Tennessee football: Ranking the 10 key former Vols in the NFL Playoffs
. Wide Receiver. Pittsburgh Steelers. Justin Hunter. 10. player. 55
Justin Hunter has been a very rare target for the Pittsburgh Steelers. In fact, he could have joined Daniel McCullers and Cameron Sutton as guys just on the roster who see very little action.
Similar to his days with the Tennessee Titans, the former elite leaper for Tennessee football just never seemed to find himself on a consistent basis in the NFL. And he’s been a bit of a disappointment as a result.
It just seems like he never recovered from that season-ending injury in 2011. However, that’s all irrelevant at this point.
Despite only four receptions for 23 yards and one touchdown in the regular season, the 6’4″ 203-pound receiver still figures to play a role in the NFL Playoffs for Pittsburgh. That showed toward the end of the season.
Say what you want, but on Christmas, with the Steelers needing to clinch a first-round bye, Hunter caught a meaningful five-yard touchdown pass. The next week, with nothing to play for against the Cleveland Browns, the Steelers didn’t use him.
That leads me to believe that Mike Tomlin values what this guy can bring into the playoffs. And with a week to rest, there’s a very good chance that Hunter becomes a bigger part of the offense this postseason.
It’s not a guarantee, but it’s a possibility. And as a result, his potential to be a key player is just enough to put him on this list. Maybe these playoffs are where the former Tennessee football player finally breaks out into the player we all thought he’d be.