Exit Meeting: WR Ben Skowronek
Experience: 5 Years
The Steelers signed Ben Skowronek to a lucrative contract for a special teamer last year, and he rewarded them with a Pro Bowl season. In 17 games, he recorded 21 tackles—mostly on special teams—and recovered a fumble. He added another 3 tackles in Pittsburgh’s playoff loss, taking over the mantle for the unit.
And that’s a unit underdoing a great deal of change, including right at the top. Longtime special teams coordinator Danny Smith left after Mike Tomlin resigned. The unit could see a lot of change this offseason, with captain Miles Killebrew a free agent. As is Connor Heyward, though he is likely to re-sign. But it could be Ben Skowronek who takes over as captain.
And somehow, he managed to score the Steelers’ first touchdown of the season—his only touchdown in two years. Thanks to broken coverage, good friend Aaron Rodgers found Skowronek wide open for a 22-yard touchdown in the season opener.
That was one of 4 catches he made on the season on 6 targets, producing 69 yards. But while Ben Skowronek is not a deadly receiving threat, he still plays an important role on offense. At times, the Steelers have used him as a designated blocker, though a hand injury forced them to adapt an limit his offensive usage late in the season.
In all, Skowronek played 159 offensive snaps and 310 special teams snaps. And he did plenty of work that doesn’t fit neatly into stat sheets, whether it’s downing punts or forcing fair catches or throwing blocks that help spring a return.
But the Steelers can’t go into another season in which Ben Skowronek is a top-four wide receiver on offense. In order for the unit to move forward, they have to force him into the special teams box. The unit has been so lacking that they can’t afford this soft depth anymore. If that means adding three significant wide receivers this offseason, then that’s what it means.
The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves licking their wounds after yetanother early playoff exit. This is a repeated pattern for the organization, but with major change coming. As the Steelers conduct their own exit meetings, we willgo down the roster conducting our own. Who should stay, and who should go, and how? Who should expect a bigger role next season, and who might deserve a new contract? The resignation of Mike Tomlin makes those questions much more difficult to answer, but much more important. We’ll explore those questions and more in these articles, part of an annual series.
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