The Pittsburgh Steelers’ free agency outlook is generally viewed in two buckets. The defense, full of interesting names and starters. Cam Sutton, Terrell Edmunds, Larry Ogunjobi. Whose staying, whose going? Important questions. The offense falls on the other end of the spectrum. Zach Gentry, Trent Scott, not exactly names that will make or break the franchise.
But there’s a third lens that needs to be looked at. The impact and potential losses of Steelers’ special teamers.
Seven Steelers logged over 200 special teams snaps last season. They are:
FB Derek Watt – 290
SS Miles Killebrew – 290
TE Connor Heyward – 284
RB Benny Snell – 284
EDGE Jamir Jones – 251
ILB Marcus Allen – 230
WR Miles Boykin – 207
Four of those seven, more than half the list, are slated to hit unrestricted free agency while a fifth, Jamir Jones, is exclusive rights (meaning he’s virtually guaranteed to return if the Steelers want him).