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Steelers 2025 Thanksgiving Honors: Pat Freiermuth

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Say it now Steelers Nation and say it in unison, “Muuth!!”

Yes, you hear the battle cry on the road almost as often and  almost as automatic on the road as you do at Acruisure. When you hear it, you know that things are going well. And things are going well because the new number 88 for the Pittsburgh Steelers has just authored the play.

And that’s why we’re happy to give 2025 Steelers Thanksgiving Honors to Pat Freiermuth

Pat Freiermuth, Jordan Battle, Steelers vs Bengals, Steelers vs Bengals TNF

Pat Freiermuth stiff arms Jordan Battle en route to the end zone. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

The Steelers Twists and Turns @ Tight End

Tight end is one of those tricky positions for the Steelers.

Under Chuck Noll it went from a position of strength featuring players like Larry Brown, Randy Grossman and Bennie Cunningham, to almost total obscurity (you don’t see many Preston Gothard throwback jerseys, do you?) without rhyme or reason.

Larry Brown, Super Bowl IX

Larry Brown catches a touchdown in Super Bowl XI. Photo Credit, Twitter, Vintage Steelers

But there’s no mystery behind the fact that the Steelers second Super Bowl era was quietly anchored by tight end Heath Miller, hands down the franchise’s best at the position.

Following Miller’s retirement, the franchise rode the tight end carousel trying out home grown options like Jesse James, free agents like Ladarius Green and Eric Ebron and trades for guys like Vance McDonald.

Some of those worked better than others, but Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert took the team off the carousel when they took Penn State’s Pat Freiermuth in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Steelers 2025 Thanksgiving Honors: Pat Freiermuth

Pat Freiermuth arrived in Pittsburgh and not only became an immediate starter, but Ben Roethlisberger’s go-to guy in a season the Steelers signal caller exited the NFL by authoring 7 more 4th quarter comebacks.

IT is easy to see why.

As a rookie, Pat Freiermuth caught 60 passes 7 touchdowns and boasted a 75% catch rate, which for comparison purposes, is 3 points better than Heath Miller’s career average. During that first year it was fair to wonder whether Freiermuth would mirror Miller’s stature at the position.

To be honest, his development hasn’t quite followed that path.

  • But, to be fair to Freiermuth, that’s an extremely high bar to clear.

So what has Pat Freiermuth done since his sensational rookie year? He’s caught 123 passes and counting, 15 touchdowns while compiling a 73.7% catch rate. Those numbers are impressive, but what’s more impressive is the way he does it.

Pat Freiermuth, Steelers vs. Browns,

Focused Pat Freiermuth scores the go ahead touchdown. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

When times get tough, the wise move for the quarterback is to look to Pat Freiermuth.

As a rookie, Ben Roethlisberger looked to Freiermuth in the 4th quarter on the road against the Browns to put the Steelers ahead for good, giving Big Ben one final win in Cleveland. Last year, Russell Wilson targeted Freiermuth against Washington to give the Steelers a lead in a 1 point game. Aaron Rodgers did the same thing against Indianapolis just a few weeks ago.

Six of Pat Freiermuth’s 15 touchdowns have been lead changers there’s a reason why clutch players are clutch players. And even when he doesn’t give Pittsburgh a lead during a win, Pat Freiermuth makes it look pretty:


And that clips offers an additional reason of why Pat Freiermuth is winning Steelers Thanksgiving Honors in 2025. With that catch from last week’s loss in Chicago, Freiermuth has now caught touchdowns from Ben Roethlisberger, Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett, Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph.

  • That’s 7 separate quarterbacks, if you haven’t been counting.

Catching touchdowns from 7 different quarterbacks over 5 seasons is an interesting and somewhat impressive stat. But underlines something far more important about Pat Freiermuth: As the Steelers offense has struggled for the last 5 years, Freiermuth has been a source of stability and has easily been the unit’s most consistent player.

And that fact, more than any statistics we can cite, is the reason why Pat Freiermuth wins Steelers 2025 Thanksgiving Honors

A Word about Steelers Thanksgiving Honors

In 2009, as the Steelers were ramping up for what would be the infamous 5 game losing streak the punctuated their Super Bowl hangover, I was looking for a sign of hope, something to be thankful for.

Rashard Mendenhall jumped out to me.

Not only had he authored several impressive games after taking over the starting role for Willie Parker, but in the loss to Kansas City after Andy Studebaker had intercepted a Ben Roethlisberger pass Mendenhall not only picked himself up off the turf, he crossed width of the field, and ran down at the 8 yard line to save a touchdown.

  • Thus, the tradition of Steelers Thanksgiving Honors was born.

Every Thanksgiving since then, Steel Curtain Rising has taken out time to shine the spotlight on someone who makes us thankful that they’re with the Steelers:

2009 – Rashard Mendenhall
2010 – Marukice Pouncey, Emmanuel Sanders, Al Everest
2011 – Antonio Brown
2012 – Keenan Lewis
2013 – Cam Heyward
2014 – Le’Veon Bell
2015 – “The Understudies” – Alejandro Villanueva, DeAngelo Williams, Will Allen, Cody Wallace
2016 – Ryan Shazier
2017 – Ben Roethlisberger
2018 – JuJu Smith-Schuster
2019 – Kevin Colbert
2020 – T.J. Watt
2021 – Cam Heyward (second time)
2022 – Larry Ogunjobi
2023 – Chris Boswell
2024 — Russell Wilson

As you can see, many Steelers Thanksgiving Honorees are franchise pillars. Time has certainly shown others to be short timers.

But that’s the point: They all underlie the wisdom of giving thanks for something in the moment that you have it.

Happy Thanksgiving Steelers Nation

Thanksgiving is my favorite US holiday, as it is something embraced by everyone. And today marks my 24th Thanksgiving celebrated outside of the United States.

Hopefully, everyone reading this, be you here in Argentina, up in Mexico or somewhere in the good ole USA has reasons drawn from family and friends – and not football — to give thanks.

Happy Thanksgiving Steelers Nation.

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Free Agency: Should the Steelers Seek More of Dan Moore?

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Rebuilding an offensive line on the fly is never advisable. Alas, sometimes in the NFL it is necessary. The Pittsburgh Steelers found themselves doing just that after the 2020 season saw them turnover 4/5ths of their offensive line in a single off season.

Three seasons later one player from that oft-maligned 2021 team remains. His name is Dan Moore and now he’s a free agent.

Should the Steelers be seeking more of Moore in 2025 and perhaps beyond?

Dan Moore, Steelers vs Titans,

Dan Moore Jr. heads of Arden Key at Acrisure Stadium. Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Profile of Dan Moore’s Steelers Career

With the decline in play and subsequent departure of Alejandro Villanueva, the Steelers needed to act fast to fill their left tackle position. They did so in the 4th round of the 2021 NFL Draft when they took Dan Moore.

Dan Moore “won” the starting job in training camp (who else was going to play) and has started 66 of a possible 67 games since then, clocking in at 99, 100, 95 and 100 percent of the offensive snaps. While Pro Football Focus stats are anything but Gospel, the site did rate him at 46th out of 141 tackles rated in 2024.

The Case for the Steelers Resigning Dan Moore

Omar Khan traded up to draft Broderick Jones in 2023 and then drafted Troy Fautanu in the first round of 2024, so the Steelers resigning Dan Moore isn’t even theoretically possible, right? Not so fast.

While no one is confusing Dan Moore as the next Tony Boselli, he has improved every year. And if Pro Football Focus rating him in the top 1/3 of NFL tackles might not quite pass the “eye test,” he’s clearly a competent and capable NFL left tackle.

Broderick Jones has only played left tackle for a few quarters against Houston in 2023 and is still seen as a raw talent that’s in development. At least that’s the positive spin. One scout for a team other than the Steelers described Broderick Jones as a “coach killer.”

The problem is that Fautanu was injured through most of training camp and got injured in practice after his only start. And he had injury concerns coming into the draft. While signing Dan Moore to a long term contract may not be on the table, keeping him in Pittsburgh via the franchise or perhaps transition tag would be wise.

Kevin Colbert did that with Max Starks going into the 2008 season even though the Steelers had Marvel Smith and Willie Colon set as their starters. Smith got hurt against Jacksonville, Starks started the next week in Baltimore and continued to start all the way through Super Bowl XLIII.

Does that mean keeping Dan Moore in Pittsburgh will bring the Steelers to the Super Bowl in 2025?

Hardly. But it does reinforce the lesson that you can never have enough good offensive lineman. Especially when you’ve got existential questions about your presumptive starter at left tackle.

The Case Against the Steelers Resigning Dan Moore

That Max Starks-Dan Moore analogy sure stirs up feelings of nostalgia, doesn’t it? Nostalgia is nostalgia precisely because it’s a longing for things whose time has passed. The 2025 franchise tag for an offensive lineman is $23,402,000. The transition tag is “only” $21,271,000.

Dan Moore has developed into a serviceable starter-capable NFL left tackle – and that’s an accomplishment.

  • But are you really going to cut a 23 million dollar check for one-year Dan Moore rental?

The Steelers have a desperate needs at defensive line, wide receiver and cornerback and, oh yeah, they’ve got to sign a quarterback and neither Russell Wilson or Justin Fields is returning at the K-Mart Blue Light Special discount he played on last year.

The Steelers didn’t just bring Jones and Fautanu to Pittsburgh to start, they drafted them as “foundational pieces.” It is time for the offensive line to sink or swim with those two.

Curtain’s Call on the Steelers and Dan Moore

The idea of bringing back Dan Moore as an insurance policy is appealing. It may seem outlandish to write a large such a large check for a guy whom you’re projecting to sit on the bench, but the Steelers did it with Max Starks.

But the difference is Max Starks had already started Super Bowl XL. Dan Moore isn’t a Super Bowl starter. Moore can’t play both tackle positions. Starks could. The 2008 Steelers didn’t need to add starting-level talent at cornerback, wide receiver and on the defensive line. The 2025 Steelers do.

  • So using one of the tags on Dan Moore isn’t feasible.

And without the transition or franchise tag holding him back, Dan Moore has every incentive to test the free agent market, and he has every expectation that he should get starter’s money there.

Dan Moore has had a respectable career in Pittsburgh, but this is one player who’ll likely find that the grass is greener on the other side of free agency’s fence.

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Steelers 2024 Thanksgiving Honors: Russell Wilson

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Thanksgiving is upon is which makes it time for Steel Curtain Rising to bestow our annual Steelers Thanksgiving Honors. And this year the honoree is none other that starting quarterback Russell Wilson.

Russell Wilson, Steelers vs Commanders.

Russell Wilson launches a pass in the 4th quarter. Photo Credit: AP, Chaz Palla, via Tribune-Review

Russell Wilson New, But Already a True Pittsburgh Steeler

This is Russell Wilson’s first and perhaps only year in Pittsburgh, but he has fit in to a T. The Pittsburgh Steelers actually have time-honored tradition of quarterback reclamation projects, but you have to go back to Bobby Layne to find a quarterback who has made such an instant impact.

Mike Tomlin said it best, when explaining his decision to bench Justin Fields who at the time was 4-2 as a starter:

Justin has been really good, and we’ve been really good at times — but not to be confused with great. This is a competitive league, man. We’re trying to position ourselves to be that team and we got a player with talent who hasn’t had an opportunity to play.

With Russell Wilson as quarterback, the Pittsburgh Steelers have a chance to be great.

There are a lot of ways to look at why. You can find any number of metrics that show how the Steelers offense is more dynamic with Wilson at the helm. Wilson’s “moonballs” to George Pickens, Calvin Austin, Van Jefferson and Mike Williams are works of art.

Calvin Austin, Greg Newsome, Pittsburgh Steelers

Calvin Austin hauls in a touchdown. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

While the offense remains a work in progress, Wilson has brought the deep ball back to Pittsburgh in a way we haven’t seen since Ben Roethlisberger began his Life’s Work. And when things are going as planned, that threat of a deep ball has reinvigorated the running game for Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren.

Those are all positives, but they’re not the real reason why Russell Wilson is winning Thanksgiving Honors.

Russell Wilson – Leading with Class

What really sets Wilson apart is that he’s become an automatic leader of the team, both on the field and off the field. He exudes class. He brings a “been there, done that” mentality yet he does it with grace and humility.

When the Steelers fell behind against the Commanders, there was never a hint of panic from Wilson.

  • The stage is never too big for him.

Since arriving in Pittsburgh, Wilson has done his best to integrate himself into the community of Pittsburgh – he is a regular at Children’s Hospital, he’s made a point of attending and supporting a multitude of community events.

He’s also been a consummate teammate, doing what he could to support Justin Fields when he started, taking the entire offense out to dinner each week and by all accounts has installed himself as a locker room leader.

To understand why, just look at Wilson’s comments after the Steelers Red Zone woes following the win against the Ravens:

You can’t let one game — I’ve told you guys this before — every game has a history of its own. I think that you focus on trying to be a little bit crisper, making a couple plays.

This perspective is so fundamentally healthy. It acknowledges the challenges that the team faces, but instead of focusing on past failures, it focuses on the future. There are a lot of reasons to find fault with the offense’s performance in the loss to the Browns, but the team did score twice in the Red Zone.

Wilson Fitting into the Steelers Thanksgiving Honors Tradition

In a word, Russell Wilson arrived in Pittsburgh under unique circumstances. You don’t often sign a Super Bowl winner for a veteran minimum contract. You would think that the Steelers would want him back, but one never knows.

  • Why bestow Thanksgiving honors on a potential short timer you ask?

It is simple. Thanksgiving Honors speak to why Steelers fans should be thankful now.

The tradition was born in the middle of 2009’s 5 game losing streak, when Rashard Mendenhall, having a breakout season, showed tremendous hustle in running down a defender who was making an interception return in the loss to Kansas City.

Larry Ogunjobi, Leonard Fournette, Steelers vs Bucaneers

Larry Ogunjobi stuffs Leonard Fournette. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Two years later, we honored Kennan Lewis, who was doing a tremendous job in his first and only season as a starting Steelers cornerback. The same sentiment guided 2022’s decision to honor Larry Ogunjobi – it was his first year in Pittsburgh and he was only playing on a one year deal, but it was a different offensive line with Larry Ogunjobi playing alongside Cam Heyward than it had been in 2021.

  • And of course Ogunjobi has been in Pittsburgh since.

Will the same thing happen with Wilson? Can Wilson bring back Lombardi Number 7 or even Art Rooney II’s coveted playoff win?

Time will tell, but today there’s every reason to be glad he’s a Pittsburgh Steeler.

Past Steelers Thanksgiving Honors Winners

2009 – Rashard Mendenhall
2010 – Marukice Pouncey, Emmanuel Sanders, Al Everest
2011 – Antonio Brown
2012 – Keenan Lewis
2013 – Cam Heyward
2014 – Le’Veon Bell
2015 – “The Understudies” – Alejandro Villanueva, DeAngelo Williams, Will Allen, Cody Wallace
2016 – Ryan Shazier
2017 – Ben Roethlisberger
2018 – JuJu Smith-Schuster
2019 – Kevin Colbert
2020 – T.J. Watt
2021 – Cam Heyward (second time)
2022 – Larry Ogunjobi
2023 – Chris Boswell

Happy Thanksgiving to You and Yours

Today marks the 23rd Thanksgiving I’ve celebrated from Buenos Aires, Argentina. But it remains my favorite US holiday because, the specter of Black Friday not withstanding, it remain a tradition founded upon faith, family and friends.

While we’re happy to continue our football-centered Thanksgiving Honors tradition here, we do so with the understanding that football is just a diversion.

In that sense, we hope that all of you reading this have plenty of non-football reasons to be thankful, and we also hope that you can celebrate those with family and friends.

Happy Thanksgiving Steelers Nation!

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Pittsburgh Steelers 2023 Thanksgiving Honors: Chris Boswell

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When the Steelers got the ball in Cleveland twice during the last five minutes in a tie game, did you ever have a doubt that Chris Boswell would boot it in if the offense could get him close enough?

No. Neither did I.

That’s because Chris Boswell has redefined what it means to be “Mr. Automatic.” And for that Chris Boswell wins 2023 Thanksgiving Honors.

Chris Boswell, Steelers vs Bengals,

Chris Boswell boots in a 29 yard field goal against the Bengals. Photo Credit: Barry Reeger

Crisis Opens the Door to Opportunity

The NFL lexicon is littered with clichés. Not For Long. You’re hired to be fired (ask Matt Canada about that one.) Another is that one man’s misfortune is another man’s opportunity.

  • In Chris Boswell’s case, 3 men’s misfortunes combined to open his door to opportunity.

The Steelers started the 2015 preseason thinking they were set at place kicker, behind the trusty leg of Shaun Suisham. But Suisham injured himself on the terrible truf in the Hall of Fame Game at Canton, Ohio.

So the Steelers signed Garrett Hartley. Perhaps it’s fitting that the Rooney family is known for their Catholicism, because Garrett Hartley is kind of the Pope John Paul I in the Steelers kicking Parthenon. We never got to know him, because he got injured at the end of free agency.

Kevin Colbert sprung into action and traded for Josh Scobee. Scobee started out OK, but missed an extra point in week 2 against San Francisco. He was OK in week two, but in week 3 against the Baltimore Ravens he missed two field goals in the last 2 and half minutes of regulation of a tie game.

The Steeler won the toss in over time, but on 4th and 2 from the Ravens 39, Mike Tomlin opted to run it with Mike Vick. The Steelers got the ball back, but again on 4th and won Tomlin opted to let Vick try to hook up with Antonio Brown.

  • The two failed to connect and 8 plays later Justin Tucker won it for the Ravens.

The Steelers sign Chris Boswell a few days later, and haven’t looked back since.

Boswell Best in Long Line of Excellent Steelers Place Kickers

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was recently asked about Chris Boswell, and responded:

Its automatic. I’ve been really blessed here in the time that I’ve been here. I’ve been here a long time and essentially had three kickers. That continuity, that ability to deliver with a high level of consistency, we don’t talk about it enough, but its appreciated.

The only issue with Mike Tomlin’s statement is that it isn’t inclusive enough.

Gary Anderson, Harry Newsome, Steelers vs Oilers, 1989 Steelers overtime upset of Oilers at Astrodome

Gary Anderson splits the uprights in overtime at the Astrodome. Photo credit: Richard Mackson-US PRESSWIRE

Pittsburgh Steelers fans have been blessed with excellent place kickers since the 1980s. In his day, Gary Anderson was known as “Mr. Automatic,” and Jerry Glanville can tell you just what that means. Norm Johnson succeeded Anderson, and his role in Steelers place kicking lineage is under rated. After an interregnum covered by Kris Brown and Todd Peterson, Jeff Reed took the mantel in the middle of 2002 and remained with the team until the middle of 2010.

  • But if you compare the numbers it wouldn’t take long to see that Chris Boswell is best of all.

Bob Labriola provided the stats on the Steelers elite place kickers and Boswell just about leads them all almost every key metric. Suisham’s career field goal percentage is still a hair higher than Boswell’s, but Boswell has improved in the 3 weeks since Labriola published his numbers.

More importantly, Boswell’s been perfect in the playoffs. Indeed, he kicked the game winner on a ucky, rainy night in Cincinnati following some late game heroics from Ryan Shazier and Ben Roethlisberger. And it was Boswell’s boot that put the Steelers into the AFC Championship in 2016.

Yes, Steelers fans really should give thanks for Chris Boswell.

A Word on Steelers Thanksgiving Honors

“Steelers Thanksgiving Honors” is a home-grown award here at Steel Curtain Rising. The tradition began during 2009’s five game losing streak and the first award winner was Rashard Mendenhall, who’d picked himself up off the turf and ran nearly the length of the field to prevent an interception and a pick six.

And we’ve continued this each since. Here are previous winners:

2009 – Rashard Mendenhall
2010 – Marukice Pouncey, Emmanuel Sanders, Al Everest
2011 –  Antonio Brown
2012 – Keenan Lewis
2013 – Cam Heyward
2014 – Le’Veon Bell
2015 – “The Understudies” – Alejandro Villanueva, DeAngelo Williams, Will Allen, Cody Wallace
2016 – Ryan Shazier
2017 – Ben Roethlisberger
2018 – JuJu Smith-Schuster
2019 – Kevin Colbert
2020 – T.J. Watt
2021 – Cam Heyward (second time)
2022 – Larry Ogunjobi

As always we close with a reminder that it is our hope that everyone reading this has many, many reasons to be thankful that have nothing to do with the Steelers or football.

Happy Thanksgiving Steelers Nation.

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Could “Patience” Be the Watch Word for the Steelers 2022 Offensive Line?

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Tell me if you’ve heard this one before: The Steelers’ offensive line stinks.

You’ve heard that before? I’m not surprised. It has been a popular refrain over the past two seasons whenever the Steelers and their potential problems are discussed.

Mitch Trubisky, Chucks Okorafor, Mason Cole, Steelers 2022 Offensive Line

Mitch Trubisky at the line of scrimmage. Photo Credit: AP, via Tribune-Review.

Of course, there is no use putting the word “potential” in front of the world “problem” when talking about the Steelers’ offensive line. It was a problem in 2020. It was a problem last year.

What about this year? Even though the Steelers have only played two preseason games so far, the offensive line still appears to be quite offensive.

Yes, despite adding free agents James Daniels (right guard) and Mason Cole (center) to the interior of the offensive line in March, the line has struggled through much of training camp and all of the exhibition season.

In spite of the fact that Dan Moore Jr., a fourth-round pick out of Texas A&M in the 2021 NFL Draft, started 16 games at left tackle as a rookie, he may need a little more seasoning before he’s fully developed.

As for Kendrick Green, a third-round pick out of Illinois in 2021 who played center as a rookie and has been switched over to guard — his more natural position in college — during the 2022 training camp? Yikes.

Let’s just say Green is still incredibly raw and that no amount of seasoning and time in the oven may turn him into a professional offensive lineman.

  • Having said all that I’ve said up to this point, there’s still time for this line to gel and find some cohesion.

Believe it or not.

I know it’s hard to believe after witnessing two-plus years of the same level of play along the offensive line, but as I alluded to earlier, the guys doing the playing aren’t the same.

The Steelers almost completely overhauled their entire offensive line during the 2021 offseason; gone were left tackle Alejandro Villanueva (a free agent the team decided to move on from); left guard Matt Feiler (a free agent the team couldn’t afford to bring back); center Maurkice Pouncey (retirement); and right guard David DeCastro (released due to injury).

David DeCastro, Maurkice Pouncey, Chukwuma Okorafor, Steelers vs Rams

File photo of the 2019 Steelers offensive line. Photo Credit: Barry Reeger, PennLive

Last year’s line, from left to right, included Moore, Kevin Dotson, Green, veteran Trai Turner and Chukwuma Okorafor.

Chucks Okorafor, a third-round pick out of Western Michigan in the 2018 NFL Draft, was the only leftover from the mostly aging 2020 crew. As for Dotson? He was a fourth-round pick out of Louisiana in 2020 who turned some heads as a spot starter during his rookie season.

What about Dotson’s sophomore campaign? Dotson didn’t turn as many heads despite winning a starting job in camp. A rumored lack of commitment seemed to sour some Steelers coaches on Dotson during the 2021 offseason, while injuries hindered him in the regular season as he tried to make the transition over to left guard in place of the departed Feiler.

Okorafor and Turner were steady if uninspiring on the right side. Moore had his issues at left tackle, but, again, he did enough to start 16 games as a rookie.

  • Kendrick Green’s stint at center was an epic failure.

What did this all add up to in 2021? An offensive line that was just as bad, if not worse, than it was in 2020.

At least youth was on its side, though, right?

Not if you were Dotson and Green.

Mason Cole was brought in to be an upgrade over Green at center in 2022. James Daniels was a highly-touted free agent who Pittsburgh signed to sort of act as the new anchor of the line at right guard, a la DeCastro.

Green was thrown into a position battle with Dotson during training camp, while Moore and Okorafor remained as the starting tackles.

In addition to more player personnel changes, Pat Meyer was hired as the team’s new offensive line coach, making him the fourth person to assume that role for the Steelers since 2018.

That’s a lot of upheaval for one unit in a short period of time. It’s kind of unrealistic to expect everything to be going smoothly at this point in time. Should there be individual improvements? Yes, and I’m still excited about DAn Moore despite his struggles during the preseason.

As for the center position? If Cole can simply be steady and reliable, that would be a stark improvement over what even Pouncey gave the unit in his final season.

It’s no secret that James Daniels has struggled a bit at right guard, but I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt while he finds his bearings with his new coach and co-workers.

And that last part really is the most important, right? These guys have to be given time to gel together and perfect the techniques their new offensive line coach has taught them.

Those in the know in terms of offensive line play say that chemistry, trust and learning to work together are just as important as winning individual battles when it comes to developing an effective offensive line.

Should the Steelers go out and sign a free agent or make a trade? I doubt you’ll find much in terms of quality this late into the offseason.

Many say that the Steelers should have used more premium draft choices to address the line in recent years. Yeah, but in place of whom? Would you rather have an offensive lineman over Najee Harris, a running back the Steelers selected with the 24th pick of the 2021 NFL Draft? How about tight end Pat Freiermuth, selected one round after Harris?

Najee Harris, Steelers vs Ravens, Ben Roethlisberger final regular season

Najee Harris starts overtime with 1 handed catch. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review.

What about the 2022 draft? You’d rather have a tackle over Kenny Pickett, who looks like he could be a more than credible replacement for Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback? What about George Pickens, a second-round pick in 2022 who might be a superstar receiver the moment he plays in his first regular-season game?

Fact is, the Steelers have been transitioning from a veteran offense to a more youthful one over the past few years, and you’re not going to be able to address every position with premium picks. Focusing on one position means kicking the can down the road on the others.

I’ll admit that I’ve always been adamant that every unit needs at least one stud — a player with a high pedigree — but the Steelers seemed to find that guy in free agency when they signed James Daniels in March.

James Daniels wasn’t a first-round pick by the Chicago Bears, but he was selected in the second round in 2018 and started 48 games in four years.

  • Seems like a high-pedigreed stud to me.

The Steelers may just have to continue to endure the growing pains along the offensive line until they get it right. It’s not going to happen overnight. Heck, they’re more than a few nights into this rebuild and still in search of some answers.

Finally, the Steelers have a young team, complete with a young offensive line.

There still may be time for that young line to mature into something formidable.

Hell, maybe even Kendrick Green.

 

 

 

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Resigning B.J. Finney Should Not Be a Steelers Priority in Free Agency

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Munch’s Millionaires is what they called them. These were unheralded players that Mike Munchak mentored and molded into quality starting NFL lineman who cashed in on that coveted second contract.

Others, such as Chris Hubbard and Matt Feiler found greener pastures outside of Pittsburgh. B.J. Finney was once considered part of this group. And while he did get a second contract, he found that the grass wasn’t always greener on the other side of the NFL and was back with the Steelers in 2021. Will he remain there in 2022?

B.J. Finney, Le'Veon Bell, Alejandro Villanueva, steelers vs bills

B.J. Finney blocks for Le’Veon Bell against the Bills in 2016. Photo Credit: Kevin Hoffman, USA Today Sports, via K-State Slate

Capsule Profile of B.J. Finney’s Career with the Steelers

B.J. Finney joined the Steelers as part of their 2015 Undrafted Rookie free agent class and although he did not survive the final cut, returned to the Steelers practice squad in late September of that year. He made the final cut a year later and from 2016 onward, B.J. Finney was a key part of the rotation on the interior line.

Over the next four seasons, Finney would start 13 games while appearing in a total of 59 contests, including the 2016 road game win over the Buffalo Bills where the Le’Veon Bell set the franchise single game rushing record.

The Steelers did not offer Finney a second contract during the 2020 off season, and he instead signed with Seattle, where he mainly played on special teams before getting traded to the Bengals. Ironically, his one game with the Bengals came in their 2020 loss to the Steelers at Heinz Field.

  • After that, he finished the season on Cincinnati’s inactive.
  • The Steelers haven’t beaten the Bengals since, so maybe they were on to something.

Finney resigned with the Steelers during the 2021 off season, but only saw limited duty, despite a flurry of injures at tackle and later center. Finney did start the Steelers second loss to the Bengals but was injured in the following week’s win against the Ravens and ended the season on injured reserve.

The Case for the Steelers Resigning B.J. Finney

B.J. Finney has been with the Steelers organization for over a half decade. He knows the system, the coaches know him. While he might not be “starter capable” as some of Much’s other pupils, he can step in and play either guard or center.

That, given his low price tag makes it a win-win situation for all sides involved.

The Case Against the Steelers Resigning B.J. Finney

The interior of the Steelers offensive line was as bad as it has been in a generation this past year. And B.J. Finney was not only not good enough to push any of the 3 starters, he wasn’t even the proverbial “Next man up.”

  • B.J. Finney is at the “What you see is what you get” point in his career.

His experience gives him and advantage, but he is on the wrong side of 30. Even though the Steelers have a young offensive line, they could still stand to get younger and certainly must get stronger.

You don’t do that with B.J. Finney.

Curtain’s Call on the Steelers and B.J. Finney

The Steelers have a bit of luxury here. No NFL team is going to wave a lot of money at B.J. Finney. The Steelers can go into free agency looking to add a guard and/or a tackle continue to add to that in the draft, and B.J. Finney will probably still be available in May if they need more depth.

Follow Steelers free agency. Visit our Steelers 2022 Free Agent tracker or click here for all Steelers 2022 free agent focus articles.

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Will the Steelers Let Chuks Okorafor Walk in Free Agency?

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Offensive tackle might not be football’s sexist position, but it is sexy enough for Hollywood to do a full-length feature movie on one (see on the Blind Side.) Arguably, outside of quarterback, tackle is the most coveted position on offense.

  • When teams find a good tackle, they try to keep him.

Chuks Okorafor has been a tackle for the Steelers for four years. Now he’s a free agent. Will they try to keep him?

Chukwuma Okorafor, Chuks Okorafor, Steelers 2022 Free Agent

Chucks Okorafor in the Steelers 2021 win over the Bears. Photo Credit: Emilee Chinn/Getty Images via StillCurtain.com

Capsule Profile of Chukwuma Okorafor’s Career with the Steelers

It seems like eons ago now, but when the Steelers picked Chuks Okorafor in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft, they still had one of the best offensive lines in football. Picking him was seen as the first step towards renewal.

  • And the early returns on Okorafor teased that he could be that and more.

His first start came as a rookie on the road against the Denver Broncos going toe-to-toe with Von Miller and, in the words of David DeCastro “Chuks played his butt off.” His next start came a year later, when the Steelers played the Rams.

  • This time Chucks “only” had to go up against Aaron Donald.

And while the Rams did record 3 sacks on Mason Rudolph, including one by Donald, Okorafor acquitted himself well. But since that good start it has not been smooth sailing for Okorafor. Although lost the training camp competition with Zach Banner, he stepped into the starting role after Banner tore his ACL in week 1 against the Giants.

Chuks Okorafor started the rest of the season at right tackle, and entered training camp in 2021 penciled in at left tackle as Alejandro Villanueva’s replacement. His performance there in preseason, along with Banner’s struggles to return to pre-ACL tear from, saw him move back to the right side where he started 16 games.

The Case for the Steelers Resigning Chuks Okorafor

Tackles are very hard to find. And if the Steelers have probably found a good one in Dan Moore on the left side, Zach Banner’s inability to get back on the field after returning to full health, is telling.

  • The Steelers have seen a lot of upheaval on the line and will see more changes in 2022.

Keeping Chuks Okorafor is a way to start establishing stability with a known commodity.

The Case Against the Steelers Resigning Chuks Okorafor’s

The Steelers need to improve across their offensive line, and they don’t do that by keeping Chuks Okorafor. By Roy Countryman’s count at Steel City Insider, Okorafor gave up 11 penalties last year. Even if Pro Football Reference’s count is lower, the number disturbs.

Offensive lineman are among the lowest risk free agents and the Steelers can improve at right tackle.

Curtain’s Call on the Steelers and Chukwuma Okorafor

The real X factor here is Zach Banner. The coaches clearly thought highly of him going into 2020 and 2021, yet he could not earn or reclaim the starting job. Was that because of complications from his injury, or because they were satisfied with Okorafor’s play?

  • Regardless, Banner is under contract for 2022.

That gives the Steelers the freedom to make the move they feel is best. That means they can safely let Okorafor walk while seeking an upgrade via free agency and/or the draft, with Banner as an insurance policy.

Follow Steelers free agency. Visit our Steelers 2022 Free Agent tracker or here for all Steelers 2022 free agent focus articles.

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Friend-Foe Axis Updates: Steelers Sign Arthur Maulet; Villanueva Runs to Ravens

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In the “Watch what we do, not what we say” department, the Steelers made their first personnel addition following the 2021 NFL Draft when they signed former New York Jets safety Arthur Maulet to a one year contract.

Sean Davis, who was the number one back up at both positions last season, signed with the Colts. The team has Antoine Brooks, who was their 6th round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but Brooks only appeared in four games during 2020. He began the season on the practice squad and was activated in November and saw his first action in the win over the Bengals.

  • This is bad news for Jordan Dangerfield, who served as a backup safety and special teams captain.

The move suggests that the Steelers were looking to address safety earlier in the draft than they did, when they picked Tre Norwood with their first 7th round pick.

The move also suggests, against logic, that the Steelers are comfortable with the depth they have behind Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt.

Arthur Maulet, James Washington, Steelers vs Jets 2019

Aruthur Maulet horse collars future teammate James Washington. Photo Credit: Adam Hunger, AP via Jets Wire.

From Foe to Friend Arthur Maulet

Arthur Maulet broke into the NFL in 2017 as an undrafted rookie free agent with the New Orleans Saints. He appeared in six games for the Saints in 2017. In 2018 he made the active roster for New Orleans, but was cut, was signed by the Colts where he saw action in 5 games. The Colts cut him, and he was resigned by the Saints and he played one game for them.

  • The Saints cut him in late January and the New York Jets signed him immediately.

During 2019 and 2020, Maulet appeared in 23 games for the Jets, making 11 starts, and participating in about 1/3 of the defensive snaps, while also being active on special teams. During his NFL career, he has made 2 interceptions and one sack.

During the Steelers 2019 loss to the Jets, Maulet made 4 tackles, and his illegal contact penalty against James Washington set up a Mason Rudolph to Diontae Johnson touchdown one play later, with 9 seconds remaining in the first half. (He was also fined for a horse collar tackle, picture above.)

From Friend to Foe Villanueva Signs with Ravens

In the from friend to foe department, former Steelers left tackle Alejandro Villanueva signed with the Baltimore Ravens for two years. The move was widely reported prior to the draft and was expected.

Steel Curtain Rising will have more on this move later.

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Offensive Tackle is a Critical Need Steelers Must, er um, Tackle in the 2021 NFL Draft

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American football is difficult to comprehend for most outside of North America. Yet, even people from outside of the US, Canada and Mexico can easily understand the role and importance of offensive tackles in football thanks to Sandra Bullock’s intro to On the Blind Side.

“The first check goes for the mortgage, the second to the insurance.”

Offensive tackles are seen as the sentinels that protect the quarterback. While its possible that their value gets overrated, the wise will remember that the 0-4 2013 Steelers fortunes only started improving after Mike Tomlin made change at left tackle.

The Steelers are in a transition at tackle after a period of stability there, but just how great of a priority is tackle for Pittsburgh in the 2021 NFL Draft?

Zach Banner, Steelers vs Giants, Ben Roethlisberger

Ben Roethlisberger comforts Zach Banner after his injury. (Photo Credit: Seth Wenig)

Steelers Depth Cart at Tackle: The Starters

How’s the old cliché go? “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry?” If not, that’s close enough. Rewind back to the Steelers 2018 road loss to the Broncos. Everyone remembers Xavier Grimble’s fumble (but they forget James Conner’s.) They remember Ben Roethlisberger’s interception and the friction with Antonio Brown.

  • But what they forget is that the game was to feature the offensive line to come.

The Steelers started rookie 3rd round pick Chukwuma Okorafor to face off against Von Miller while moving Matt Feiler to right guard. A year later, ahead of the game against the Rams, the Steelers did the same thing. That was supposed to be the offensive line of the future.

And it worked pretty well. Alas, it didn’t signal good times to come. Zach Banner beat out Chukwuma Okorafor for the starting job, only to tear his ACL for the season, and Matt Feiler struggled as a guard. Pro Football Focus ratings are overrated, but for what they’re worth, Chuks graded out as 57.5 allowed 3 sacks and was flagged for 5 penalties.

Rumors have said that he could return to the Steelers, but that might happen after the NFL Draft.

Steelers Tackle Depth Chart: The Backups

For the past several seasons, the Steelers have had the luxury of dressing 3 starter capable tackles, with the 3rd tackle working in as a 3rd tight end in the jumbo package. Those days are over. Other than Zach Banner and Chukwuma Okorafor the Steelers have Joe Haeg who brings 67 games worth of experience for the Colts and Buccaneers, Aviante Collins, who last played with the Vikings in 2019, Jarron Jones, Brandon Walton, Anthony Coyle and John Leglue.

The Steelers 2021 Draft Needs at Tackle

You can never have enough good offensive lineman, and if you don’t have good tackles even the best interior line play is for naught.steelers, draft, needs, priority, 2021 NFL Draft

The Steelers may have two quality starting tackles in Zach Banner and Chukwuma Okorafor. Joe Haeg might provide that critical veteran depth. Someone might distinguish himself from the body of players the Steelers have here on futures contracts.

But that’s hardly how you set yourself up for a Super Bowl run, particularly with an aging Ben Roethlisberger’s whose back for one final ride.

While the Steelers are probably in a strong enough position that they don’t have to draft a starter at tackle, it is still possible that a premium pick could come to Pittsburgh and win the starting job. Given that, the Steelers needs at tackle going into the 2021 NFL Draft must be considered High-Moderate.

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Can Steelers Free Agent Zach Banner Lead an Offensive Line Rebuild?

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The general consensus among most Steelers media members and fans is that the team needs to rebuild an offensive line that used to be the envy of the NFL.

  • But where do they start? What avenues do they explore?

Shortly after the 2020 season came to a close, Pittsburgh moved on from offensive line coach Shaun Sarrett and promoted assistant Adrian Klemm to the position. With KIemm now in place, will the Steelers give him new prospects to work with from the 2021 NFL Draft? Will they look outside the organization and sign a more proven veteran in free agency? Speaking of free agents, how about the ones currently in-house, namely, tackle Zach Banner? Is he someone worth resigning following an unfortunate ACL tear in Week 1 of the 2020 season? We’re about to find out.

steelers 2019 season, T.J. Watt, Mason Rudolph, Maurkice Pouncey, Zach Banner

The Pittsburgh Steelers sharpened their focus on team in 2019. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

 

Capsule Profile of Zach Banner’s Career with the Steelers

Zach Banner was a fourth-round pick by the Colts in the 2017 NFL Draft. Despite coming from a high-profile college, the USC product was waived by Indianapolis and finished out his rookie season with the Browns. After his release by Cleveland the following offseason, Banner briefly spent time in the Panthers organization before finding his way to Pittsburgh.

Banner didn’t appear in any games for the Steelers in 2018, but he began to make a name for himself the following season (at least as a cult-like fan-favorite) as an eligible receiver in the team’s jumbo packages. Banner bet on himself last offseason and signed a one-year, $1.75 million deal to stay with the Steelers.

He soon found himself in a close training-camp battle with Chukwuma Okorafor for the team’s starting right tackle spot. Banner won the competition and started the first game of his career in Week 1 against the Giants. Unfortunately for Banner, his 2020 season was cut way too short when he sustained a torn ACL and was soon placed on Injured Reserve.

The Case for the Steelers Resigning Zach Banner

Banner appears to still have some room for growth, at least in terms of his play. In terms of his physique, Banner has already displayed more than enough dedication to his craft by dropping from 400 pounds right out of college to his current weight of around 335.

With the Steelers looking to get younger along the line, maybe they can convince Banner to sign yet another “prove it” team-friendly deal for 2021 and allow him to compete for one of the two starting tackle spots. The opinion of some scouts is that Okorafor is a better left tackle than right tackle. With veteran left tackle Alejandro Villanueva also a free agent, and someone whose play is no longer on par with what it would cost to retain his services, bringing Banner back for 2021 may actually be critical.

The Case Against the Steelers Resigning Zach Banner

It’s hard to judge Banner’s career because he really hasn’t had much of one up until now. Sure, he won the starting right tackle spot last summer, but his season was cut short long before we could find out if he was the real deal. How much are the Steelers willing to pay an unproven 27-year old tackle coming off a major knee injury? The team might view even a slight raise as too much of a gamble.

Curtain’s Call on the Steelers and Zach Banner

As I alluded to already, I think Banner’s potential is intriguing. The Steelers should try to retain his services for at least one more year. He could wind up being one of the key building blocks for a struggling offensive line.

  • Now, can Pittsburgh pull this off given their salary cap constraints?

Ah, the answer question my friends, remains to be seen.

Has Steelers free agency left you scrambling? Click here for our Steelers 2021 Free Agent tracker or click here for all Steelers 2021 free agency focus articles.

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