Do we really not have a WR #2?

Or is it our scheme? Are Austin and Wilson unable to get open (surely they are fast enough), or are the schemes that avoid the middle of the field so limiting they are easy to defend? Are they unable to run the routes and get open, or do our QBs not see them in time to get them the ball? And our stable of tight ends also seem to struggle, or are poorly used.

Truly curious if our wide receiver woes are because of lack of athletic talent or lack of coaching talent. Probably both.

I feel badly for the wide receiver room, as they are constantly maligned for not being good enough, when it is at least equally likely they are not being put in positions to excel.

 

A little column 'A', and a little column 'B'. The thing most talked about with the Arthur Smith offense when he was hired is how its run oriented, and receivers are required to run exact routes. So, does it come down to execution? Yes. Is it an all or none system? Yes. Beyond that, it's all we discuss on here.

 

Turns out we do not have #2 receiver. We let DJ and GP go, and Wilson and Austin did not rise up. Luckily there are some good choices in the draft and Steelers have more pick than they need.

 

Smith's best offense ever: https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/oti/2020.htm
Current Steelers: https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/pit/2025.htm

Not really all that different. Just shorter passing overall. Kind of the exact thing that got Smith run out of Atlanta...

 

Here is a bit of a different look at our recent receiving stats. This is from the top 50 all time Steelers receptions list. I only charted anyone that touched the field from 2000 to 2025. Wide receivers are in green and tight ends and running backs are in blue.

The most WRs on the team from this list at a single time was 2010 when we had 5 and went to the SB. Only 2 in 2023, 1 in 2024, and none in 2025 (bad trend over these 3 years).

We have had none this year, 1 in 2024, two in 10 different years.

Weaknesses of this look:

You had to have 119 catches with the Steelers to be in the top 50, so it won't get someone that had a great year or two and left the team.

It does not differentiate between 'players that were good' and 'players that were just here a long time'. If you are here long enough, you would get on the list even if you were just average.

 

Nice work. Looks like a clear recent emphasis on running backs as receivers, which of course equates to fewer long passes. Shame WRs aren’t as prolific as they used to be.

 

DJ is still available

 

I hope we don’t turn into the browns

 

Great effort!

 

No one fears Steelers passing game.

 

Bills elevated Gabe Davis and signed Brandon Cook to the active roster. We could have had both. Watch them have a career game against us. Meanwhile Marquez Valdez-Scantling is still wallowing on the practice squad

 

No, we really don't have a WR2. Austin and Wilson don't get open enough. Wilson should remain the #2 because we can at least see if he improves as this is essentially his rookie year.

Its a lot of coaching issues going on here in Pittsburgh... been that way for nearly a decade. But when it comes to the WR position in 2026 its the players not named DK.

 

There is some rule that a player on the PS can only be elevated for 3 games total.

 

I have to agree on the it’s probably both remark. I can’t believe how Pat and Jonnu NEVER get the ball. I was wondering if Pat and Jonnu were hurt. Last year Pat had a nice season but so far this year he’s been MIA because he has had the ball thrown his way. I have never been a fan of Smith.

 

How the F has Khan not gotten any WR support, piss poor, piss poor.

 

I'm pretty sure DK came and negotiated his contract hoping he was playing opposite of GP. IIRC he could have refused the trade.

The passing charts are wild about not using the middle of the field. It dovetails nicely with this team not being able to defend it either! They're not seeing it in practice reps!

The limited success MR had was when he was allowed to hit Pickens and Pat across the middle of the field and when teams took it away they had nothing else! This dink and dunk crap goes away if they had a QB that was a threat to break the pocket even just a little bit! Fields had that early in the season last year, but he's relatively easy to defend once teams see how you use them and the Oline was worse last year. .

 

Yup, was not happy with that signing. Seemed to stuck in the middle spinning wheels. Pair that with the Oline coach not really developing guys and this teams insistence on playing players out of their best positions and you get what we get every damn week.

 

In general, I'm an "I'll believe it when I see it" kind of guy. And we certainly haven't seen it from these guys.

I think Austin is too small to be a true WR2. He'll have some games where he has good production, but I just don't think he can be consistent enough to be a WR2. He's just not strong enough IMO.

Maybe Wilson will grow into something. It's still kind of his rookie year. And he hasn't shown much of anything yet.

And while everyone always says Smith can't run a pass focused offense, he was like 15 yards short of having 2x 1,000 yard WRs in TEN in 2020. So it's not like he's unable to coach a team to play that way (although I'd imagine that having Henry opened up the passing game too).

If one of these guys was a starting caliber WR (WR1 or WR2): (1) DK would be open more often because teams would have to respect the 2nd guy and (2) we wouldn't have our backup RB tied for the team lead in receptions.

 

I can no longer speak about the goings on in management. We work with what we got.

I see Roman Wilson getting more reps.
But lets be honest, his best competition is Calvin Austin. Behind Metcalf, there is just a buch of guys you send in a game a couple times and catch the defense not watching hopefully.

I don't know what Aurthur Smith really thinks about it here. I know he likes to take those shots after so many body punches. He had a couple good receiver in Tenn.
But then again, he kind of shied away from the run in Chicago.
So, I'm not sure what is going on.
I've been pretty close around him and maybe it is me, but I sometimes get the vibe from him that this isn't the ideal situation. But then again, he's sometimes like that.
Maybe a Jordan Tyson drops from the heavens into the Steelers grasp... I dunno.

 

Davis chose to go to his former team the Bills how are you blaming the Steelers for that.

 

They will get their WR2 in the 2026 draft, Austin will likely leave via free agency and Wilson be WR3.

 

And living in Bills country, many who follow the team here are livid that they didn't trade for Pickens. Should have been a no brainer move for a win now team. Money wasn't high and winning now is more important than the draft pick.

 

I'm not sure the Steelers would've traded Pickens to the Bills, I don't think them having Davis and Cooks are going to do much for them come playoff time.

 

The probably would have had to give up more than the Cowboys would have.

But since we know we're not competitive for a SB and we think he was a problem in the locker room, I could see them making a deal with BUF if the compensation was better. Even if it was only an improvement in the future pick swap or something.

But maybe you're right and the Bills had a better offer on the table and we rejected it because they are in conference.