The Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line made strides during the 2024 NFL season. But maybe not enough for the team to feel confident about parting with veteran guard James Daniels.
That’s what ESPN’s Brooke Pryor argued when she strongly suggested the Steelers should pursue bringing back Daniels.
“[Daniels] is someone the Steelers should absolutely take a swing at re-signing, but he could price himself out of Pittsburgh,” Pryor wrote on Feb. 13. “The right guard was one of the Steelers’ best offensive linemen when he went down with a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 4.
“Rookie Mason McCormick played well for part of the season once inserted into the lineup, but he struggled against better defensive fronts late in the year.
“Daniels’ injury could keep the market from heating up and make him easier to re-sign in Pittsburgh.”
The Steelers added Daniels on a three-year, $26.5 million contract in 2022. In three seasons, he started all 36 games in which he dressed.
Daniels missed the final 14 regular season games and the AFC Wild Card matchup because of his Achilles injury.
Could Steelers Re-Sign James Daniels?
Pittsburgh entered the 2022 offseason needing to rebuild its offensive line. During that offseason, the team signed both Daniels and center Mason Cole. The following offseason, the Steelers added guard Issac Seumalo in free agency.
Initially, all three players offered upgrades. But Cole had a very disappointing second season in 2023, which led to his release last offseason. Although injury-related, Daniels also had a disappointing final year of his contract with the Steelers as well.
Since 2022, the Steelers have also made drafting offensive linemen a priority. Last year alone, the Steelers selected linemen Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick.
All three could be starters in 2025. With Broderick Jones and Seumalo set to return as well, the Steelers may view Daniels as expendable.
If the team brings back Daniels, it will likely be because they share Pryor’s concern about McCormick as a 2025 starter.
The Steelers drafted McCormick in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Although pundits were initially high on him as a potential replacement for Daniels or Seumalo, McCormick wasn’t supposed to receive significant playing time as a rookie.
But McCormick started 14 games and played 83% of Pittsburgh’s offensive snaps during 2024.
Steelers ‘Not Expected’ to Re-Sign Daniels: Report
Pryor clearly considers Daniels the preferred option. But she added the Steelers could re-sign Nate Herbig or Ryan McCollum for interior offensive line depth if they choose to move on from Daniels.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reported on Feb. 18 that’s likely to be the case.
“They are not expected to re-sign two of their starting offensive linemen — left tackle Dan Moore Jr. and guard James Daniels — allowing them to enter the free agent market on March 12,” wrote Dulac.
Dan Moore Jr. has started since his rookie season in Pittsburgh. But his tenure at left tackle has been filled with inconsistency, and the Steelers drafted tackles in the first round each of the past two years.
Without Moore, Jones could flip to his more natural position of left tackle while Fautanu could anchor the right side in 2025.
Moore and Daniels leaving will hurt Pittsburgh’s depth along the line. But the team will likely find cheaper options for depth while the youngsters, including McCormick, play more prominent roles.
The Steelers also have Spencer Anderson, who could supply interior offensive line depth, returning in 2025
-1740446388-q80.webp "Derek Carr will play a big part in deciding his future with the Saints")
