Offensive tackle Zach Banner didn’t fulfill the high upside with the Pittsburgh Steelers that fans and the media saw in him before a knee injury. But Banner is working toward another opportunity.
His next chance will come in the UFL.
UFL insider Avion Plummer reported on March 6 that Banner signed a contract to join the Houston Roughnecks.
Banner played three seasons for the Steelers from 2019-21. The offensive tackle started two games, including the season opener in 2020.
Banner also appeared in eight games for the Cleveland Browns during the 2017 campaign.
Zach Banner’s NFL Journey
After playing college at USC, Banner began his NFL career as a fourth-round pick for the Indianapolis Colts in the 2017 NFL Draft. Indianapolis selected the mammoth offensive tackle at No. 137 overall.
At the NFL Combine, Banner measured taller than 6-foot-8 and 353 pounds.
Banner, though, never played for the Colts, as the team waived him at the end of the 2017 preseason. The Browns signed the rookie to their active roster.
Banner made his NFL debut on Nov. 12 versus the Detroit Lions. The offensive tackle played a season-high 24 offensive snaps in the debut.
While he mostly played special teams the rest of the season, Banner did dress for all of Cleveland’s remaining games.
The following offseason, Banner spent time with the Browns and Carolina Panthers before signing with the Steelers in Aug. 2018. He played in just one game that season but then dressed as a backup offensive tackle the following year.
In Week 12 of 2019, Banner made his first NFL start against the Cincinnati Bengals. For most of 2019, Banner played in heavy sets where the Steelers featured an extra offensive lineman.
With that role, he grew into a fan favorite in Pittsburgh, becoming known as “No. 72” because referees often announced “No. 72 is reporting as eligible” when he came onto the field.
The Steelers crowd often cheered loudly following those announcements.
After re-signing in Pittsburgh on a one-year, $1.75 million, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Paul Zeise labeled it one of the team’s most underrated moves of the offseason.
Zeise described Banner as having “a chance to be an excellent tackle if he keeps working at it.”
Unfortunately for Banner, he suffered a torn ACL against the New York Giants in Week 1 of 2020. That game was Banner’s second start with the Steelers.
Banner returned to the Steelers on a two-year deal the following offseason. But while struggling to fully recover from the knee injury, Banner didn’t start again in 2021.
Pittsburgh released the offensive tackle in March 2022.
Banner Continuing Football Journey With UFL’s Houston Rednecks
Since his departure from the Steelers, Banner has yet to receive another NFL opportunity. But he hasn’t been ready to give up on his football dream.
Although Banner started a podcast career, the former Steelers tackle has argued on his show that he’s still battling to return to the field.
Banner will do that in the UFL this spring.
With the Roughnecks, Banner will receive coaching from former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Tom Cable. Besides head coach, Cable also has more than two decades of college and NFL experience coaching offensive line.
The Roughnecks are scheduled to begin their 2025 season on March 28.
