3 Pittsburgh Steelers Week 1 starters who will be benched by October and why

The Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Atlanta Falcons Week 1 of the NFL season. While the Steelers have an easy slate to start the season, the Falcons are not one of those teams. The Falcons boast one of the most-improved teams in the sport. Kirk Cousins gets the start under center after signing one of the richest free-agent contracts in NFL history.

Pittsburgh's 53-man roster has plenty of talent on the defensive end, notably with T.J. Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Cameron Heyward leading the way. The Steelers have one of the most-talented defenses in football, and their starters are entrenched -- and frankly have been for a few seasons. Offensively, though, there are questions.

The Steelers lost all three of their preseason games, and struggled to move the ball in their first two contests against Houston and Buffalo, respectively. While Russell Wilson showed enough flashes early against the Detroit Lions to earn the starting nod at quarterback, Justin Fields was on his heels and should even see some playing time early in the season.

Wilson is feeling the heat, which leads us into the obvious first choice on this list.

3. Russell Wilson could be benched by the end of September

As much as I'd like the Russell Wilson experience to pan out, it's tough to believe that'll be the case. Wilson has not aged well, and father time caught up with him quickly. Specifically, Wilson is either unable or unwilling to show off his mobility as he once did. When Russ was cooking in Seattle, it was thanks to the threat of his legs which kept opposing defenses honest.

Wilson is not a pocket passer, not does he see the middle of the field well. Wilson's lack of pocket presence often forces sacks -- and no one has been sacked more than Russ the past few years. The Steelers young and inexperience offensive line won't pair well with his style of play unless he's willing to escape the pocket early and often.

Behind Wilson is the upstart Fields. While the 25-year-old has plenty of flaws of his own, he's young enough that he can still offer that magic p word: potential. The Steelers don't fully know what Fields can be at his best. He's a ball of clay Pittsburgh can mold, should they choose. Wilson is a finished product on the downswing, and if the Steelers first four games go poorly -- against subpar opponents I might add -- Tomlin won't be as patient as he was this preseason.

Russell Wilson will be benched for the younger, more explosive Justin Fields.

2. Van Jefferson isn't long for the Steelers WR2 spot

The Steelers were in the Brandon Aiyuk chase until the final days, but the San Francisco 49ers wide receiver opted to stay by the bay. Aiyuk used the Steelers as leverage, and eventually received a deal worth over $30 million AAV.

Because Pittsburgh had all their eggs in Aiyuk's basket, they don't have much wide receiver depth behind George Pickens. As talented as Pickens is, he hasn't proven himself as a WR1 yet, either. He surely has the talent to reach those heights.

Without Aiyuk in tow, the Steelers now lean on Van Jefferson as their second wide receiver. While Jefferson was in intriguing offseason pickup, he shouldn't be a WR2 on any competitive team. Behind Jefferson, Pittsburgh offers two young options in Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson. Austin III is a speed threat who could develop into an outside threat. Wilson was one of the best route runners in the 2024 draft class, and should receive more reps as the season moves forward.

Eventually, Jefferson will have to put up or shut up.

Van Jefferson isn't a real WR2, which means he'll get less playing time for Steelers.

1. Steelers offensive line is in flux

The Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line is a mess. The unit looked bad all offseason, but it doesn't help that they've suffered a number of critical injuries of late. Nate Herbig was placed on injured reserve. Troy Fautanu is unlikely to play Week 1. Isaac Seumalo suffered a torn pec which should sideline him for awhile. Seumalo was a surefire starter at left guard. Herbig was the starting center for the first preseason game. Fautanu should eventually find a starting role, and was the team's first-round pick last April.

The odd man out of the current starting crop is likely Dan Moore Jr. or Spencer Anderson. If the Steelers sign a more experienced left guard, Anderson -- who is slated as the starter with Seumalo out -- will get the boot by the end of the month. Moore Jr. can play multiple positions but isn't productive in either tackle spot, which is where the Steelers have played him the last few years.

Moore Jr. could easily be replaced by Fautanu in the first few weeks of the season. He was deemed a pro-ready left tackle for a reason, and taking Anderson feels like a cop out.

Dan Moore Jr. will be benched thanks to Steelers youth movement