Steelers Will Absolutely Benefit From The Return Of This "Sneaky" Player Against The Jets

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been racked by injuries this season. This is especially true of the offense, where the offensive line and the running back room have been decimated. First-round draft pick Troy Fautanu suffered a dislocated kneecap that will likely keep him out for the entirety of the regular season. As the offense adjusted to adapt, James Daniels suffered an Achilles tear. This has meant many younger, less experienced players have had to step up. 

The running back room suffered a similar fate. Najee Harris' regular partner in crime, Jaylen Warren, already struggled with a hamstring injury when he suffered a knee injury during the Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Head Coach Mike Tomlin said he saw that Warren just didn't look like himself. Then, in Week 4, amid the start of a fantastic performance, Cordarrelle Patterson injured his ankle. This left Harris to shoulder the workload for the past couple of weeks. 

The injuries to the offensive line and the running back room have created blocking issues for the offense. Jeff Hawthorn, Sports Director for 93.7 The Fan, joined the Joe Starkey Show to discuss how the team looks as they head into Week 7 against the New York Jets. Hawthorn said that he thinks the Steelers could benefit from the return of an undervalued player who many fans didn't realize was missing: MyCole Pruitt. 

"MyCole Pruitt has a chance to get back and people might think, 'Who's that,' but he's a pretty good blocking tight end," noted Hawthorn. "He's a guy that can help seal the edge and help with some of the things that Najee was saying that help with the run game, help that be more consistent. So that's a sneaky one that could be added into the lineup."

Pruitt was the Minnesota Vikings' fifth-round draft pick in 2015. He has bounced around the league a lot, stopping at several teams. The Steelers' new Offensive Coordinator, Arthur Smith, is very familiar with Pruitt, having coached him at both the Tennessee Titans and the Atlanta Falcons. During his time with the Titans, Pruitt greatly benefited Derrick Henry. The exceptional running back counted on Pruitt to help open lanes for him. 

While his stats might not impress fans, he adds value to the team, especially in blocking, and positively impacts the offense. Fan-favorite Pat Freiermuth struggles with blocking at times, so having Pruitt as an option in Smith's multiple tight-end sets makes sense. 

While Harris had a big game against the Las Vegas Raiders, he has struggled to consistently find open running lanes. Pruitt's return should help open the field up for him more, especially in the red zone. 

Steelers' Jaylen Warren Knocking The Rust Off

Warren's absence has also hurt the Steelers' running game. He and Harris are very different kinds of running backs, and they seem to play the best when both are utilized. When Smith came to Pittsburgh, the expectation was that he would help the team bring back smashmouth-style football, but all of the injuries have limited their ability to run effectively. 

Now that Warren has officially returned to action, Hawthorn expects to see that run game improve quite a bit. He said he expected to see both tailbacks playing, perhaps not simultaneously, but see both Harris and Warren succeed. 

Hawthorn said that he believed Warren rushed to return from that early hamstring injury, and they were "annoyed" when he was injured further. As for the paltry six rushes for seven yards he produced against the Raiders, Hawthorn thinks we will steadily see those numbers climb. 

Will the Steelers benefit much from having Pruitt return? Click to comment below. 

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