ESPN NFL insider reveals expectations for Pittsburgh Steelers offense in 2023

The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the more interesting teams in the NFL entering the 2023 season, as their season could go a number of different ways.

On Saturday, ESPN upped their NFL coverage, and had some fun at training camp with multiple teams throughout the league. One of those teams was the Steelers, and ESPN’s Louis Riddick had some fascinating thoughts on their season.

First off, he believes the team needs to be more explosive on offense this season, and he’s expecting that to start with quarterback Kenny Pickett.

“I think the explosive component of the offense is where Kenny [Pickett] himself, starting with him, is going to want to improve,” started Riddick. “That’s yards per attempt you know, just above 6.0, which I believe had him somewhere down, 32nd in the NFL quite honestly, somewhere in the thirties. So that’s got to improve, because that’s something he was good at in Pittsburgh.

“He’s got to improve on that, and I’ve heard that he’s put in the work and he’s looked much different as far as pushing the ball down the field.”

One of the ways Pittsburgh is expecting to improve their offense is through their offensive line play, and Riddick pointed out some of the impressive moves they made over the offseason to improve their standing in that department.

“They talked about the offensive line play, well the drafting of Broderick Jones, the signing of Isaac Seumalo, who’s going to play left guard for them, that should help the running game produce more explosive plays too,” Riddick said. … They need to improve that part of it, to go along with the defense that you know is going to be opportunistic.”

Alas, Riddick recognizes that the backbone of the Steelers is their defense and coaching, two areas Pittsburgh will likely excel in again in 2023.

“You know it’s going to be giving this offense more shots at it, and more at-bats, as you like to say. They have TJ Watt. They just signed Alex Highsmith to a contract extension. They have their bookends,” the ESPN analyst said. “They have one of the best safeties, if not the best pure safety in the game on the field as well.

“Look, I like what they’re doing, and how they methodically always seem to reshape this football team, and reshape this roster, and Mike [Tomlin] always has them playing at a high level and in contention. It’s going to be a heck of a division though, as we know.”

As you can see, the 2023 season could go a myriad of different ways for the Steelers, but Louis Riddick and other media members are at least encouraged by what they’re seeing in Pittsburgh.