The Pittsburgh Steelers are three games into the regular season, and that means it’s time to track who has done well, stock up, and who hasn’t, stock down, as the team travels to play the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4 of the regular season.

As always, these are just my lists, so feel free to voice your opinion in the comment section below.

Stock Up

Justin Fields

Fields is atop this list for a reason, and it’s because his stock is sky-rocketing right now. Regardless of what you thought of Fields and his time in Chicago, he has proven to be more than capable as a starter. On top of being capable, he’s shown tremendous strides as a passer. Fields is winning, but he isn’t just doing it with his legs. They aren’t just broken plays like we saw during his time with the Bears, he is reading the field and throwing anticipatory passes for big gains. We all want to see more, but what we’ve seen recently has been impressive.

Zach Frazier

Last week in this article I praised the rookie class, and there is a bright star in that group. His name is Zach Frazier, the Steelers 2nd Round draft pick out of West Virginia University. Frazier hasn’t just seized the opportunity when Nate Herbig was lost for the year with a shoulder injury, he has taken the job and run with it. Frazier has received rave reviews from everyone who pays attention to the interior offensive line, and it looks like the Steelers have found their rock at center for the foreseeable future.

Cordarrelle Patterson

With Jaylen Warren being banged up (knee injury) and Najee Harris was seen with a sling on his arm Monday, Patterson will be asked to carry a workload he isn’t used to carrying since signing with the Steelers. However, Patterson showed he still runs hard and has a ton of potential as both a receiver and runner. Patterson’s arrow is heading up, and at just the right time.

Calvin Austin III

When Van Jefferson left the game with an eye injury in Week 3 it was Calvin Austin III who came in to take over WR2 duties on offense. What you saw happen was the diminutive receiver find space and make plays. Austin’s 95 yards with a touchdown could be a fluke, a blip on the radar, or a sign of things to come. Either way, Austin put his best foot forward to seeing more time moving forward.

Pat Freiermuth

Isn’t it crazy how when the Steelers offense starts targeting the middle of the field Pat Freiermuth’s role starts to increase? While Freiermuth had a drop in the game, you can start to see how his spot on the team is becoming well known. In other words, it’s becoming what we’ve all be waiting for since he was drafted in the 2nd Round in the 2021 NFL Draft. If Freiermuth can stay healthy, and that can be a big ‘if’, this is just the beginning of him tapping into his potential.

Mason McCormick

McCormick might have been viewed as a project by most when he was selected in the 4th Round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but when he got time to play in Week 3 he didn’t disappoint. When Isaac Seumalo returns to the lineup it looks as if he will be the main man at left guard, as he should be. However, you can see McCormick is the future of the position and he is getting rave reviews from offensive players, mainly Najee Harris. When you consider the team’s offensive line draft pick along the offensive line, this draft class could be remembered for a long time for all the right reasons.

Cam Heyward

Too old? Injury prone? Doesn’t seem like Captain Cam is any of those things. Heyward absolutely beat the Chargers offensive line down in Week 3, and he looks every bit the part of a dominant veteran who has been around the block and is “old man strong”. Heyward is out to prove himself worthy of his contract he signed before Week 1, and he’s off to a great start.

Corliss Waitman

Getting on a moving train is difficult, even for special teams players. Waitman impressed in his brief stint with the Steelers earlier in his career, and he’s picked up right where he left off. Waitman has shown tremendous direction and hangtime on his punts, helping the coverage teams to limit returns. Waitman’s trending in the right direction, and proving the Steelers made the right choice over re-treads at the punter position.

Nick Herbig

If you didn’t see Nick Herbig’s stock rising, you were watching a different game than me Sunday. Herbig got an opportunity, and he didn’t disappoint. Will he make us forget about Alex Highsmith? I’m not about to suggest that right now, but if he plays well enough to even have that conversation is it a bad thing? Time to let Herbig cook with those one-on-one matchups opposite T.J. Watt.

Stock Down

Alex Highsmith

Injuries can sideline even the most promising players, but what that role looks like when you return is never a guarantee. Highsmith was the every down pass rusher opposite Watt when he got injured, but it might not look that when when he gets healthy. Highsmith’s role might become the primary run-stuffing outside linebacker with Herbig coming in on obvious passing downs. Not anything against Highsmith, but this injury might have opened the door for Herbig and his role within the defense.

Russell Wilson

Wilson’s stock continues to plummet after every game Fields has a strong performance. The aging veteran has been limited in practice the past three weeks, and that looks to continue into Week 4. Injuries happen, and, like I said above talking about Highsmith, that can change how the organization views you moving forward. Your best ability is sometimes your availability.

Van Jefferson

Jefferson left the game Sunday with an eye injury, and it helped give Calvin Austin III a shot as the WR2. What did he do? He made an impact. An impact Jefferson has yet to do outside of a pass interference call in Week 2 in Denver. It’s been said since training camp how Jefferson is a great WR3, but not a WR2. I’m not suggesting Calvin Austin III is now the WR2, but he certainly made plays when given the opportunity. Something Jefferson has yet to do.

Connor Heyward

With each passing week it seems like Heyward’s role gets smaller and smaller. Darnell Washington is the blocker, Freiermuth is the flex tight end, and before his knee injury MyCole Pruitt was used before Connor Heyward. Pruitt’s knee injury has given Heyward an opportunity, but it will be interesting to see if Heyward can find some type of niche within this offense in the coming weeks.

Roman Wilson

We’ve all be waiting to see the Steelers 3rd Round pick on the field when he recovered from his ankle injury sustained on the first week of padded practice in training camp. Everyone thought it would come in Week 3 when Wilson didn’t have an injury status before the first home game, but it didn’t. Tuesday Mike Tomlin talked about the difficulty of jumping on a “moving train”, and it makes you wonder when/if Wilson will get an opportunity to play. Will he have to wait until someone gets injured? Let’s hope this is just a minor bump in the road and Wilson shows the fans what he’s capable of sooner rather than later.

Be sure to follow SCN for all the latest news and updates as the team prepares for the Colts in Week 4 of the 2024 regular season.