Like Rodney Williams, 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: Rodney Williams
Position: Tight End
Experience: 1 Year
The Steelers promoted TE Rodney Williams to the 53-man roster in Week 5 following Pat Freiermuth’s hamstring injury. The fact that he managed to stay there for the remainder of the season is solely a credit to himself. But he probably shouldn’t count on remaining there for the start of the 2024 season.
A former college free agent, Williams spent the 2022 season on the Steelers’ practice squad. He quickly ingratiated himself to special teams coordinator Danny Smith, whom he also saved from further injury last season.
Knowing where you butter your bread is not a bad thing. Williams played 189 snaps on special teams in 13 games versus only 55 snaps on offense. The Steelers promoted him because of Freiermuth’s injury, but he dressed for special teams.
Even bigger than pulling his special teams coordinator out of the fire, though, his play made a difference. He saved one special teams touchdown following a Gunner Olszewski fumble and nearly scored one himself.
Still, the Steelers have Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, and Connor Heyward at tight end already. Those are the three tight ends they brought into last season and they’re likely to do so again. They surely want to keep Williams in the organization, one way or another, though.
Keeping him as well as the rest is not impossible, admittedly. Both he and Heyward are prominent special teams contributors, so they carry their positional weight. The Steelers could part with some key special teams contributors this offseason as well in Miles Boykin or James Pierre. I doubt they allow Miles Killebrew to leave in free agency, however.
