Pittsburgh may have a return-game problem on its hands, and it starts with Kaden Wetjen.
The rookie fourth-round pick was already under the microscope after a rough moment on a punt return against the New York Jets. On the penultimate play of the first quarter, Wetjen coughed up the ball and briefly put the Steelers in danger of handing the Jets excellent field position at Pittsburgh’s 31-yard line. He was spared because New York was ruled out-of-bounds before it gained possession, but the mistake still landed hard.
That’s not the kind of play that buys much breathing room, especially after head coach Mike McCarthy said earlier in the week that "we've got to get him to clean up his everyday stuff, the mental errors."
Wetjen had given Pittsburgh a jolt in the preseason opener, when his 74-yard catch and five-yard touchdown raised hopes that he could contribute on offense too. But he didn’t record a catch against the Jets, and with McCarthy asking for more, the optimism around Wetjen looks a little less sturdy right now.
So if the Steelers need a backup plan at returner, the options are there - but none comes without a catch.
Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle both handled kick returns in 2025. Warren produced 205 yards on eight attempts, while Dowdle totaled 197 yards on eight returns last year. On the depth chart, Warren is listed as the second-team kick returner, while Dowdle sits as the second-team punt returner and third-team kick returner.
If Pittsburgh wants to keep those two running backs from taking on too much extra work, Roman Wilson could be part of the answer on punts. He spent time in that role during training camp this summer.
Travis Homer is another possibility. He’s returned 19 kicks for 473 yards and a touchdown in his NFL career, though only two of those returns have come since the start of the 2021 campaign. The complication is that Homer has been serving as the personal protector on the punt team, and the Steelers may not want to move him out of that job just to use him as a return man.
There are also deeper roster candidates who could get a look if Wetjen’s grip on the job keeps slipping.
Seventh-round rookie Eli Heidenreich is looking less and less likely to make the 53-man roster, but he would become an obvious option if Pittsburgh needs a new returner. The Navy product and Pittsburgh native only returned nine kicks and had one fair catch on a punt in college, but he worked there during training camp and has the traits to potentially handle the role.
Max Hurleman is another name to keep in mind. He’s on the wrong side of the roster bubble, but he returned 62 kicks and punts combined in college, and he showed some pop against the Jets by bringing back two kicks for 58 yards and a punt for 14 yards.
D'Shawn Jamison also appears to be fighting an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster, but his return résumé is the biggest of the group. At Texas, he piled up 1,435 yards and two touchdowns on 53 kick returns, plus 362 yards and a score on 44 punt returns. If he lands on the practice squad and gets elevated, or eventually joins the active roster, he could be the one who makes the most noise.
In Other News...
Drew Allar Just Revealed What Still Must Change In Pittsburgh
A rougher preseason outing gave Drew Allar and the Steelers a more useful kind of tape to study than another polished stat line would have. After following up his stronger showing with an 11-for-23 effort for 110 yards in Week 2, the rookie quarterback said he saw places where he could have been cleaner, especially by taking the easier completions earlier in drives and helping the offense settle in sooner.
For Pittsburgh, that kind of self-assessment matters as much as the box score right now. The receiving group had its share of drops, the overall performance never really found a rhythm, and Allar is still in the middle of his development, but the encouraging part is that he looked like a young quarterback learning from a difficult night instead of shrinking from it. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Rookie Returner Suddenly Has Everything Riding On One Game
Kaden Wetjens first two preseason games have already put him in the kind of spot every rookie is trying to avoid in late August. The Steelers fourth-round returner flashed some juice in his debut, showing real activity as both a receiver and on special teams, but his follow-up was far quieter and ended with a lost fumble, the sort of mistake that can quickly change the tone of a roster battle.
Now Wetjen has one last chance to make his case before final cuts, and the margin for error is shrinking fast. Insider Mark Kaboly has already described him as on the bubble for Pittsburghs 53-man roster, which leaves the rookie in a simple but unforgiving place: one more strong performance could help him stick, while another uneven outing would make the decision even tougher for the Steelers staff. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers May Be Running Out Of Patience With Broderick Jones
Broderick Jones was supposed to be part of the Steelers long-term answer on the offensive line when Pittsburgh took him in the first round in 2023, but his path since then has been anything but smooth. Injuries, including a neck issue, and repeated position changes have complicated his development, and even with preseason reps, he has not locked down the kind of steady role the team hoped he would grow into.
The bigger question now is less about his draft status than his fit in Pittsburghs plans. Jones has 38 NFL starts on his rsum, but the Steelers still have reason to wonder whether he can be counted on as a reliable tackle, which is why they are weighing every possible outcome, from keeping him as depth to moving on entirely or seeing whether the trade market offers a better answer. [Read more 🡒]