Pittsburgh

Steelers

It’s a homecoming for Matakevich, who spent the first four years of his career with the Steelers (2016-2019) after being drafted by them in the seventh round. Matakevich has played in 129 games over his career, contributing primarily on special teams. He’s started just one game on defense and has never totaled more than 23 tackles in a season.

As we now know, Smith didn’t take the role, instead landing the offensive coordinator job with the Steelers. ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio later learned that part of the reason Smith didn’t take the job with the Jets was “because the role wasn’t clear.” On the one hand, it’s not surprising to learn that the Jets sought out an assistant for Hackett, whose struggles have been amplified since his one-and-done season as head coach of the Broncos in 2022. Hackett was brought in last season at the request of Aaron Rodgers, who has continuously stuck by the OC due to their previous relationship at Green Bay. Hackett, along with head coach Robert Saleh, both enter this season on the hot seat after any hopes of success in 2023 were dashed by Rodgers’ Achilles injury. Assuming Rodgers is healthy and playing well, Hackett should be fine. However, if things start to go awry, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Saleh turn over play-calling duties to someone else. The Jets’ first training camp practice is scheduled for July 24.

“Running back, kick returner, tackle, tight end...I can do it all,” Patterson said when asked about the role. This season, Patterson is a near-lock to serve as the Steelers’ primary kick returner. Still, his familiarity with the offense run by offensive coordinator Arthur Smith could lead to a versatile role for Patterson, who has seen plenty of action at various offensive positions over his 11-year career. Patterson totaled just 219 yards from scrimmage and one offensive touchdown last season while playing in 14 games. He also appeared to have lost a step during the back end of the 2022 season. While we can safely assume his role on special teams, we will need to see what kind of reports surface out of camp before we can confidently assess his fantasy value in 2024.

Patterson is arguably the greatest kick returner of all time and was signed shortly after the league amended its return rules. It’s clear his primary value will come on special teams. However, Kaboly points out that the Steelers gave him $6 million over two years. That’s more than just special teams money, even if he’s one of the best to ever do it. Patterson also found success in Arthur Smith’s system in 2022, rushing for 695 yards and eight touchdowns on 144 attempts. A thigh issue cost him a few games early in the 2023 season and he struggled to find a role upon returning. Though he still projects for distant RB3 duties in Pittsburgh, Patterson could be a minor thorn in the side of Jaylen Warren drafters this year.

Sutton was arrested in March and charged with one count of misdemeanor domestic battery. After further investigation, the league determined that Sutton violated the personal conduct policy, which resulted in his suspension. Sutton signed with the Steelers back in June after spending 2023 with the Lions. The veteran corner started all 17 games he appeared in, totaling 65 tackles, one interception, and six pass breakups. Sutton will not appeal his suspension and is eligible for reinstatement on October 29.

DeFabo added that there doesn’t be much of a competition at quarterback at this time, noting that Wilson “has taken the overwhelming majority of meaningful reps, including on the final day of minicamp, when almost every veteran took off.” He also said Fields “doesn’t often shine in seven-on-seven situations,” which isn’t a great endorsement for him with training camp a month away. Both Wilson and Fields are in career-rebuilding mode after flaming out at their previous stops. Neither is going particularly high in fantasy drafts, with Wilson currently going outside of the top 24 in most best ball drafts. Fields’ rushing ability makes him a potentially high-upside fantasy stash whenever he gets a chance to start, but it sounds like Wilson has a good grip on the job heading into training camp.

Mims was released by the Steelers earlier this week and will now have a chance to compete for a spot on the Jaguars’ roster this offseason. The former second-round pick hasn’t played a regular-season snap since 2022 and is now set to join his fourth team over that span. He’ll face an uphill battle to make a Jaguars roster that returns Christian Kirk and also added Gabe Davis, Devin Duvernay, and Brian Thomas Jr. this offseason.

Kaboly went on to add, “Freiermuth might not have dropped a pass all month” and reiterated his “instant connection” with Russell Wilson — something he mentioned earlier this offseason. Playing in an offense that, outside of George Pickens, looks thin at receiver talent, Freiermuth has a chance to be a key contributor for the Steelers in 2024. Add to that the fact that offensive coordinator Arthur Smith targeted his tight ends 173 times from 2021-2023, the third most of any team in the league, and it’s possible this year is setting up to be the best of Freiermuth’s career. Injuries limited him to just 12 games last season, but in 2022, he caught 63 passes for 732 yards and two touchdowns. Currently going as a fringe TE1/TE2 in fantasy drafts, Freiermuth could turn into a solid value for fantasy managers who opt to wait on the position in drafts.

After redshirting in his 2022 rookie campaign, Austin caught 17 passes for 180 yards and one touchdown for the Steelers last season. The speedy fourth-round pick “continued to get better from the first day to the last” throughout the offseason, per Kaboly, and will have a chance to compete for a starting job on a wide receiver depth chart that is wide open after Pickens. Austin earned five-plus targets in three of his first four games to start last season, but was targeted just nine times in his final 13 games — a brutal footnote on his sophomore season. Even if he earns a “big role” in 2024, expectations should be tempered in an Arthur Smith/Russell Wilson led attack.

Currently in search of a new contract from the Steelers, Heyward said last week that he and his wife had discussed the possibility of needing to play elsewhere if he doesn’t re-sign with the Steelers beyond this season. Heyward, 35, appeared in 11 games for the Steelers last season, totaling two sacks and six TFLs. He combined for 20.5 sacks and 29 TFLs from 2021-2022, but he’s well past the age where we begin to see players decline. Heyward skipped OTAs but was present at minicamp, so we wouldn’t expect a holdout when training camp ramps up next month. With that said, we could be looking at the final season in Pittsburgh for a player who has long been a staple along the Steelers’ defensive interior.