Steelers' Kaden Wetjen Gets Sobering Warning From Mike McCarthy Despite Huge Touchdown

The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Kaden Wetjen primarily to become their new kick and punt returner. However, the rookie wide receiver immediately showed that his potential might extend beyond special teams during Pittsburgh's 28-9 preseason victory over the Green Bay Packers.

Wetjen caught two passes for 79 yards and one touchdown. His biggest play came when Drew Allar found him out of the slot for a 74-yard catch and run that ended at Green Bay's 3-yard line. Wetjen later caught a 5-yard touchdown, providing an exciting glimpse of his offensive upside.

The performance improved Wetjen's roster outlook from an outside perspective, but Head Coach Mike McCarthy made it clear that one explosive game cannot erase the mistakes taking place throughout his everyday work. Steelers reporter Chris Adamski shared McCarthy's direct assessment of the rookie.

"We've got to get him to clean up his everyday stuff, the mental errors," McCarthy said.

That is a sobering message for a player who appeared to enjoy a nearly perfect NFL debut. Wetjen created Pittsburgh's longest offensive play of the night and found the end zone, but McCarthy is evaluating considerably more than the final box score. Mental errors matter more than splash plays for a fourth-round rookie attempting to prove he can contribute beyond returning kicks. Pittsburgh must trust Wetjen to understand assignments, align correctly and execute consistently before placing him on the field during important offensive situations.

Those mistakes are also normal for a rookie learning an NFL offense. Wetjen entered the league as a return specialist first and a receiver second. He caught only 23 passes for 197 yards throughout his three seasons at Iowa, meaning his offensive development was always going to require patience.

Pittsburgh selected Wetjen with the 121st overall pick because of his exceptional return ability. He averaged 27.5 yards per kickoff return and 17.7 yards per punt return during his collegiate career while scoring six combined return touchdowns. Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman called Wetjen Pittsburgh's top-rated dual-return player after the draft. The Steelers did not spend a fourth-round selection on that ability only to abandon the plan before seeing whether it translates to the NFL.

Wetjen should make the 53-man roster as Pittsburgh's primary kick and punt returner. His speed and open-field ability could immediately improve field position and create scoring opportunities that do not appear in the traditional offensive game plan.

However, a player occupying one of only 53 roster spots becomes considerably more valuable when he can handle multiple responsibilities. Developing into a dependable receiver would make Wetjen a roster lock while giving McCarthy another explosive piece to use creatively.

Steelers Need More Than Returns From Kaden Wetjen

Wetjen's realistic offensive role should be as a deep-reserve slot receiver. Pittsburgh does not need him to command significant targets, especially with a deep collection of established pass catchers. It needs him to understand the offense and capitalize when defenses lose track of him.

The 74-yard reception showed what can happen when Wetjen receives the football in space. His acceleration immediately created a field-changing gain, supporting the belief that he could become more than a specialist.

McCarthy's criticism should not be interpreted as disappointment with Wetjen's debut. It is evidence that the coaching staff sees enough offensive potential to demand more from him. If Pittsburgh viewed Wetjen exclusively as a returner, his receiving mistakes would not carry the same significance. What Wetjen put on tape against the Packers was awesome, but one explosive preseason performance will only carry him so far. His next challenge is proving that he can consistently eliminate the mental mistakes in practice and become a player McCarthy trusts every day on the offensive side of the football.

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