Much of the focus of tonight’s Pittsburgh Steelers preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will revolve around the offense and defense. How well rookie OT Broderick Jones blocks, how QB Kenny Pickett looks, the play of the team’s overhauled inside linebacker group.
But don’t forget about special teams. Roster spots will be won and lost there as much as they will on either side of the trenches. Special teams are more difficult to get a feel for during practice, pieced together with no full 11v11 sessions like the offense and defense do. RB Jaylen Warren made the 53 last season in part due to what he did on special teams. There are countless examples of others sticking that way whether it was FB Roosevelt Nix, LB Jamir Jones, or WR Miles Boykin last season.
With that in mind, here are six Steelers who will be under the microscope for what they do – or don’t do – on special teams tonight. And to make this list a little less obvious, we’ll exclude the true specialists: punters Pressley Harvin III and Braden Mann along with long snappers Christian Kuntz and Rex Sunahara. It goes without saying those four need to perform well.
WR Cody White
White has enjoyed an excellent training camp. He’s been among the most productive players this summer, catching nearly everything thrown his way, and his versatility has allowed him to stick on the practice squad for years. But making and sticking on the 53 has been a challenge. White has only logged roughly 200 total NFL snaps, most of them coming in 2021. Last year, he lost out to Boykin, who proved to be a far more effective gunner.
Though White can play on multiple phases of special teams, he’s never shown to be a standout there. With seemingly five wide receivers positioned ahead of him – Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, Allen Robinson II, Calvin Austin III, and Boykin – White will have to excel in order to make the 53 for Week One. Or else he’ll begin another year on the practice squad, waiting his turn.
WR Gunner Olszewski
He’s in a direct battle with Austin to be the team’s starting return man. Olszewski was signed to be that guy last year but fumbled the chance away, spending the rest of the year zig-zagging on pre-snap motions and rotating in the slot after Chase Claypool was dealt away, carrying the ball more than he caught it.
Olszewski has had a rock-solid camp but if he’s going to make the team, it needs to be as a return man. If Austin turns in solid performances, Olszewski may be frozen out. He must make an impact here and compel the team to keep him as its sixth wide receiver. Ball security is first and foremost, but he won’t make the 53 by keeping two hands on the football. There must be splash.
RB Anthony McFarland Jr.
There’s no question it’s been a solid camp for McFarland and of the No. 3 options on the Steelers’ roster, he’s the guy. But he may still struggle to offer gameday value unless he can show something on special teams. He could get a look as a kick returner but more importantly, he needs to be a coverage guy. It’s the role Benny Snell Jr. performed so well the last several seasons.
McFarland tried and struggled there in 2022, passed up by Warren and boxed out by Snell, leaving McFarland on the practice squad. If he can’t improve his performance here, it’s still possible the team goes outside the organization for a different option ahead of Week One.
LB Mark Robinson
Though I’ve been a fan of Robinson and talked him up all offseason, he actually hasn’t shown much on special teams. With limited playing time as a rookie, he logged just 16 snaps on special teams in 2022. In the preseason, he didn’t make a particular impact there. Robinson has the traits of an effective special teams guy, hard-hitting and fearless, but it’s still part of his game that must be developed. Still in good position to make the team, if he can’t play well on special teams, he may again find himself inactive on game days.
CB Luq Barcoo
Cracking the 53 will be tough for a guy like Barcoo, even after Cory Trice Jr.’s season-ending knee injury. Barcoo has gotten hot the last week of practice with several pass breakups and a pair of interceptions. To keep stacking good days, he’ll need to show he can tackle and cover on special teams. Barcoo has a lankier frame and isn’t regarded as a stellar tackler but he’ll have tonight and the following two preseason games to change that narrative.
S Tre Norwood
Fellow safety Kenny Robinson has been the team’s top camp darling and he needs a good special teams showing. So does Norwood. He disappointed last season in large part due to his ugly missed tackles, including on the coverage unit, and he spent the back half of 2022 struggling to pick up playing time. He’s shown more physicality and want-to this summer, and it needs to carry over tonight and through the Steelers’ next two preseason games. With Robinson impressing, Norwood has little margin for error.
Norwood did suffer a leg injury a few days ago but it appears minor. Even if he doesn’t suit up tonight, he needs to play well on ‘teams the rest of the way.
Bonus – Rookie/Backup Outside Linebackers
Giving you not just an extra name but extra position group. The Steelers’ top four outside linebackers are locked in: T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Markus Golden, and Nick Herbig (it’s unclear if Herbig will play tonight due to a hip injury) and there’s been no clear frontrunner for anyone to potentially be a fifth guy.
The names in the mix are Quincy Roche, David Perales, and Toby Ndukwe. All have been pretty quiet this summer. Still, with only four on the 53, it’s likely the team will keep at least an extra outside linebacker on the practice squad. It’ll probably go to whoever is the best special teamer. Who that’ll be is anyone’s guess.
