For a majority of the offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t know whether Aaron Rodgers would be their quarterback or not. Yet, they prepared for him anyway. From Arthur Smith designing an offense around him in advance, to drafting a workhorse running back and bringing in a new WR1, Pittsburgh has put a few pieces around Rodgers. But is it enough?
According to Keyshawn Johnson, it is.
“When you go out, and you get a dude like a DK Metcalf, you get a Robert Woods coming over from Houston, that’s telling me, right then and there, that there’s gonna be some similarity in the West Coast offense. Because you got two different type wide receivers here,” Johnson said Tuesday on FS1’s Speak.
In terms of receivers, Aaron Rodgers does have some talent to work with. When he’s on his game, DK Metcalf is one of the better receivers in the league, and the Steelers are paying him as such. While he’s a big body, Pittsburgh does have some nice route runners who can pick up yards underneath, too. Johnson mentions Robert Woods, but Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson can serve those familiar roles for Rodgers as well.
The Steelers also have their own Swiss Army knife in Jonnu Smith. The versatile tight end can line up wide as a receiver, in the backfield, and was even used in screens with the Miami Dolphins last year. He’s coming off a career-best season in which he recorded 884 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. While Metcalf is a possession receiver, the Steelers do have the weapons to operate a quick-passing game, like the one Johnson is suggesting. With Aaron Rodgers turning 42 in December, that may suit him the best.
There are, however, questions about depth. Austin has never been a bona fide WR2, and Wilson’s yet to catch an NFL pass. Due to that, Pittsburgh may have to rely on its run game and defense. That’s nothing new, though. It’s also something Johnson thinks may work.
“And then you talk about [Jaylen] Warren at the running back position, you bring him back. And you let Najee Harris go. On the defensive side you pick up a Darius Slay, you trade for a Jalen Ramsey. So that tells me right there, you still gonna be a defensive-oriented team, with a West Coast-style offense,” Johnson said.
Many fans were screaming for Warren to have more of an opportunity. With Najee Harris out of town, he will. However, Kaleb Johnson is hard to ignore. He’s capable of carrying a huge workload and is a great fit in Arthur Smith’s offense. We’ll have to see how the defense shakes out, but Jalen Ramsey does add more versatility.
“I think it’s more than enough to help [Rodgers] out,” Johnson said.
Aaron Rodgers also had a lot of help in New York, but things didn’t go well there. Pittsburgh is hoping a better environment produces different results this time around.
