Mike Tomlin compares WR Mathew Sexton to forgotten Pittsburgh Steelers return man

Remember Stefan Logan? Not many Pittsburgh Steelers fans do. It’s because there was a lot of sizzle but no steak with the speedster out of South Dakota.

Logan was all the talk of the Steelers’ 2009 offseason when it came to potential talent on punt/kick returns, but, as it is in the NFL, it’s more effective to use a coveted roster spot on a player who’s a master at more than one trade.

Unfortunately for Logan, his trade was as a return man only. Logan flashed on kick returns in his short-lived time with the Steelers — 1,466 yards on 55 attempts. He averaged just 9.33 yards on punts. Logan also lost two of three fumbles.

Though limited, Pittsburgh did give Logan opportunities on offense — it just didn’t pan out. He was so far down in the pecking order that his contributions didn’t add up to much.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and his staff discussed Logan in a recent Steelers meeting studying history. “We talked about a guy about ten years ago named Stefan Logan that nobody knew and really didn’t have a position, but he kept adding in the return game,” Tomlin told reporters on Wednesday.

A dozen years ago, Logan shined in an opportunity that led to him being rostered. “[Logan] had an about 80-yard punt return in the Carolina preseason game and really ran his way onto the football team,” Tomlin said.

Wide receiver Mathew Sexton will be given a chance to run his way onto the Steelers’ initial final roster Friday night. “Mat’s had some moments. He’ll have an opportunity to put an exclamation point on his work like a lot of guys will.”

Friday’s preseason finale will be all about reserve players clawing their way onto a roster with very few undecided spots remaining. Will the speedy Mathew Sexton prove he’s worthy of one of them?

The team will trim its roster from 80 to 53 on Tuesday. Keep an eye on the Pittsburgh Steelers 2021 cuts tracker for updates.