Every year in the National Football League, players and coaches of all 32 teams do what they can to provide as much value as possible to their respective squads. The upcoming 2022 season will be crucial for certain members of the Pittsburgh Steelers if they want to remain a part of the franchise, or cash in elsewhere next off-season. Every member of the organization is evaluated on a daily basis, but the following guys have a ton to lose if they don't perform this year.
1.) Devin Bush Jr. - LB
Bush has not met expectations since tearing his ACL which led to the team not picking up his fifth-year option for 2023. While the hope is that he comes back 100% and returns to the form of his rookie season, optimism is not high in Pittsburgh. Bush will have the chance to cash in next off-season elsewhere if he has a bounce back season with the Steelers in 2022. If he underperforms again, he is likely to not draw too much interest early in free agency and potentially will have to sign an extremely cheap deal. Bush has just 96 total tackles the last two seasons compared to 109 in his rookie campaign.
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker, Devin Bush (#55) participates in the organized team activities (OTA's), Tuesday, May 24, 2022 at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. | Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers
2.) Mitch Trubisky - QB
Welcome to Pittsburgh, Mitch! He arrived and was the expected starter until the draft selection of Kenny Pickett. Trubisky can still be considered as #1 on the depth chart right now, but if he struggles early, head coach Mike Tomlin could look to the NFL-ready Pickett. A strong season from Trubisky could put the Steelers in a position of standing behind their first round pick in Pickett or extending Trubisky.
Steelers' QB Mitch Trubisky participates in OTA's (Abigail Dean/Pittsburgh Steelers)
He is only 27 years old and this may be his last legitimate shot at becoming a franchise cornerstone. He won't have a full 17 games to prove himself, so success early on will surely set him up to be the starter of the future. If not, he'll only be a Steeler for two years and as a backup.
3.) Matt Canada - Offensive Coordinator
Canada was less than impressive in his first year calling plays for the Steelers' offense. Ben Roethlisberger was rather limited in what he was able to do so Canada will get another chance with a more mobile quarterback with a fresh arm in either Trubisky or Pickett. If the offense is not effective with firepower such as Diontae Johnson, Najee Harris, Pat Freiermuth, George Pickens, among others, he won't be in Pittsburgh after 2022. The Steelers were the only playoff team in 2021 with less than 35 touchdowns in the regular season. Something has to change on Canada's end.
Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Coach Matt Canada at Heinz Field during the Steelers 2020 Training Camp, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)
4.) Kendrick Green - OL
Green has already presumably lost his role as the Steelers' starting center after the addition of Mason Cole. Now, he faces a position battle with Kevin Dotson to be the starting left guard. The experiment with him at center in the NFL didn't work and if the next option on the left side of the line fails, he may be staring at a career as a backup in Pittsburgh. I am not going to give up on him in just his second season, but he needs to perform better this year if he wants to be a part of the Steelers' offensive line for years to come.
Karl Roster/Handout Photo via USA TODAY Sports
5.) Pressley Harvin III - P
Harvin III averaged just 42.6 yards per punt in 2021 which was the second worst mark in the league. The Steelers could potentially have one of the best defenses in the NFL this season and field position will be critical in winning games. It will be difficult for opposing offenses to consistently go the full length of the field against T.J. Watt and co.
Photo via @JSKO_PHOTO
Punters are easily given up on when performance falls short of expectations and Harvin cannot afford to have another lackluster season. He showed signs of improvement towards the end of the season and if he carries that into 2022, he has nothing to worry about. If he doesn't however, the Steelers may look for a new punter and Harvin could be out of a job.
Which members of the Steelers do you think have the most to lose? Let us know in the comments below!
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