NFL commentators use the term “spot duty” to tell you not to trust what you see. In scientific terms “spot duty” would be something like, “taken from a sample that’s far too small and far too unrepresentative to mean anything.”
“Spot duty” is reserved for NFL roster-bubble players, who, thanks to injury or another extraordinary game circumstances, get a handful of snaps. And “spot duty” signals that we shouldn’t draw any conclusions one way or another based on those snaps.
- Usually, that’s on target.
But every now and again, a player flashes something in “Spot Duty” that reveals that he’s capable of something far bigger. Could Steelers wide receiver Ben Skowronek be one of those players? As he reaches free agency, Omar Khan needs to figure that out.
Ben Skowronek celebrates after recovering a fumble. Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Capsule Profile of Ben Skowronek Career with the Steelers
Ben Skowronek certainly brought quite a back story to Pittsburgh. The Titans traded his pick to the Jaguars 8 months before the 2021 NFL Draft. And then on draft day Jacksonville traded his pick to the Rams, who took him in the 7th round with pick 249. Then, after appearing in 45 games and making 12 starts for Los Angeles, the Rams traded Skowronek to the Texans after the 2024 NFL Draft, who cut him just before the season.
The Steelers signed him to the practice squad, elevated him to the active roster for the first two weeks of the season, and then put him on IR.
The Steelers activated Skowronek for the Washington game. Over the course of the final 9 weeks of the season Skowronek caught 5 of 5 passes thrown his way, participated in 55% of special teams snaps, made 7 tackles on return coverage while recovering two fumbles.
The Case for the Steelers Resigning Ben Skowronek
The sight of Ben Skowronek streaking downfield to make a tackle on a return became a regular one during the waning part of the season. Special teams delivered the Steelers a real competitive edge during the run to 10-3 and provided several of the “missed opportunities” that characterized the early portion of the late season collapse.
- That alone makes Skowronek an intriguing prospect.
So does his work in the passing game. Skowronek went 5 for 5 on targets, averaging 13.8 yards per catch, with an 80% “success rate” as four of those catches went for first downs. He’s not a player whose going to open anyone’s check book very widely, so keeping him in Pittsburgh at a veteran minimum is a no brainer.
The Case Against the Steelers Resigning Ben Skowronek
If the Steelers resigning Ben Skowronek is such a “no brainer” then answer this question for me: If he’s supposedly some sort of hidden asset in the passing game, then why was he only targeted 5 times with the Steelers screaming for someone to step up when George Pickens was out?
Sure, his special teams skill set is nice, but the Pittsburgh’s receiver room is plagued with place holders and now is the time to replace them with difference makers.
Curtain’s Call on the Steelers and Ben Skowronek
Ben Skowronek‘s special teams resume is probably sufficient to earn him a second contract in Pittsburgh that’s at or near the veteran minimum.
- But that’s not the real reason to hope he’s back.
As the Steelers reached the true off season in June of 2024 it was clear that the Omar Khan’s plans to replace Diontae Johnson had hit a major bump in the road. And yours truly mused about whether the Steelers had the next Yancey Thigpen hiding on their roster.
- Today that’s more than laughable.
Clearly the Steelers didn’t have the next Yancey Thigpen on their roster in June of 2024…
…But could they have had him on their roster in September 2024? The parallels between Ben Skowronek and Thigpen are striking. Consider this about both:
- Are over 6 feet tall and top the 200 pound mark.
- Got their starts as roster-bubble players for California teams.
- Found their way to Pittsburgh via the waiver wire.
- Cut their teeth on special teams.
- Played in offenses that struggled with serious talent deficiencies at wide out.
- Raised eyebrows with the production in “spot duty” at wide receiver.
Thigpen only had 9 catches on 12 targets in his first full year with the 1993 Steelers – but 3 of those catches went for touchdowns. Skowronek literally caught everything thrown his way and almost always turned it into a first down.
Yes. They do call it “spot duty” for a reason. Think of John Clay who earned 4.1 yards per carry and scored a touchdown in “spot duty” at the end of the Steelers 2011 season and never played another down.
But this scribe has a hunch that Ben Skowronek is a lot more of a Yancey Thigpen than a he is a John Clay.
