When compiling a list of players on the proverbial hot seat for the Pittsburgh Steelers, it’s hard to ignore the 39-year quarterback who is returning for an 18th season after dealing with a decline in productivity at the end of 2020.

Ben Roethlisberger was covered in our initial training camp preview installment, so we will omit him for the purposes of redundancy as we examine five players whose play in 2021 will be critical to the Steelers’ success – or lack thereof.

Training camp opens Thursday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex before shifting to Heinz Field on July 28.

1. Diontae Johnson

With four players capable of starting at wide receiver, it is imperative for Johnson to overcome the drops that were such an issue in his second NFL season. Otherwise, he could see a decrease in his snap count.

Johnson led the Steelers with 923 receiving yards and had 88 receptions on a team-high 144 targets. If not for the drops, Johnson might have reached 100 catches and 1,000 yards.

Depending on the stats service, Johnson had anywhere from 10 to 16 drops in 2020. No matter the total, it was enough to lead the league, and it resulted in a brief benching in December at Buffalo.

Johnson purchased a tennis ball launcher in the offseason so he could work on his concentration and hand-eye coordination. If the drops decrease this year, it was a prudent investment.

2. Joe Haden

It’s not like Haden’s play declined in his fourth season with the Steelers. In fact, he was his typically reliable self. He started 14 games, intercepted two passes and provided steady coverage at cornerback.

Haden, though, is 32 and entering his 12th NFL season. He can outrun Father Time only so much longer no matter how hard he trains during the offseason.

The Steelers would like to get one more productive season out of Haden, who is entering the last year of his contract and counts $15.575 million against the salary cap. Needing to clear cap space in the offseason, the Steelers kept Haden over the younger Steve Nelson. It will be up to Haden to show they made the correct financial decision.

3. Trai Turner

With David DeCastro needing ankle surgery that could end his career after nine seasons, the Steelers moved on quickly to their backup plan for 2021.

A day after releasing DeCastro – the transaction occurred the day after minicamp was complete — the Steelers signed veteran Trai Turner to a one-year deal. Turner brings seven years of NFL experience to the franchise, and he made the Pro Bowl in five successive years with the Carolina Panthers.

But Turner was slowed by injuries in his lone season with the Los Angeles Chargers, and he didn’t have the benefit of using offseason workouts to build chemistry with his linemates. With the line undergoing a transformation, the Steelers need Turner to provide a steady influence in the interior.

4. Devin Bush

Forget all of the social media posts Bush used to create so much chatter during the summer hiatus. The Steelers care only that he regains the speed and burst that made him a sideline-to-sideline tackler in the first 21 games of his NFL career.

Bush is nine months removed from ACL surgery, and the Steelers will allow the third-year inside linebacker to take his time before returning to game action. Robert Spillane and Vince Williams will share snaps at the other linebacker spot – at least that is the plan if Bush returns to health as scheduled. The Steelers don’t need a repeat of last year when injuries decimated the middle of the defense.

5. Terrell Edmunds

When the Steelers didn’t exercise the fifth-year option for Edmunds, it meant the fourth-year safety will be playing for a contract this season.

Edmunds set career highs with two interceptions and eight pass breakups in 2020, but his production gets overshadowed by playing in the same secondary as All-Pro Minkah Fitzpatrick, a fellow member of the 2018 draft class.

The Steelers simply didn’t view Edmunds as being worth a $6.75 million salary in 2022. The snub could be used as motivation. If Edmunds takes the type of leap forward the Steelers were expecting to see the past two seasons, he can set himself up for a nice payday in free agency. If not, the Steelers will have made a sound decision. Either way, it looks like this will be his last year in the organization.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)