Steven Sims is well aware that there are certainly many who follow the Pittsburgh Steelers who believe he is ill-equipped to fill the void in the offense created by the trade of Chase Claypool.
That’s OK. It isn’t the first time Sims has heard people doubt his abilities.
“Middle school,” Sims said after practice Monday. “Honestly I remember my middle school coach telling me I would never be anything.”
Sims this week is repping as the Steelers’ slot receiver. Sims confirmed Monday that he and Gunner Olszewski have been taking over that position vacated when Claypool was sent to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a second-round draft pick.
“I see myself getting in there, running more routes that I have been running and still doing the same gadget things motioning, things like that, jet sweeps,” Sims said. “Just looking to build on that.
“Me and Gunner, we give a different style, both of us, playing in the slot,” Sims added moments later, “so I guess the trust in that (is what the coaches seek), just the different versatility we all bring to the slot, much as we hate to see Chase go.”
Steven Sims on an opportunity to be the top slot WR going forward pic.twitter.com/qzfszQudax
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) November 7, 2022
The 5-foot-10, 176-pound Sims was a mid-range recruit to Kansas and undrafted entering the NFL. He had 63 catches in 28 games over two seasons for Washington and then spent last season on the Steelers’ practice squad. Sims was a Sunday inactive the first four games of this season until coach Mike Tomlin turned to him to replace Olszewski, who had fumbled twice in the return game.
Since, though, Sims has suffered eye and hamstring injuries. Finally, in the Steelers’ most recent game Oct. 30, Sims played 11 snaps on offense and had three targets and two carries, in addition to his return duties.
“I have done everything that they asked me to do,” Sims said. “When I get in, I make explosive plays. And I guess (coaches) like that.”
Besides Sims and Olszewski (who has nine catches in 44 career games), the only other receiver on the active roster after assured starters Diontae Johnson and George Pickens is special-teams specialist Miles Boykin. Cody White is on the practice squad.
The Steelers presumably will upgrade the WR position over the offseason, but Sims will get a shot over the second half of this season to show he belongs as part of the organization’s future.
“It’s just my journey,” Sims said. “Since I was a young guy, always been kind of an underdog story so that’s just my approach — to work and wait my turn, in a sense. It’s normal to me, just always being counted out, underdog, small guy, blasé, blasé, I just work and show.”
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