Now that the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2023 season is getting underway after the team finished above .500 but failing to make the postseason last year, we turn our attention to the next chapter of Steelers football and everything that entails. One thing that it means is that some stock evaluations are going to start taking on more specific contexts as we get into the season, reflecting more immediate plusses and minus rather than trends over long periods. The nature of the evaluation, whether short-term or long-term, will be noted in the reasoning section below.
Player: WR Cody White
Stock Value: Sold
Reasoning: The veteran wide receiver was announced as having been waived yesterday with an injury designation after spending the past few seasons with the Steelers, including much of 2021 on the 53. Head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed yesterday that White was hurt in Saturday’s game, though did not disclose the injury.
Cody White spent time in Kansas City, New York, and Denver in 2020 before settling in on the Steelers’ practice squad on Sept. 24, 2020. He spent the rest of the year there and stuck around a year later. After JuJu Smith-Schuster’s injury in 2021, he was promoted to the 53-man roster and remained there for the rest of the season, logging 77 snaps (and another 105 on special teams) with five catches for 33 yards.
After reverting back to the practice squad for the 2022 season, White had an outside shot of claiming the sixth wide receiver spot on the 53 this year. He had a very productive training camp, and a largely consistent one, while getting props for his physicality and ability to block.
The receiving part, at least, did not translate to the preseason games. He caught two passes for 13 yards on five targets. At some point during Saturday’s game against the Buffalo Bills, he suffered an injury that the Steelers felt would keep him out for a long enough duration to justify waiving him.
As a non-vested player, he should revert to the team’s Reserve/Injured List provided that he clears waivers, which is very likely, though not impossible. He could then remain on the Reserve/Injured List for the season or the team could work out an injury settlement, and perhaps circle back later on in the year when healthy and add him to the practice squad when the required number of weeks have passed.
White was fighting for space at a position of relative depth for the Steelers. They have a strong core four, at least, with Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, Allen Robinson II, and Calvin Austin III being the ones most likely to see the field on offense. Miles Boykin is a core special teams contributor.
The sixth spot, if there is one, is less solidified, though with both White and Hakeem Butler being released, the higher-probability options are narrowing. I regret to inform those of you who can’t stand him that Gunner Olszewski remains in the driver’s seat, though a dark horse like Dez Fitzpatrick could make a late run after a solid camp.
