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: The veteran running back appears set to return from the Reserve/Injured List later this week. Additionally, he seems destined to resume his role as kick returner with the Steelers reportedly intending to part ways with CB Desmond King II, who has primarily served that function since McFarland has been on reserve.
The moment you’ve all been waiting for is very nearly here. It seems only a matter of time before RB Anthony McFarland Jr. is formally activated from the Reserve/Injured List later this week and returns to the active roster.
Having suffered a knee injury in the preseason that evidently was aggravated in the season opener, McFarland has spent the past four games on IR. He made a successful debut as a kick returner, however, and also caught two passes in limited offensive snaps in the season opener, including one on a fourth-down conversion.
His being awarded the kick return job came as something of a surprise because it’s not something he was really given much of an opportunity to do, or to do well, during the preseason. Nor did he have a college or professional background in that arena.
As such, there was reason to believe that he could lose that job while out with injury. Replacing him for most of that time was CB Desmond King II, who does have an NFL resume as kick returner. However, it was reported yesterday that the Steelers intend to trade or release him with McFarland returning from injury, and I don’t imagine WR Gunner Olszewski will be given the opportunity to fumble yet again.
Two of McFarland’s four seasons since being drafted have been marred by injury. He spent much of the 2021 season on the Physically Unable to Perform List and struggled to find avenues to contribute when he did return.
He cannot afford to suffer the same fate again, which is what makes the retention of the kick return role so crucial. That is a guaranteed opportunity to make an impact, which he won’t find on offense. The Steelers are already having a hard enough time distributing snaps between Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. Still, if the opener was an indication, there could be a receiving-centric role somewhere in the offense for McFarland.
