Players Who Can Save Steelers Season

It’s been three years of undelivered promise with Darnell Washington, the behemoth tight end. He was slated to finally take that next step this year, but still he finds himself playing a small number of snaps through the first two weeks.

Washington is such a different player than Pat Freiermuth or Jonnu Smith, and the Steelers are failing to use that to their advantage. The offense is meant to spread the ball around to multiple options, and Washington is another unexpected weapon that the Steelers could use. With the passing offense needing a spark, incorporating more plays for Washington might be the best option in-house to turn things around.

Patrick Queen & Payton Wilson

The run defense in Pittsburgh is so bad, and blame should be shared equally across the entire group. But the middle linebackers have been swallowed up in run defense so far. Their athleticism is negated by their inability to get out of the muck and madness that is the line of scrimmage, and it’s a huge reason why they’ve allowed eight runs of 15 yards or more through two games.

Queen and Wilson are extremely talented, but no pass coverage skill makes up for this ineptitude stopping the run. The glue in the middle of the defense must improve in order to salvage this supposedly elite defense.

Trey Sermon

The Steelers need a balanced rushing attack, something they’ve failed to create or establish under Arthur Smith. It doesn’t seem on track for much better this year, as Kenneth Gainwell and Jaylen Warren split tailback duties. Adding a more powerful, downhill back like Trey Sermon would be a quick fix to reshape the running back room. He’s not a lead back by any means, but he could give the team a real change of pace, between the tackles runner that could help open up the play action for Aaron Rodgers.

Joey Porter Jr.

The secondary hasn’t been very dangerous to start the year aside from Jalen Ramsey’s first interception as a Steeler. That’s why Joey Porter Jr. is the player they need to get back on track. Ramsey and Darius Slay lack the pure foot speed Porter Jr. possesses, making him a better fit for the man coverage schemes Mike Tomlin foams at the mouth about. The third-year cornerback is trying to assert himself as an elite corner in the NFL, and the Steelers are even more desperate for that to happen.

T.J. Watt

All of the worries go away if superstar edge rusher T.J. Watt breaks this slump he’s been in dating back to the 2024 season. The $41 million man has no sacks through two games and while his rush defense is still stout, he’s not paid all of this money to make tackles on running downs alone. He has to get after the quarterback and start opening up other parts of this defense. Until that happens, there’s no one else on this roster that can overcome the deficit Watt’s struggles create.