Can Ben Skowronek earn a role in the passing game?
Did you know that Ben Skowronek, catcher of five whole passes, is the second-highest-paid receiver on the Steelers’ roster? They re-signed him on a two-year, $4,475,000 contract, which makes him the upper crust here. Of course, DK Metcalf laps everyone else combined in salary in the Steelers’ wide receiver room.
But while we keep talking about Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson, can Ben Skowronek contribute with more receptions? In 2022, for example, he caught 39 passes for 376 yards. That doesn’t sound like much—and it isn’t. But the way the Steelers’ roster is constructed, they’re looking more for many small contributions rather than a few significant ones.
The Steelers like Skowronek primarily for special teams, where he played 149 snaps and recovered two fumbles. And he can play double that amount of snaps, which is surely what the team expects this year. But back in 2022, he played nearly 700 offensive snaps. Granted, that’s not what Pittsburgh would expect or even want from him now. But can he be more than just the dirtbag of the special teams unit and a blocker?
One thing worth noting is that Ben Skowronek spent zero seconds with the Steelers last offseason. They signed him to the practice squad at the start of the regular season, the Texans having just cut him. Just weeks after signing, he spent over a month on IR.
In other words, he can grow into the Steelers’ offense now that he has had a chance to go through an offseason. He can also dunk, which seemed to impress Aaron Rodgers well enough out in Malibu. The guys he forges a relationship with will have an opportunity to play, I imagine. He might not be the next Allen Lazard, but you never know.
Outside of DK Metcalf, the Steelers’ wide receiver room is full of hopefuls. They hope Roman Wilson is the player they expected him to be. They hope Calvin Austin III can take his game to the next level. Likewise, they hope Robert Woods still has something left in the tank rather than sage advice. But with a 6-3, 224-pound frame and a can-do attitude, maybe Ben Skowronek can do more than we expect.
The Steelers are rebuilding, or reloading, whatever they feel the need to call it, after another disappointment last season. Though they limped into the playoffs, they once again embarrassed themselves therein.
Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers is the quarterback question. While they ultimately traded George Pickens, they have other decisions to make. The 2025 NFL Draft class is now behind us, so most of the roster construction is complete.
But we still have a long offseason ahead for Steelers football, or football in shorts. At least we can finally put the Aaron Rodgers situation to bed and move on to other things. Now it’s about evaluating the roster in place and filling holes as we go.
