Steelers News: 3 players getting back to health in 2020 could make all the difference

The Pittsburgh Steelers 2019 season is officially over. After finishing the year 8-8, the Steelers, and their vast fan base, has another long offseason awaiting them. Just because the games are done doesn’t mean we stop providing you with features, commentary and opinions to tide you over throughout the offseason!

Today in the black-and-gold links article we take a look at if just three players get healthy, and stay healthy, it could be the difference between contender and pretender for the Steelers in 2020.

Let’s get to the news:

• 3 players is all it could take. Really? Yes, really.

Return to health by 3 skill players could benefit Steelers in 2020

By: Joe Rutter, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

The Pittsburgh Steelers expect a healthy Ben Roethlisberger to cure many – but not all — of the offensive problems that plagued the team in 2019.

The NFL Draft can address other weaknesses, and general manager Kevin Colbert isn’t discounting a return to health by three of the Steelers’ top skill position players.

Injuries to running back James Conner, wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and tight end Vance McDonald also contributed to the Steelers having one of their worst offensive seasons in franchise history.

With those three skill position players missing a combined 12 games to injury, the Steelers finished No. 29 in rushing, No. 31 in receiving and No. 27 in scoring, averaging 18.1 points per game while finishing 8-8 and missing the playoffs for the second year in a row.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• Was Myles Garrett’s verbal accusations worse than the helmet swinging?

John Steigerwald: Myles Garrett’s verbal attack on Steelers’ Mason Rudolph worse than helmet hit

By: John Steigerwald, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Jussie Smollett called. He said he believes Myles Garrett.

You remember Smollett, he’s the gay black actor who claimed he was attacked in the middle of the night on a Chicago street by two white guys wearing MAGA hats, who used racial and homophobic slurs while putting a noose around his neck and dousing him with bleach.

Most of the media came to his defense, and Smollett even managed to cry during an interview with Robin Roberts on “Good Morning America.” Roberts came close to crying, too.

Of course, it was a hate-crime hoax and just last week Smollett was indicted on six felony counts of disorderly conduct. The city of Chicago also would like Smollett to pay $130,000 to cover the cost of the investigation.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• A sad story about the former Steelers wide receiver.

Eli Rogers playing XFL game on day of mother’s funeral

By: Michael David Smith

DC Defenders wide receiver Eli Rogers is playing today’s XFL game with a heavy heart.

Rogers’ mother died this week and her funeral is today, according to the ABC broadcast of today’s game.

Rogers chose to play, and on the first drive he played very well, catching all three of the passes thrown to him and gaining 50 yards as the Defenders marched down the field and scored a touchdown on their opening possession.

The 27-year-old Rogers had a very promising season as a rookie with the Steelers in 2016, catching 48 passes for 594 yards. But he couldn’t match that production in 2017 or 2018, and he was released before the start of he 2019 season.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

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