The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a pretty busy offseason. They have completely swapped out their quarterback room, replacing Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, which makes them a big question mark heading into the 2024 campaign. However, they are still touching up their roster with training camp right around the corner.
While the quarterback position is extremely important, there are other areas that Pittsburgh needs to improve upon. One such area is their special teams units, which led to them going out and re-signing one of their former special teams aces in Tyler Matakevich. After spending four seasons with the Buffalo Bills, Matakevich has returned to the Steelers on a one-year deal.
Via Adam Schefter:
“Steelers signed former Bills LB Tyler Matakevich to a one-year contract.”
Steelers hoping Tyler Matakevich can help their special teams units out
Matakevich initially broke into the NFL with the Steelers when he was selected in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL Draft, and he spent four seasons with them before he spent the past four seasons with the Bills. Matakevich is a linebacker by trade, but he plays sparingly on defense, meaning most of his work comes on special teams.
When it comes to that area of the game, though, Matakevich is a stud. He led the Bills in special teams snaps in three of his four seasons with the team, and beyond that, he's a great presence in the locker room as well. Matakevich is an eight-year veteran who has seen a lot, and he was a three-time captain during his time in Buffalo too.
Matakevich will be returning to where his career got started, and he will be looking to carve out a role for himself on their special teams units. Considering how vital he was to Buffalo's operation over the past few years, it's fair to assume that Matakevich has a decent shot at earning himself a spot on the team's 53-man roster.
Of course, it's worth noting that Matakevich isn't much of a factor at his native linebacker position, so the Steelers could be put in a tough spot when it comes to deciding his future with the team. If there are a few players who can hold their own on special teams, while also contributing at their main positions, Matakevich may not have a spot for himself on the team.
On a one-year deal, though, there's virtually no risk involved, so it's tough to look at this deal as a negative in any way for Pittsburgh. If Matakevich sticks around, he figures to be one of the guys tasked with doing all the little things for the Steelers, but if they decide to move on from him, it won't hurt their pockets all that much.
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