With the departure of Emmanuel Sanders this offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers passing attack will look a little different this upcoming season. And while the team did go out and bring in veterans Darrius Heyward-Bey and Lance Moore, head coach Mike Tomlin will actually be looking to second-year wide receiver Markus Wheaton to step up and take the number two role at receiver opposite Antonio Brown.
"“It’s tough to play wide receiver with broken fingers,” Tomlin said last week, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I look forward to him taking a significant step for us. I know that we need him to.”"
The team had a lot of high hopes for the rookie last season, however a few broken fingers that required surgery dashed those hopes for his first season.
But, 2014 is a fresh start and the youngster is having a lot thrown on his shoulders, which Tomlin and offensive coordinator Todd Haley are both hoping he can handle.
What also may help is that the team is still expected to target a wide receiver in the draft next month, which could help ease that pressure just slightly.