Will Steelers New WR Play This Week?

Don't be surprised if the Pittsburgh Steelers roll out their new offensive weapon in Week 10 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Despite only a week of practice, it wouldn't be surprising if there's a new wide receiver in the mix for Aaron Rodgers.

The Steelers will travel to Los Angeles after three practices and a walk-through with Marquez Valdes-Scantling on their practice squad. That means he'll get minimal reps throughout the week, and could spend more time working as Keenan Allen than he does with Aaron Rodgers. But it still feels like Valdes-Scantling will get to work with the offense on game day.

There's no rhyme or reason for Valdes-Scantling to make his Steelers debut in Week 10, but the hunch is there. Speaking with him after his first practice, it sure seemed as if he just needed to learn the playbook and he'd be on the active roster. That came right after he admitted Rodgers recruited him to the team, meaning there's some expectation they'll be playing together in pursuit of a Super Bowl.

"I’ve played a lot of football, made a lot of plays in this league for a long time," Valdes-Scantling said. "I’m just bringing that here and hopefully can help us win some games.

"Just gotta get up to speed on what’s going on. Obviously, we’re in the middle of the season, so just getting acclimated to the play calls and understanding what my role is gonna be. That’ll be that, but when the time comes, I’ll be ready for it."

Steelers Don't Need to Wait

It's not like the Steelers offense is crumbling and they need to urgently find the fix in the receiving game. They're 5-3 and hold a comfortable lead in the AFC North. Rodgers and company have been able to produce 25.3 points per game this season as he's been able to get nearly everyone included in the passing attack.

However, there's nothing saying they have to wait to add another weapon. It's not like Rodgers is throwing for 300 yards per game, and there's a clear WR3 in Pittsburgh that they must protect. Right now, Roman Wilson is slowly getting added into the mix, but the team wouldn't hurt from an extra pass-catcher with familiarity to Rodgers.