The Pittsburgh Steelers are back in the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex earlier than they had anticipated, having been ousted before they even reached the postseason, which unfortunately marks the sixth consecutive season in which they failed to win a postseason game—tying their longest drought of the Super Bowl era. Yet again, they find themselves undergoing the exit meeting process earlier than anticipated, which means so are we.
The Steelers did arguably perform at or above expectations this year by going 9-8 and nearly making the postseason at all, a reflection of just how much talent they lost during the offseason, from Ben Roethlisberger and Joe Haden to most of their wide receiver room, not to mention Stephon Tuitt’s decision to retire.
While we might not know all the details about what goes on between head coach Mike Tomlin and his players during these exit meetings, we do know how we would conduct those meetings if they were let up to us. So here are the Depot’s exit meetings for the Steelers’ roster following the 2022 season.
Player: Anthony Miller
Position: WR
Experience: 4 Years
Former second-round draft pick Anthony Miller has been with the Steelers organization since October 12, 2021, when he was first signed to the practice squad. He has never spent a second on the 53-man roster, but he was elevated from the practice squad for one game during that season.
Retained in 2022 on a Reserve/Future contract, he aimed to compete for a spot on the 53-man roster last season, and was largely seen as having a reasonable chance of doing so. He got off to a good start during training camp, though began to fade a bit. Before he had a chance of righting the ship, he suffered a season-ending injury and spent the year on the Reserve/Injured List instead.
The Memphis product spent his first three seasons in the NFL with the Chicago Bears from 2018 through 2020, catching 134 passes as a slot receiver for 1,564 yards and 11 touchdowns, seven of which came in his rookie season. They traded him to the Houston Texans in 2021, with whom he only played in two games before being released.
Now having accrued four NFL seasons, Miller was due to become an unrestricted free agent later this month, but the Steelers have already re-signed him to a one-year contract. He will once again be given an opportunity to compete for a spot on the team, and there is a potential opening.
While Diontae Johnson and George Pickens are clearly defined as the Steelers’ top two receivers, little else is certain. Calvin Austin III, a small 2022 fourth-round pick, joined Miller in spending the year on the Reserve/Injured List.
Also in the mix, depending on their free agency status, will be Gunner Olszewski, Steven Sims, and Miles Boykin. Given this pool, it’s hard to imagine Pittsburgh not adding at least one significant name to the mix, either via free agency or the draft.
