Steelers Free Agent Analysis: Ben Skowronek
Position: Wide Receiver
Experience: 4 Years (1 with Steelers)
Free Agent Status: Unrestricted
2024 Salary Cap Hit: $739,445
2024 Season Breakdown:
Ben Skowronek may not have quite reached Steelers folk hero status like Devlin Hodges, but he did earn a reputation. As OC Arthur Smith said of him, he plays with a little dirtbag in him. Contractually speaking, I am legally obligated to mention that every time I write about him.
And yet Skowronek caught all of five passes for the Steelers last year for 69 yards. When was the last time that Steelers fans liked a wide receiver who caught five passes? Of course, his receiving ability isn’t how Skowronek endeared himself to people. While he showed up on blocking tape, his special teams drew attention.
Luckily for Ben Skowronek, the Steelers’ special teams were in the limelight last season. That’s not quite accurate to say, though, because it was partly because of Skowronek that was so. After all, he recovered two fumbles from muffed punts and generally played with his hair on fire.
A former 2021 seventh-round pick, Skowronek stands at 6-3 and weighs 224 pounds. He is a big dude, fitting the Steelers’ blocking mold for wide receivers. Rarely did he see more than 5-10 snaps on offense, but he did have a larger role in some weeks.
Skowronek played 149 snaps on special teams in 10 games, though, and that’s why you’ll likely see him back on the Steelers in 2025. He already proved himself a quality special teamer while with the Rams, logging 327 snaps in 2023. In the future, he could see a similar workload for Danny Smith.
Free Agency Outlook:
Given how the Steelers love their special teamers, re-signing Ben Skowronek is probably a lock. Perhaps the real question is the nature of the contract to which they sign him. Do they offer him anything more than a one-year Veteran Salary Benefit contract? He is a pending unrestricted free agent, so he can see what his market is.
It wouldn’t surprise me if they offered him a cheap multi-year contract, though. They often do that with players they add from other teams on one-year contracts when they like working with them. Would the Steelers want to sign Ben Skowronek to a multi-year deal?
The Steelers have a long list of free agents this year, but not absolutely can’t-lose names. While it includes significant players like Najee Harris and Dan Moore Jr., they are not the team’s priority. The biggest question is the quarterback position, working to choose between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. There are some choice role players, but they wouldn’t fall apart if they lost the entire lot—minus a quarterback.
