The Steelers are leaning hard on their receiver depth again, and this time they’re bringing up two practice-squad wideouts for their Week 7 trip to face the Saints in Paris at the Stade de France.
Brandon Smith and Brandon Johnson were added to the game-day roster, giving Pittsburgh some much-needed help at a position that keeps getting thinned out by injuries. Smith has already been elevated twice this season, in Weeks 5 and 6, so this is his final call-up of the year. Johnson still has one elevation left.
That matters because the Steelers are walking into this game with a receiver room that’s been stripped down. Michael Pittman Jr. (foot) and Roman Wilson (finger) are both on the reserve/injured list, with Pittman having missed two games and Wilson one. Ben Skowronek (calf) is also set to miss a second straight contest.
Smith has become a particularly important name in that mix after flashing during the summer. He turned heads in training camp and even worked with the first team during the Steelers’ stay at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. His preseason never really got rolling, though, after a lower-body injury in the opener against the Green Bay Packers knocked him out for Pittsburgh’s final two exhibition games.
He was released at the August 30 roster cutdown, then brought back on the practice squad.
His first elevation came in Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts after Pittman Jr. landed on IR. Smith played 16 offensive snaps in Pittsburgh’s 34-22 win, and even though he didn’t catch a pass, he did contribute as a blocker on Jaylen Warren’s 50-yard touchdown run after Wilson and Skowronek left the game in the first half.
A week later, Smith was elevated again for the matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, this time alongside Johnson. He again finished without a reception, but he was on the field plenty, logging 41 offensive snaps as the third receiver behind DK Metcalf and Germie Bernard. He also picked up 18 special teams snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
The bigger picture for Pittsburgh’s receiver group is still hazy. It’s unknown when, or if, Pittman Jr. will come off IR, and there is concern he could be out for the rest of the season. At the very least, he won’t be back at the earliest possible date, which would be Week 10 after the mandatory four-game absence.
Wilson appears to be closer to returning, but he still can’t play until Week 11. And with Skowronek’s timeline also unclear, the Steelers are running out of easy answers.
Smith could be the short-term stopgap, especially if Pittsburgh decides to sign him to the 53-man roster now that his elevations are used up. But general manager Omar Khan may need to look outside the building too.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling is one possible name to watch after returning to the Steelers via the practice squad because of his connection with Aaron Rodgers, though he didn’t do much in five games with the team last season and is now 32-years-old.
There’s also a real chance Smith’s role gets squeezed again depending on what happens next. If Valdes-Scantling is the one with elevations left, that could change the pecking order. And even if Smith does stick on the 53-man roster, his opportunities could shrink once Skowronek returns, and then shrink again when Wilson and/or Pittman Jr. are back.
A trade before the November 10 deadline is still on the table, too.
For Smith, the path is simple: make the most of what’s in front of him now. If Pittsburgh is going to keep him around and use him again this season, he may need to earn a spot on the 53-man roster after this week.
In Other News...
Steelers Face One Paris Question If Sunday Goes Sideways
The Steelers landed in Paris on Friday morning after an overnight flight, leaving them with less than two days to settle in before Sundays matchup with the Saints. New Orleans got there earlier in the week, a contrast that has already fueled a quiet debate around the Steelers travel plan and whether the tighter turnaround could matter once the game starts.
Aaron Rodgers made it clear he would have preferred an earlier arrival, and former Steeler Breiden Fehoko said some players were openly unhappy with the trip and felt worn down. The schedule was a coaching-staff decision, though, and the real test now is whether the extra miles and shorter adjustment window show up on the field or fade into the background by kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Defense Faces A Bigger Saints Test Than Fans Realize
The Steelers defense has been trending in the right direction under coordinator Patrick Graham, tightening up just enough to make opponents work for every clean throw. Over the last three games, Pittsburgh has allowed only two passing touchdowns while coming away with three interceptions, a stretch that has helped steady a unit that needed to find its footing.
Sundays trip to New Orleans still brings a different kind of challenge, with Tyler Shough entering Week 7 productive enough to stress a secondary that may not be at full strength. Brandin Echols is out with a hamstring injury, and Jalen Ramsey is working through a wrist issue, which makes the task of slowing Shough and his connection with Chris Olave look a lot less comfortable than the recent numbers suggest. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Face A Risky Alex Highsmith Decision They May Regret
With the NFL trade deadline approaching, the Steelers are at least entertaining the kind of move that can reshape a season in a hurry. According to a report from The Athletics Daniel Popper, the front office is weighing a player-for-player deal involving outside linebacker Alex Highsmith, a notable twist for a defense that has leaned on him as one of its most reliable edge threats while the roster still has other areas needing attention.
The appeal is obvious enough: Pittsburgh could look to address needs in the secondary or at wide receiver if the right partner emerges, and a swap like this would force the team to think beyond one position group. But Highsmith is also a central piece of what the Steelers do up front, so any serious discussion carries real risk for a defense that has relied on his production and consistency while the deadline clock keeps ticking. [Read more 🡒]