The Pittsburgh Steelers have gone through a ton of notable changes since the end of the 2025 season, and it is hard to tell if any of those changes have paid off just yet. The group is 1-1 through two games in 2026, but the vibes are low after a rough performance against the New England Patriots in Week 2 on the road. The offense has left a ton to be desired, while the defense has done its job through two games. Special teams is an area that has been a bit spotty so far, but there aren't any major signs for concern.
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Danny Crossman works during the Steelers’ voluntary veteran minicamp in Pittsburgh in 2026.
The hiring of Danny Crossman as Pittsburgh's next special teams coordinator was criticized at the start as his units at his past stops haven't necessarily performed well. Through two games the Steelers have missed two field goals, botched another, but the return game does seem to be a bit better thanks to the addition of Kaden Wetjen through the draft. One area that hasn't been talked about too much is the punt team, and that group went through a major change ahead of the 2026 season as well. Ben Skowronek was moved from gunner to personal protector, which is quite the shift for a player who was a Pro Bowler in 2025.
Skowronek signed with the Steelers before the 2024 season, and he has been a stellar gunner ever since. He is widely considered one of the best in the NFL, yet Crossman and the coaching staff decided to move him to personal protector on the punt unit instead. Long snapper Christian Kuntz spoke about this and the negative impact it might have during a recent episode of The Christian Kuntz Podcast.
"It doesn't really matter to me, my job is so black and white, like just snap the ball," Kuntz said. "But it's obviously nice having a Pro Bowl gunner out there on the edge because he demands a double team, people want to double team him. That way he doesn't make the play, but it makes the box lighter for the rush inside. You know what I'm saying? It's just good, complementary football. You have good gunners, it means you're getting a light box, which means your protection is going to be easier."
This philosophy from Kuntz makes sense. It is just like when an offense has a dangerous passing attack, the defense has to commit more players to coverage, which makes the box lighter and makes it easier to run the football. When Skowronek is at gunner, teams have to double team him which takes away a potential rusher that Pittsburgh would have to worry about.
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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Ben Skowronek (15) during 2026 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Skowronek has made a name for himself over the last two seasons as a gunner, which is why fans were skeptical when the change was announced. He has seemed to do a good job as the personal protector as no punts have been blocked yet, but it is worth noting that Pittsburgh has already given up 73 yards on punts in 2026 after giving up just 175 throughout the entire 2025 season. That is about 41 percent of last year's season total already being given up, which isn't necessarily good. That is an average of over six yards per return, and that number was just over two in 2025. Maybe a change at gunner is needed.
Steelers' Ben Skowronek Has Handled The Change With Class
This move to personal protector has to be impacting Skowronek. Top gunners in the league get paid a decent amount, and he is scheduled to be a free agent during the 2027 offseason. He is taking quite the hit by not being able to do the one thing that made him a Pro Bowler in 2025, which is going to hurt him once free agency rolls around. Hopefully Crossman and the staff decide to make the switch back at some point.
What do you think about this switch on special teams? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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