With the four teams of the Washington Commanders,Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs making the conference championship, a disheartening streak for the Pittsburgh Steelers will continue.
For another season, there will be a Super Bowl champion who previously was part of the Steelers organization. All four teams have a former Steeler on their active roster for the coming conference championship round, and some of which will be large impact players.
For the Washington Commanders, former Steelers running back Jeremy McNichols, who spent his entire in-season tenure with the Steelers on injured reserve, will appear for the Commanders. McNichols played a large role in the Commanders win against the Lions, scoring a pivotal rushing touchdown on an arm extension to help upset the Detroit Lions.
The most notable player belongs to the Eagles, whose backup quarterback is Kenny Pickett. The former first round draft selection by the Steelers has been good in limited time in Philadelphia this season, and will possibly get an opportunity to play against the Commanders. Starter Jalen Hurts did not look completely healthy at the end of their divisional round win over the Rams, so Pickett might get a chance to prove doubters wrong on a big stage.
The Chiefs boast former Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. He is unlikely to get a large amount of snaps, but still is able to make a good play at times. He could be a good option to go to if other receivers, such as Xavier Worthy, get double-teamed.
The Bills boast another of the quarterbacks used in the Steelers last campaign, as Mitch Trubisky provides backup support to Josh Allen in Buffalo. He is unlikely to see much time, but will still be available in a tough game at Arrowhead Stadium.
While it is interesting to see that a former Steeler is guaranteed a title, it is tough to look at from an organizational perspective to see former players win while the team is not contending for one themselves.
