WR Ben Skowronek rises to challenge on offense, special teams for Steelers

Exuberant from a season-opening win Sunday, Ben Skowronek, son of a Connellsville native, turned a phrase that showed he is in tune with Steeler Nation in general and yinzers in particular.

“In Pittsburgh, PA, we play all three phases: offense, defense and special teams,” Skowronek said in the aftermath of the Steelers’ 34-32 victory against the New York Jets. “We knew one of the phases had to make a play to change the game, and it happened.”

For Skowronek, he actually was involved in two phases that tilted the outcome in the Steelers’ favor.

• His 22-yard catch and run for a touchdown provided the first touchdown of the season and gave the Steelers a 7-3 lead in the first quarter.

• Early in the fourth, with the Steelers trailing by two, Skowronek pounced on a fumble forced by Kenny Gainwell on the kickoff. Two plays later, the Steelers scored a go-ahead touchdown. Earlier, Skowronek made a tackle on another kickoff return.

Not a bad day’s work for someone whose contributions don’t go unrecognized in the locker room even if Skowronek isn’t one of the more familiar names on the Steelers roster.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers called the 28-year-old Skowronek a “glue guy” who does the “dirty” work. Special teams captain Miles Killebrew said Skowronek is one of the players who keeps the mood light in the locker room but is serious about his play on the field.

“Ben’s one of those guys that jokes around a lot and guys love to joke with him, but he works hard,” Killebrew said. “He works hard, and he loves football, so I was really excited to see him get that touchdown and recover that loose ball on the kickoff.”

Coach Mike Tomlin’s fear is that Skowronek, who played in 10 games with the Steelers last year after joining the practice squad just prior to the regular season, will develop a bigger ego than he allegedly already possesses. Skowronek may be a former seventh-round draft pick and the fourth — or fifth — option at wide receiver for the Steelers, but he doesn’t act that way while he’s on the clock.

“He’s got an unwavering belief in self,” Tomlin said. “We kid him enough, sometimes it’s somewhat unrealistic. But, man, if you don’t believe in you, who will?”

Special teams coach Danny Smith won’t argue with his boss on that assessment of Skowronek.

“He thinks he can do anything,” Smith said. “And that’s a positive. … He thinks he’s the best safety on the team. He thinks he’s the best corner on his team. It’s just in his DNA.”

Skowronek was born and raised in Fort Wayne, Ind., and he played at Northwestern before spending a transfer season at Notre Dame. His father, Dave, is from Connellsville, and Skowronek still has family in Fayette and Allegheny counties. He has fit into his surroundings so well that a local car dealership has signed Skowronek as its “official player ambassador.”

“I think it’s in my blood,” Skowronek said. “It’s a unique culture here. It’s not something you talk about, but you just feel it when you walk between these walls. I enjoy this culture and the guys in the locker room.”

Skowronek didn’t always possess such self-confidence. He was selected by the Rams as the 249th overall player in the 2021 draft. As a rookie, he played in 14 games and had two catches in the Rams’ Super Bowl win against Cincinnati. Yet, something was missing.

“During the playoff run to the Super Bowl, I didn’t perform the way I should have performed,” he said. “I didn’t have the belief I had in myself my whole career. In the biggest moment, I wasn’t able to produce like I wanted. I really had to work on it. If you’re not confident, you’re not going to play good football.”

Talks with head coach Sean McVay and former special teams coach Joe DeCamillis helped Skowronek regain his mojo. Skowronek set career highs with 39 catches and 376 yards in his second season, but he resumed his role as a primary special teams player in 2023.

Traded to Houston in 2024, Skowronek spent training camp with the Texans before being released. The Steelers signed him two days later, and Smith put him to work on his units.

“He didn’t have a good foundation, a good fundamental base,” Smith said. “He and I met about that, and I showed him some things on film that we needed to get corrected, much like balances. Sometimes guys confuse effort with production. He’s down the field, on the ground, scrambling, biting, scratching, clawing — while one of the returners is running the damn ball back.

“Once he and I met about those things and what he had to do, he’s taken off. He’s a joy to coach because he really believes he can do anything.”

Skowronek didn’t have any doubters after the way he played against the Jets.