After listing Dri Archer this week among this year's cast of disappointing rookies, his role with the Steelers is about to shrink even more.
Set to face the Colts on Sunday night, Pittsburgh has stripped Archer of his kick-returning duties in favor of hammer-dropping running back LeGarrette Blount.
"Things didn't work out as well as they wanted before, so they switched it up," Blount said Friday, per The Associated Press. "(And) I'm excited about it. It's going to be fun. We're hoping that we can get everything done the way that we want to get it done, and we hope that we can be effective with it so we can keep it going."
Archer's 17.9 yards per return rank dead last in the NFL among qualified players. His longest return of 23 yards is also the lowest on that list. Coach Mike Tomlin acknowledged that it was time for a change, saying "it hasn't been great. (And) we have to get better at it."
Meanwhile, Archer's demotion footnotes a rough start for the rookie. Hidden behindLe'Veon Bell and Blount in Pittsburgh's backfield, the jitterbug once "tagged internally as a miniature version of Jamaal Charles" has accounted for just 46 yards of total offense.
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