Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers have worked on bolstering their offensive line since Omar Khan took over as general manager. As the team began reconfiguring its front, it brought in guard James Daniels. But, his time with the Steelers appears to have run its course.
According to ESPN’s Matt Bowen, Daniels would fit best with the Cincinnati Bengals as a free agent signing this offseason.
“Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow was sacked 48 times last season, and the Bengals must upgrade at guard,” Bowen wrote Tuesday. “Daniels tore his Achilles in Week 4, but he provides run-blocking upside when healthy. From Weeks 1 to 4, Daniels’ run block win rate of 82.7% ranked second among guards behind the Colts’ Quenton Nelson.”
Burrow tied for the fourth-most sacks taken last season. Chicago rookie Caleb Williams led that undesirable leaderboard with 68. Houston’s C.J. Stroud followed with 52 and Seattle’s Geno Smith 50.
Spotrac lists Daniels as having a market value for a two-year, $15.5 million contract. He’d signed a three-year, $26.5 million pact with the Steelers in 2022. Daniels’ deal nearing its end was a reason why the Steelers took Mason McCormick in the fourth round of last year’s draft.
“Even in the fourth round when we had a chance to get Mason McCormick, he’s a guy that we had rated really high up there,” Khan said via the Steelers’ team website after. “And we have a couple players at the position who are in the last year of their contracts and felt it was important to address it if he was there, and we did.”
McCormick played in all 17 of the Steelers’ regular-season games as a newcomer, starting 14.
