The Steelers are now back at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, facing down a long regular season that looks a lot more promising given how things have gone leading up to it. Finishing just above .500 last year, they anticipate being able to compete with any team in the league this season with second-year QB Kenny Pickett leading the way.
They’ve done a great deal to address what they identified as their shortcomings during the offseason, which included addressing the offensive and defensive lines as well as the secondary and the inside linebacker room, which is nearly entirely different from last year. The results have been positive so far.
Even well into the regular season and beyond, there are going to be plenty of questions that need answered. When will the core rookies get to play, or even start? Is the depth sufficient where they upgraded? Can they stand toe-to-toe with the Bengals and the other top teams in the league? We’ll try to frame the conversation in relevant ways as long as you stick with us throughout the season, as we have for many years.
Question: Did the Steelers just find their new kick returner in RB Godwin Igwebuike?
With RB Anthony McFarland Jr. on the Reserve/Injured List and WR Gunner Olszewski concussed and otherwise incompetent, the Steelers are searching for answers not just at the running back position but at kick returner as well.
McFarland will be back, at some point, but will have to miss at least the next three games. There is every reason to believe the Steelers might be gun-shy about putting Olszewski back there again, even assuming he clears the concussion protocol. And they don’t want to overload WR/PR Calvin Austin III, who isn’t an experienced kick returner in the first place.
So is Godwin Igwebuike their guy now? A former college safety at Northwestern who converted to running back, he has returned kicks for the past two seasons in the NFL, not without success. Although a small sample size on just 11 returns, he averaged 28 yards last season in five games for the Seattle Seahawks. He also returned 28 kicks for 697 yards (a 24.9-yard average) in 2021 for the Detroit Lions.
Igwebuike was on the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad before signing with the Steelers. He returned three kicks for a 22.7-yard average during the preseason, but did not have an opportunity to return a kick when they played Pittsburgh in the finale.
In addition to his work in the kick return game, Igwebuike also has a 4.1-yard career rushing average, albeit on just 21 attempts (an impressive 57.1-percent success rate). He has eight receptions for 63 yards, with just 105 career offensive snaps.
That just makes it all the more obvious that the Steelers signed him to specifically be a return man and special teamer, having played 456 snaps on special teams since 2018 (but having only recently begun work in the return game).
The thing is, having been signed off the practice squad, the Steelers have to carry him for three games. McFarland has to be on IR for three more games. Will this just be a three-game rental, or can he steal the job away?
