The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed veteran running back Jeremy McNichols to a one-year contract. He will replace veteran running back Trey Edmunds on the roster. Edmunds was earlier released on July 25.
McNichols has moved around a lot since being drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round in 2017. The 5-foot-9 running back did, however, spend 2020 and 2021 with the Tennessee Titans. McNichols then played with practice squads of the San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears, Titans, and, most recently, the Atlanta Falcons.
The 26-year-old played in all 16 games in 2020, rushing for 204 yards and a touchdown while also catching 12 passes for 55 yards. He finished last season with 396 yards from scrimmage and 156 rushings. He caught 28 passes, 240 receiving, and one receiving touchdown while Derrick Henry was injured for much of the season.
Coming out of Boise State in 2017, Jeremy McNichols was hailed as an “all-purpose talent”. He spent the majority of his collegiate career assisting Jay Ajayi, but after Ajayi left for the NFL, McNichols stepped up. He contributed to the offense by rushing for 1,337 yards and 20 touchdowns and receiving for 460 yards and six touchdowns.
McNichols’ 26 total touchdowns tied him for second in the FBS and helped him earn second-team Mountain West honors in 2015. In his junior season, he earned second-team all-conference honors again, ranking in the top ten in rushing yards per game (138.6) and all-purpose yards (2,255).
We have signed RB Jeremy McNichols to a one-year contract.
To make room on the 90-man roster, we released RB Trey Edmunds. @BordasLaw
📝: https://t.co/LcuyJOvtl6 pic.twitter.com/oRfwzO2efY
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) July 26, 2022
McNichols’ role with Steelers
The Steelers are hoping that the addition of McNichols will not only motivate players like Benny Snell and Anthony McFarland but will also provide them with demonstrated options at running back behind Harris.
Benny Snell has been a disappointment as a backup, averaging 3.5 yards per attempt over three seasons. With Mataeo Durant and Jaylen Warren being undrafted free agents, McNichols has a chance to be Snell’s replacement if he can pick up on things quickly.
The Steelers released veteran Trey Edmunds, who spent the previous four seasons with the team, on the eve of training camp to make room for McNichols.
Last season, the Steelers attempted to rely heavily on Najee Harris in the passing game. Harris ranked first among rookie running backs in rushing yards, touchdowns, receptions, receiving yards, first downs, and yards from scrimmage. Even after leading the NFL with 381 touches in his rookie season, Harris said he was fine with carrying the ball 400-500 times in 2022 if it means the Steelers win games.
However, Harris is lacking in passing for the Steelers. He averaged only 5.0 yards per target and had seven dropped passes despite receiving 94 (7.4 percent drop rate).
McNichols, meanwhile, averaged 6.3 yards per target and had a significantly lower drop rate in the passing game, with just two drops on the season. While he struggled as a blocker, he finished last season with the 11th-highest receiving grade among all NFL running backs.
McNichols has a short, compact frame at 5’9″ and 205 pounds, but he has a bounce in his step, and his top-end speed is at least respectable enough to carve out significant gains. These are some of the things that both Najee Harris and Benny Snell lack.
The Steelers will hold training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, after a two-year hiatus.