Pittsburgh Steelers Exit Meeting: WR Ben Skowronek
Experience: 4 Years (1 with Steelers)
Steelers OC Arthur Smith said that WR Ben Skowronek has a little dirtbag in him. I think that’s the highest compliment I’ve ever seen paid to a football player, and I hope he recognizes that. In football terms, that basically means he is willing to do the tough jobs, including playing enforcer if necessary.
Football teams need a handful of dirtbags. Ben Skowronek was one of them for the Steelers last year and should be again in 2025. He even managed to play over 100 snaps on offense, catching five passes. But his work was primarily on special teams, where he played 149 snaps.
Early in the season, the Steelers struggled to find adequate replacements for the gunners they had lost. Ben Skowronek provided one of the answers, but they didn’t find the other until they brought back James Pierre. And part of the job, he knows, is just straight up hustling. Twice last year, he was in the right place at the right time to recover a muffed punt.
He also forced fair catches, and he made seven tackles. Offensively, the Steelers had a willing blocker in Skowronek. And at 6-3, 224 pounds, he was better suited for it than most. Always a try-hard player who knows that’s what it takes to keep his roster spot, his work ethic is something you will never have to question. Because he knows if he ever gives you reason to question it, he’ll be looking for work.
The thing is, it’s not as though Ben Skowronek is not without complementary offensive attributes. He does have 63 catches for his career for 644 yards and a touchdown, which isn’t nothing. If he is your fifth wide receiver, you’re in pretty good shape. He’s not going to start Mossing people left and right, but he can get through a game.
Of course, Steelers crowds love a dirtbag who works hard, so Ben Skowronek became a fan favorite. And it’s hard to blame them—he seems like an easy guy to root for. Considering it would probably only cost them a Veteran Salary benefit deal, he seems like an obvious re-sign. Knowing the Steelers, though, they will probably give him a three-year, $5 million contract instead. Hell, maybe they give him Derek Watt’s old deal, adjusting for inflation. They shouldn’t, but don’t wake up surprised if they do.
The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves at home, the inevitable result of another early playoff exit. This is a repeated pattern for the organization, with no clear end in sight. As the Steelers conduct their own exit meetings, we will go down the roster conducting our own. Who should stay, and who should go, and how? Who should expect a bigger role next season, and who might deserve a new contract? We’ll explore those questions and more in these articles, part of an annual series.
