. After botching a prime opportunity to land on a receiver-needy team in Pittsburgh, chances are going to be hard to come by for Watkins. He will look to land back on his feet with another squad.
Meanwhile, the Steelers have plenty of issues of their own at the wide receiver position, and looking outside of the organization for answers almost feels necessary at this point.