After a rough start in 2022, the Pittsburgh Steelers finished strong. Could some savvy pros get them back in the playoffs for the third time in four years?
This past season, the Pittsburgh Steelers overcame a brutal 2-6 start to win seven of their final nine games. The team finished third in the AFC North with a 9-8 record but failed to return to the playoffs for a third consecutive year.
There is optimism and skepticism in regard to Mike Tomlin’s team. Rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett made strides as the season unfolded and the Steelers limited each of their final seven opponents to 17 points or less. However, many have questioned the caliber of competition down the stretch and there were too many instances of the club being manhandled earlier in the year.
The NFL’s new league year begins on March 15. It will be interesting to see how busy new general manager Omar Khan and the team is during free agency. The Steelers also have the 17th, 32nd (via the Bears) and 49th overall picks in April’s draft.
The following three performers were not named to the Pro Bowl in 2022, but all three have at least one invitation on their resumes. In the case of the top choice here, you could argue he has a Hall of Fame resume and is still playing quality football. What can’t be argued is that he is available to be signed right away.
In any case, each of these players (once on the open market) would bolster a franchise that hasn’t won a postseason game since 2016.
Pro Bowlers the Steelers should sign this offseason: 3. WR DJ Chark (Lions)
He enjoyed a Pro Bowl campaign in his second season in the league. In a year in which the Jacksonville Jaguars finished 6-10 and in last place in the AFC South, wide receiver DJ Chark caught 73 passes for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns. He would play in a combined 17 contests the next two seasons, including only four games in 2021.
Last offseason, the 2019 second-round pick from LSU inked a one-year deal with the Detroit Lions. He wound up playing in only 11 games, catching 30 passes for 502 yards and three scores. What stands out is Chark’s 16.7 yards per reception.
Pro Bowlers the Steelers should sign this offseason: 2. OLB/DE Justin Houston (Ravens)
During the summer of 2021, one of the game’s top pass-rushers almost wound up in Pittsburgh.
“I was so close to signing with the Steelers,” said veteran defender Justin Houston (via Jelani Scott of NFL.com). “That was crazy. They (were) one of the teams I was considering.”
The 12-year performer wound up with the Baltimore Ravens. In two seasons with John Harbaugh’s club, the relentless performer played in 29 regular-season contests and amassed 14.0 sacks, an interception, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Houston led the Ravens with 9.5 sacks in 2022 and also had a sack of Joe Burrow in the club’s 24-17 Wild Card loss at Cincinnati.
A third-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2011, the former University of Georgia standout has enjoyed a stellar NFL career. In a dozen campaigns with three different teams, including a two-year stint with the Colts, Houston has had no problem dumping opposing quarterbacks. He has amassed 111.5 sacks, 19 forced fumbles, five interceptions and 14 fumble recoveries. His four Pro Bowl appearances and an All-Pro nod came during his eight seasons with the Chiefs, where he racked up 78.5 QB traps.
Houston showed his versatility during a two-year stint with the Colts from 2019-20. Including the postseason, he lined up at defensive end for a total of 33 games, all starts, and finished with a combined 19.5 sacks.
Pro Bowlers the Steelers should sign this offseason: 1. LB Bobby Wagner (Released by Rams)
Longtime Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ linebacker Lavonte David has had a stellar career. He was an All-Pro performer in his second season in the league in 2013 and was named to the Pro Bowl two seasons later (2015). He comes off a season in which he led his team with 124 tackles. He also totaled three sacks and knocked down five passes. David could become an unrestricted free agent on March 15.
However, if general manager Omar Khan wants to add someone sooner than later, 11-year pro Bobby Wagner is hitting the open market now.
Talk about a run of excellence? From 2014-21 with the Seattle Seahawks, he was named to eight consecutive Pro Bowls and earned First Team All-Pro recognition six times. The 2012 second-round pick from Utah State by the ‘Hawks has amassed at least 100 tackles in each of his 11 NFL campaigns.
In 2022, Wagner started all 17 games for Sean McVay’s club. He led the club with 140 stops, to go along with six sacks, a pair of interceptions and five passes defensed. The ageless performer and the Rams have agreed to part ways after only one year (via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero).
Last March, he inked a five-year $50 million deal with the franchise (via Spotrac) after being a cap casualty in Seattle.