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: RB Anthony McFarland Jr.
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: A year after missing the 53-man roster, RB Anthony McFarland Jr. may have found his niche in 2023 as the Steelers’ starting kick returner. He had a solid debut in the role, averaging over 30 yards per return on three attempts, and even contributed a couple of receptions on offense, including one on a fourth-down conversion.
So, let’s break up all the monotonous negativity here for a moment. Yes, Sunday’s loss was bad, but not everybody was bad within it. OLB T.J. Watt was the obvious bright spot, but he wasn’t alone. Let’s shine a quick light on RB Anthony McFarland Jr., who persevered through last year’s release to discover his new niche.
With the Steelers opting not to re-sign Benny Snell Jr., the third running back role was wide open for McFarland, a 2020 fourth-round pick, to make a jump back onto the 53-man roster after being demoted to the practice squad in 2022. That was thanks to 2022 undrafted rookie Jaylen Warren emerging and taking his spot.
But with Najee Harris and Warren safely planted in the top two roles, the third spot was left open, and McFarland marched through it. He aided his cause by showing a capacity to contribute in the return game, and he debuted well in that area. Totaling 91 return yards on three returns, his first was his shortest at 25, which he took out to the 27-yard line. His longest was 34 yards, taken from the two.
But it wasn’t just special teams. He did get some work on offense, and that included catching both of the targets that came his way for 11 yards. That might not sound like much, but one of them successfully converted on fourth-and-3 on a bad throw by QB Kenny Pickett that forced him to dive for the ball.
Still, McFarland’s offensive contributions will probably remain relatively minimal behind Harris and Warren. Where he will have the opportunity to contribute is in the kick return game, though the Steelers have reason to hope that he won’t have that chance. Outside of registering safeties, there isn’t a good time to have your kick return unit on the field. Outside of the start of a half, it means you just gave up a score. But now he can help them get those points back with a good return.
