Like Anthony McFarland Jr., the Pittsburgh Steelers are right where we are: sitting at home being mad. Although they managed to make the playoffs in 2023, they lost in the first round. It has now been seven years without a postseason victory, the longest drought in franchise history. The question is what to do next.
The first step is always taking stock of what happened and what is left. That’s part of the exit meeting process, in which coaches meet with each player. They discuss the season and their expectations moving forward—and potentially their role within it.
While we might not know all the details about what goes on between head coach Mike Tomlin and his players during these exit meetings, we do know how we would conduct those meetings if they were let up to us. So here are the Depot’s exit meetings for the Steelers’ roster following the 2023 season.
Player: Anthony McFarland Jr.
Position: Running Back
Experience: 4 Years
While not yet definitely over, Anthony McFarland Jr.’s NFL career proved a tale of one step forward, two steps back. Every time he seemed to make headway, he encountered a setback. In his second season, he spent the first half of the year on the Reserve/injured List. Coming off his best offseason in 2022, he ran into the brick wall named Jaylen Warren, who took his spot.
McFarland persisted, however, and after spending a year on the practice squad once again made the team in 2023. He wasn’t likely to see much time on offense, but he earned the starting kick return job despite no resume.
And he did a solid job of it in the regular season opener. The only problem is, once again, he couldn’t stay healthy. That’s not quite the end of the story, but it’s close enough to make no difference. Yet again, McFarland spent considerable time on the Reserve/Injured List.
In between, the Steelers cycled through Gunner Olszewski and Desmond King II as return options. They finally settled on Godwin Igwebuike, another running back with more experience. Eventually, with a new kick returner in hand, Pittsburgh waived McFarland and re-signed him to its practice squad.
But they did not re-sign him this offseason. In fact, nobody did. At least, nobody in the NFL re-signed him. He signed up to participate in the UFL this year with the San Antonio Brahmas. That doesn’t mean he’ll never get another shot with an NFL team, but it doesn’t look good.
A 2020 fourth-round pick, McFarland offered intrigue through diversity in the Steelers’ backfield. He promised the speed and quickness that, at the time, James Conner and Benny Snell Jr. lacked. While we occasionally saw a flash or two, he could not sustain the opportunity, let alone the productivity.
What if he hadn’t gotten hurt yet again, though? He returned six kicks for a 27.3-yard average in 2023. He saw five snaps on offense in the opener, catching two passes, including one on a key fourth-down conversion. It seemed his time had finally arrived to contribute to an NFL team. Perhaps he still can. But who knows if he’ll ever get the chance again.
