It may be overlooked at a large scale, but many Pittsburgh Steelers fans have noticed that just as Mike Tomlin’s coaching tree has few branches, so too is the lack of talent of former Steelers around the league.
Maybe it’s because of the franchise’s (once) strict team-building philosophy, with the team investing in the draft and cutting the prospects who don’t pan out when their rookie deals are up. But it’s rare for players to follow the path of Emmanuel Sanders or Javon Hargrave. Instead, we often see former Steelers flame out with their new teams like JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson, and Le'Veon Bell.