The Pittsburgh Steelers vastly improved their offense during this offseason, and even made a few moves to shore up their defense. What isn’t talked about as much is the way they strengthened their special teams unit. Cam Johnston should provide an upgrade at punter, and the team also signed several depth players who should be immediate contributors on special teams. Mike Tomlin certainly seems happy to have a more established core on special teams, especially with the new kickoff rules.
Speaking to the media after players arrived for training camp, Tomlin was asked about the recent signing of Tyler Matakevich, and what that move could say about the kickoff coverage unit.
“I know proven, capable special teamers are significant,” Tomlin said. “When you’re faced with the unknown of the kickoff, and regardless of position, Tyler is a known commodity in that space. One that we’re familiar with, one that everybody in the National Football League’s familiar with. It’s just prudent business, facing what we’re facing in terms of the unknown, in terms of the impact of that play on our game.”
Steelers players have talked about what a huge change the new kickoff rules are, so it’s no surprise to see Tomlin taking the matter so seriously. Matakevich has proven that he’s a high-quality NFL special teams player, and bringing him back to the team after he left in 2020 should help the Steelers tackle this new challenge.
While the Steelers’ offensive and defensive coaching staffs have undergone significant changes in recent years, their special teams coordinator has been steady, held down by Danny Smith. Considering he spent the first four years of his career in Pittsburgh, Matakevich should be familiar with the way Smith runs his units, and it shouldn’t take him long to get back into the fold.
Early on, the Steelers showed how committed they were going to be to trying to take advantage of the new kickoff rules by signing veteran return specialist Cordarrelle Patterson. Not only that, but they also re-signed All-Pro special teams player Miles Killebrew. They’ve made a conscious effort to get a jump on a new rule that the whole league will need to get adjusted to. If they’re offense struggles again this year, that could be a component of the Steelers’ game that helps them stay competitive.
