Switzer works to justify supporters’ faith in him
In the past year and a half, Ryan Switzer has bought a house and started a family with his wife in Pittsburgh. Does that sound like a guy who doesn’t expect to be here for the long haul?
And yet, for a second consecutive training camp, he seems to be in a fight for a roster spot amid a deep and youthful wide receiver room. If practice Wednesday was any indication, Switzer is wasting little time locking down his job again this year.
“I’m 25 years old, in the best shape of my life, and now it’s up to me to put it to use,” Switzer said after he had a busy day at Heinz Field. “Because all that training can go by the wayside if you don’t go out there and perform.”
He put his chiseled physique to good use, enough that he was selected to speak to reporters as the standout performer of the day’s practice.
Working with the first-team offense, Switzer converted a key third down with a 12-yard reception, then caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to cap that
drive. It was only practice, and without full pads, but Switzer needed this after a 2019 season that didn’t go his way.
“I’m trying to prove all the people who believe in me right, ‘7’ being one of them,” Switzer said of his quarterback. “He trusts me in those situations. I was fortunate enough to be out there with the ‘ones’ and get those reps, which I never take for granted. I’m excited to see what this year holds for me, individually.”
If he doesn’t perform well, he’ll hear about it. That’s another big life change for Switzer in the last year or so: He has become one of the most frequent targets of social media ire from his own fan base.
Switzer claims he doesn’t care about the doubters — “The only opinions I concern myself with are my employers, my wife and my God,” he said — but at times, he can’t help but respond. Unlike fellow wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster or running back James Conner, it’s not uncommon for Switzer to fire right back at an online agitator.
“Yeah, there’s a lot of negativity, but if you live for someone’s approval, you’ll die for their criticism,” he said. “So, good or bad, you can’t listen to it, man. It comes with the territory, and you’ve just got to push forward.”
Indeed, Switzer is faster, quicker and stronger than most men, let alone those who don’t look like your typical NFL player at 5 feet 8, 170some pounds. His stature certainly is part of the reason he’s lambasted so frequently, and it makes for an easy joke at his expense, but there’s another common complaint from the anti-Switzer faction.
Given his willingness to read the comments, he’s surely noticed it. “He’ll make the team because he’s Ben’s friend,” or some variation of that notion. After Switzer explained what it was like to be involved in Roethlisberger’s rehabilitation — “I’m fortunate he allowed me to be so close,” he said — he was asked how much input the franchise cornerstone has on roster decisions, and whether that can help the fourth-year slot receiver from North Carolina.
“I think it’s always important in any walk of life to have people that are in your corner, have people that believe in you, and football is no different. I’m fortunate to have a quarterback who understands my skill set and my ability and what I’m capable of doing,” Switzer said. “I don’t know, per se, what say he does or doesn’t have in terms of roster spots and this and that. I don’t really concern myself with that.
“I try to prove him right, because I know he believes in me, and it’s nice to have someone in your corner. It’s nice to have your quarterback in your corner.”
Then again, it’s fair to be skeptical. After all, this story was written last year around this time, and Switzer finished 2019 with just eight catches for 27 yards before a season-ending back injury. His punt return opportunities weren’t much better, and Diontae Johnson blossomed into a second-team All-Pro at that position as a rookie.
But it’s not as if Switzer is imploring people to take him high in their fantasy draft. He’s saying he believes he can do more than catch six passes for 29 yards, his stat line from the last time he played a full game with Roethlisberger, in the 2019 opener. He got four targets in Week 2, but Roethlisberger left with a seasonending injury and Switzer went the rest of the year with 1 target,1 grab, minus-2 yards.
“In my mind, there’s no limit to what I believe I can bring to this offense. … I’ve got to prove ‘7’ right,” he said. “I’ve got to prove a lot of people right. That’s what I’m focused on. I’m not focused on people I’m trying to prove wrong.”