When the Pittsburgh Steelers traded a king's ransom for DK Metcalf, fans had a pretty good idea who would be the team's WR1 for the foreseeable future, but after shipping away George Pickens, who would be his running mate and number two target for new quarterback Aaron Rodgers?
Well, while the Steelers do have a number of options, the favorite to secure that coveted WR2 spot may actually be one of the least likely, as 5-foot-9 journeyman Scotty Miller is coming in hot heading into the preseason, according to Mike DeFabo of The Athletic.
“The most noticeable receiver not named Metcalf? Scotty Miller. The 28-year-old, 5-foot-9 receiver had another strong day Sunday, winning several two-on-two reps during a competitive receivers-on-DBs period,” DeFabo wrote for The Athletic.
“While that's good news for Miller, it's not so much for an offense that was counting upon development from Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson. On Sunday, Rodgers looked for Wilson on a corner route. The uncatchable ball skipped well in front of the receiver. Either the throw was errant, or they weren't on the same page. It was a similar story last week, when Rodgers looked for Wilson along the sideline and threw it well out of bounds. After that misfire, Rodgers walked Wilson through how to run his route the way the QB wants. Meanwhile, Austin missed his second consecutive practice with an injury. If defenses game plan to shut down Metcalf, someone needs to step up and start forming chemistry with Rodgers.”
Initially drafted in the sixth round out of Bowling Green by the Buccaneers, Miller won a Super Bowl in Tampa Bay before moving to Atlanta in 2023, when he played under future Steelers OC Arthur Smith. While Miller wasn't much of a force in 2024, catching just five of his nine targets in 13 games with just one start, he is a veteran pass catcher with deceptive speed and a knack for making things happen out of the slot. Considering Rodgers' mobility at this stage of the game, who knows? Maybe Miller will have a breakout season in his seventh NFL campaign.
