Why Aren’t the Steelers Playing Their Rookies More?

PITTSBURGH — The Steelers have not started their rookies much this year, with Week 5 against the Ravens becoming the first time a significant breakthrough was seen with Joey Porter Jr. Broderick Jones and Keeanu Benton each were forced into action with the injuries to Cam Heyward and Dan Moore Jr. However, with questions on whether Jones will start in Week 7 against the Rams, the entire question of handling rookies remains a question.

But Mike Tomlin remains steadfast in his plans for those players. The Steelers came into the year with an idea of how they would move each player along their developmental curve. The Steelers will give them more on their plate with the more they play and show. Tomlin’s plan with the rookies remains in flux, depending on those injuries, opportunities, and the level of play they display.

Steelers DL Keeanu Benton against the Baltimore Ravens, Oct. 8, 2023 – Ed Thompson / Steelers Now

“I think with each week, they are getting better,” Tomlin said. “So, there are several variables at play. It’s what it is that they do and the quality in which they do it, but it’s also about opportunity, and such is always the case with team play. Things and decisions don’t happen in a vacuum. You can be somewhat pleased with the progress of a player, in terms of the direction that they’re moving, but the opportunity has to be there. And so, we challenge all of these guys to not be patient. This is not a patient person’s business. It doesn’t behoove them to be patient. We ask them to work while they wait for their opportunity and then put their readiness of display. And to this point, some of the guys you’re asking about, Broderick Jones, Joey Porter Jr., have done a really good job of that. And we’ll wait for continued opportunities and increase the opportunities for them and check their progress moving forward.”

Tomlin noted later on when asked about Benton that he is in a similar bucket. However, he continues to play more with the increased exposure with Heyward out. Porter was impressed, and Pittsburgh made switches to the division of labor because they needed to win against Baltimore, and Porter was playing well.

Pittsburgh Steelers safety Damontae Kazee and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. in a game against the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 18, 2023. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now

The Steelers plan to ride their veterans moving forward but will ease the rookies into the game plan. Most of them will likely be starting by the end of the year, but not until the team is fully confident. Coaches have emphasized throughout the year that the team likes their young rookie class, but they are worried about their readiness to hop into the game right away at full go. There are cautionary tales that go both ways on that spectrum.

The Steelers should have seen enough to give those guys increased work. While Week 5 looked like that turning point, it’s no guarantee that Tomlin and the staff will continue to play those rookies heavily moving forward. Their game against the Rams will illustrate where each rookie is on the totem pole of progress for Tomlin and the staff.