Steelers' All-Pro weapon may not be in Pittsburgh much longer
The next time the Pittsburgh Steelers are together as a team, the 2023 season will be full go with the start of training camp. The battle for roster spots will come far and wide, with a stacked 90-man roster that has to be at 53 come the 29th of August. There are plenty of notable […]
The next time the Pittsburgh Steelers are together as a team, the 2023 season will be full go with the start of training camp.
The battle for roster spots will come far and wide, with a stacked 90-man roster that has to be at 53 come the 29th of August.
There are plenty of notable names that may be on the outs, but there's one whose accolades and presence may catch you off guard:
Gunner Olszewski, WR/Returner
Olszewski joined the Steelers in 2022 after a three-year stint with the New England Patriots. The former undrafted player out of Bemidji St., Olszewski earned All-Pro honors as a returner in 2020 with New England, proving valuable as a core special teamer.
As a receiver, Olszewski is coming off his highest number of targets ever, but the problem is, that number is only seven. When you pair that with the fact that he netted a mere 193 All purpose yards last year (punt/kick returns, receptions, carries) and that he would save $2 million dollars against the cap, Olszewski may have an issue sticking around in the 412.
For reference, I had him on the outside looking in when it came to my 53-man roster projection, as did Mark Kaboly of The Athletic in his recent projection, carrying only five WRs:
There is no need for Gunner Olszewski if Austin is your punt and kick returner as well as your slot receiver. If he falters at any of those, Olszewski slides into the 53-man.
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With Austin looking to be the younger, cheaper, and potentially even more dynamic option, this seems like a no-brainer for the Steelers front office. However, Olszewski is still only 26 years old and will likely find work elsewhere.
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Featured image via: © Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports
