The Pittsburgh Steelers now have a roster without a true fullback after undrafted rookie Monte Pottebaum decided to retire on Sunday. The news was announced right as the team was getting ready to begin practice, and the reason for Pottebaum's retirement has not been reported and is unclear.
The Steelers now find themselves needing a fullback, and there are quite a few available on the free-agent market. However, it would make the most sense for the team to either move Connor Heyward there permanently or bring back Derek Watt, who is still a free agent after not re-signing with Pittsburgh.
The Steelers picked up Pottebaum as an undrafted free agent after he was not selected in the 2023 NFL Draft. He quickly became a fan favorite, mainly due to his looks which include a mullet.
Unfortunately for Steelers fans, all we got to see out of Pottebaum in his NFL career was three practices before he was placed on the reserve/retired list. The Steelers might now be in the market for a free-agent fullback, and one that should be at the top of their list is Watt.
Could The Steelers Bring Back Derek Watt?
Watt is 30 years old and played for the Steelers for three seasons from 2020 through 2022. The Steelers decided not to re-sign him in the 2023 offseason. During his time with the team, he played in 45 games and was mainly featured as a blocker and special teams player. In his first year with Pittsburgh in 2020, he was able to block a punt which resulted in a safety.
He scored two touchdowns with the Steelers, both coming during the 2022 season. One came on a reception from former Steelers receiver Chase Claypool and the other was a rushing touchdown against the Cleveland Browns, which ended up being the Steelers' last touchdown of the 2022 season.
It's hard to imagine the Steelers signing a fullback who isn't Watt, as he was already on the team, knows the system and his brother is the team's best player, TJ Watt. The Steelers love their family ties, as at one time they had two of the Watt brothers, Terrell Edmunds and Trey Edmunds and Cameron and Connor Heyward. The team also signed Nate Herbig before drafting his younger brother, Nick Herbig, in the fourth round of the 2023 draft.
The Steelers could also decide to not pick up a fullback at all. They do have a player with fullback experience in Heyward. He played h-back at Michigan State and would occasionally line up as a fullback and be a lead blocker in the run game. Heyward is praised for his versatility, as he plays tight end, but has experience at fullback and running back as well.
The Steelers currently have a pretty crowded tight end room. Pat Freiermuth is the clear starter, Zach Gentry is a great blocking tight end that occasionally lines up next to Freiermuth, and the team drafted Darnell Washington in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. It might make the most sense for Heyward if he decides to pay more attention to playing fullback.
While Heyward is an option who is already on the roster to fulfill the fullback role, Steelers fans would miss him in the limited snaps he gets at tight end. Heyward showed some flashes in 2022. He seemed to catch everything that came his way. He consistently stretched to get balls and he even scored a touchdown in a game against the Atlanta Falcons that ended up being the difference, as the Steelers won the game by three points.
Bringing back Watt makes the most sense for the Steelers. He would be inexpensive to sign and would likely only want a one-year deal as he is 30 years old. His experience blocking for Najee Harris and playing within Matt Canada's system will be beneficial for the Steelers, and it could lead to the run game being more consistent for the team than it was last year.
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