Like last year, here are 10 things I think about the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024. These are 10 predictions for the Steelers season. Some are big, some are small, but these are my biggest expectations for this season.
Once the year is over, we’ll revisit these predictions and see what we got right and what we got wrong.
1. Russell Wilson will be the Steelers’ starter for most or all of the 2024 season.
A midseason quarterback debate is inevitable, but I’ve written down this prediction in front News of his calf tightness surfaced Thursday afternoon, raising concerns ahead of Sunday’s game against the Steelers, but I’m speaking in terms of performance rather than assuming perfect health.
As long as Wilson is competent and the Steelers are competitive, it’s hard to imagine Wilson being benched midway through the season. He was Pittsburgh’s first choice and was signed without any intention of adding Fields to the team. That door only opened when Kenny Pickett left. Mike Tomlin is loyal to a fault at times, and Wilson will play better football than Pittsburgh has had the past two years.
This is me think It’s not me guarantee But I expect Wilson to play from start to finish, assuming his body can hold up.
2. The “easy” parts of your schedule don’t feel so easy
Reaction to the Steelers’ schedule, both nationally and locally, was pretty uniform: The second half resembled the circles of hell in Dante’s “Divine Comedy.” The first half? Not so scary.
That’s not my opinion. The second half is harder than the first, but the first five weeks of the year are by no means easy. They start the year with two tough away games in Atlanta and Denver, then take on a strengthened Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3, then travel to Indianapolis in Week 4 – where Pittsburgh lost last season – and host the powerful Dallas Cowboys in Week 5.
Can Pittsburgh win here? Absolutely, but every game will be a battle to the end because of the strength of the opponent and the only way the Steelers know how to win is by surprising opponents.
3. Pittsburgh will finish in the top five in rushing attempts.
History tells us they’ll rank here. New offensive coordinator Arthur Smith led offenses to a top-five rushing attempt total in four of his five years at the helm in Tennessee and Atlanta. He was hired by Pittsburgh for his run-first approach, but the Steelers have a bolstered offensive line with the duo of Najee Harris and Jalen Warren. They want to run the ball at will. So they’re going to run.
Combined with what Justin Fields can offer in a planned run game, the Steelers could have better ball control and win in the trenches.
4. The offense will be without a second wide receiver.
Smith’s offense doesn’t need a skilled second wide receiver as the Steelers’ previous scheme called for, but the offense will feel incomplete without a strong weapon opposite WR George Pickens. Pittsburgh’s search for help can and should continue through the trade deadline. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Steelers make a big splash for a big-name receiver around Halloween.
5. Minkah Fitzpatrick fights back
An underrated story this year is the return of FS Minkah Fitzpatrick. Not only is his health an issue, as evidenced by his seven-game absence last year, but his placement is also an issue. The Steelers won’t be using him in the box an absurd 20 percent of the time like they did last season.
Fitzpatrick will be back with a vengeance in 2023 after failing to commit a turnover for the first time in his college and NFL career, and the expectation is for him to have a classic impact year.
6. An offensive tackle catches a touchdown pass
I mentioned this in my stat predictions post. Last year I predicted Connor Heyward would throw a touchdown. He didn’t, but he did attempt a touchdown pass and fell short. This year, we’ll see the big man do the touchdown dance.
Who? That’s hard to answer. Troy Fautanu is a good candidate as an athletic sixth tackle who showed his prowess in the offseason. Tennessee had a number of tackles near the goal line that resulted in touchdowns under Smith. Timely play-action with an effective ground game could get one of these guys open.
7. ILB isn’t perfect, but it could be good.
Pittsburgh boasted an effective three-man inside linebacker rotation last season before injuries derailed it all, and the Steelers have rebuilt that team even stronger by signing Patrick Queen and drafting Peyton Wilson. Elandon Roberts returns as the Hammer.
There are some question marks around this group — Queen’s coverage is questionable, which is a tough job for a linebacker — and Wilson needs to get better against the run. Still, the talent and speed on this team is real, and they’ll play behind a strong starting defensive line.
8. Pittsburgh scores one TD kick but is otherwise quiet
Cordarrelle Patterson was brought in to impact the kick return game, and he will do just that. Just once.
Still, my expectations are tempered. His kick-return game isn’t going to change dramatically despite the new haircut, whether it’s because his game is declining in his 30s, or because he makes one kick and teams stop kicking to him, or some other reason. But it only takes one crease to make one kick, and Patterson is still capable of doing it. It would be the team’s first kick-return score since 2017.
9. Slot corners will be a top need in 2025
After years of a committee of slot corners, Pittsburgh remains a mess. Even last year’s pairing of Chandon Sullivan and Patrick Peterson was more stable and sure-footed than the Steelers’ current pairing. Their depth is Beanie Bishop Jr. on rundowns and S DeShawn Elliott on passing downs, but even that is a loose statement.
An outside corner player may still be needed next year — Donte Jackson is set to become a free agent — but 2025 could be the year Pittsburgh finally tries to solve the slot corner position long-term with one player.
10. Keanu Benton and Nick Herbig will be stars for Wisconsin.
This one is pretty easy to call. Benton and Herbig had dominant summers. Benton looks stronger and says he’s feeling better. Herbig has more pass rushes than anyone on this team and has a great first step. He should be on the field in a three-outside linebacker look.
While playing time may limit their production, it’s not unreasonable to expect them to reach double-digit sack totals, and the front seven seems to be a real strength of this team.
bonus
Cameron Johnston sets Steelers gross record
I’ve talked about this record many times, and since it does seem like a layup, I’ll include it as a bonus: Johnston only needs to average 47.1 punting yards to break the record that has stood since 1961. He’s done it every year for the last two years, and even in his early days in Philadelphia, he came pretty close.
Johnston has been a big puncher in the preseason and could put up even more numbers when the weather improves in September and October. It’s a legitimate question how well Pittsburgh can cover his punts, but Johnston’s raw numbers should be impressive.
