Steven Sims expecting to supplant Gunner Olszewski as Steelers return man

The Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing for the Buffalo Bills in Week 5 of the 2022 regular season, and the team’s 1-3 start has left fans wanting, almost demanding, change. The biggest change will come with Kenny Pickett’s first start of his NFL career, but that doesn’t have to be the sole change in the lineup.

One change which many saw coming was wide receiver/return man Steven Sims replacing Gunner Olszewski on game day. According to Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the change is expected to happen this week.

Sims made several splash plays during the team’s 3-game preseason, enough so that he earned himself a spot on the 53-man roster. While he hasn’t been active on game days, he has been waiting for his chance to prove his worth. What it took were two Olszewski fumbles in four games.

Those fumbles, and Olszewski, were a topic of a question for head coach Mike Tomlin on Tuesday, and Tomlin didn’t hold back when asked what his comfort level is with Gunner after Week 4.

“Not very high, to be quite honest with you. You can’t put two balls on the ground in four games and feel good about it. Two is a pattern in the National Football League. We say that often. We say that about runners and ball security. Whether there’s four games or eight games of 12 games, two, in our business, is a pattern. So, we’ve got some work there this week and some decisions to make and he’s got to get us to a level of comfort, and we’ll look at some other options as well.”

While Sims entering the lineup would be a welcome addition for many, it isn’t the only change which could take place Sunday in Buffalo. Below are six changes, one of them being Sims addition to the game day lineup, that aren’t at the quarterback position heading into Sunday’s game.

While Sims did say this in media availability Wednesday, nothing has been made official from the Steelers as of yet. With that said, the Steelers don’t have to make anything official considering no roster move would have to be made. It would just be Sims active, and Olszewski inactive on game day.

Be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the Bills this Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.