The Pittsburgh Steelers turned to yet another former Baltimore Raven as they look to patch up their secondary after trading Minkah Fitzpatrick away for Jalen Ramsey. The Steelers signed veteran safety Chuck Clark, who according to Pro Football Talk, will compete with Juan Thornhill for the starting job next to his former teammate in Baltimore, DeShon Elliott.
The Steelers once again are getting desperate as they look to build a championship-contending roster. Clark has been a solid safety throughout his career, but replacing Fitzpatrick’s contributions won’t be easy. What should be easy is earning the starting role over Thornhill, though: As a Browns fan, I had firsthand experience with Thornhill and Clark will probably be the starting safety.
But more importantly, the Steelers have further made clear that they're going all-in this year. Adding Rodgers felt like a desperate move, but it was the first in a long line of them since, as Pittsburgh has continued to get aging players to fill out this roster.
Pittsburgh's approach to filling out its roster could come back to bite them
The Steelers have turned to aging veterans to fill out this roster, which could work. But it could also come back to haunt them as they’ve turned to players that have extensive injury histories. The Steelers can’t afford to lose out on players because of injury. They put all their faith into this season being a championship one, based on their moves, so health will be critical.
Clark is coming off an ACL injury a year ago, Ramsey has had his share of injuries, Rodgers tore his Achilles two seasons ago and, though, T.J. Watt might be the most important player on the roster, he's had some issues staying on the field himself. This team is good and should have the pieces for a playoff run, but health could thwart all of that.
Pittsburgh is doing everything it needs to do to compete with the top teams in the AFC. But it could all blow up in their face. This season might be the most important of Mike Tomlin’s career. He has avoided the hot seat for quite some time, but won’t have that luxury this season. Just one playoff win won’t cut it, either.
The roster has been constructed to reach the AFC Championship Game at worst. Anything less than that and a whole lot of people could lose their job. The Steelers adding yet another veteran in Clark is proof this season is championship or bust.