Just the other day I was sitting down at my computer working on an individual practice plan for the outside linebackers I coach at a local high school near my house. This will be my first year coaching the OLBs as I have been primarily a defensive backs and wide receivers coach. Even though I was initially nervous about this coaching transition, I have developed a strong rapport with the new staff and players and I am ready to instill strong teaching to the younger generation of players.

While creating the plan, I was reminded of the previous practice and just how poor the effort was that day. One thing that drives me crazy as a coach is lack of effort from athletes. So many times I have watched film of the receivers not blocking or defensive backs and their lazy pursuit angles, and went off on the effort being shown. Some believe you can teach effort while others say you can’t. I am a firm believer in you can teach anything to a person if you have enough reps and/ or opportunities for them to grasp the concept. For the 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers, there is one thing I want the wide receivers to do better at and that is to block their butts off from the first whistle to the last.

So many times over the last three or so years I have turned on a Steelers game and watched the wideouts miss key blocks or just not have enough effort, and that is inexcusable for the 2024 Steelers.

With the recent addition of Zach Azzanni, Pittsburgh’s wide receivers coach, there has been more of an emphasis on going back to the fundamentals. Azzanni has been seen numerous times during mini-camp being a very hands on coach — and that is something that I can get behind.

In June when the San Francisco 49ers re-signed Jauan Jennings to a two-year contract, I decided to write a piece on FFSN about how his blocking mentality secured his 49ers future. While the headline may have seemed dramatic, it was not. Jennings literally took his blocking to another level by throwing a defender into the Gatorade table on the sideline… now that is something you don’t see often at the NFL level. As a result, the 49ers gave him $15.4 million and he is locked up for the next two seasons.

I know Coach Azzanni is going to demand the best out of George Pickens, Roman Wilson, and the other pass catching athletes on the roster through his leadership. But is it too hard to ask for a season where every play you watch a receiver is sprinting off the ball, getting to their man, and blocking him until the whistle is blown? Is that too hard to ask for in 2024? If high school athletes can adapt and execute through repetition, why can’t a professional at the highest level of football?

Blocking not only takes a different mentality, the basic fundamentals are taught in practice each and every single day. The 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers may have an improved offense on paper, but until I personally see a change at the receiver position when it relates to blocking, the offense will not take the next step forward.