The Pittsburgh Steelers failed to reach the playoffs in 2022, and such a renowned franchise doesn’t usually enjoy moral victories. However, one could definitely argue that they were a much better team last season and that the future seems quite bright if they continue to address their biggest areas of need every off-season.
James Daniels runs through drills on the South Side. (Karl Roser/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Besides Ben Roethlisberger’s age and non-existent mobility towards the end of his career, it became evident that the Steelers desperately craved some help on their offensive line after the 2021 season. They did exactly so by bringing in two young, yet experienced players in free agency in center Mason Cole and offensive guard James Daniels, and things couldn’t have gone better for Mike Tomlin’s squad once they were all settled in.
Daniels is the reason why some Iowa NFL team fans support the Steelers. He is an Iowa college product who spent the first years of his career with the Chicago Bears, struggled early in the year and looked like he was going to be in Tomlin’s doghouse sooner rather than later. But he turned things around and became arguably the team’s best offensive lineman.
The 25-year-old became a leader right out of the gate. He made his voice heard and his presence felt, establishing himself as the cornerstone of a much-improved offensive line and playing every single offensive snap of the season. That kind of impact simply cannot be overlooked.
Daniels Revamped The Steelers Offensive Line
Just like we already mentioned, poor offensive line play was perhaps the biggest issue for the Steelers a couple of years ago. And even though there could still be several improvements, James Daniels’ addition helped them straighten the ship, especially toward the final stretch of the season when they got red-hot and managed to keep Mike Tomlin’s winning-season streak alive.
Daniels did an outstanding job of keeping whoever was playing QB for the Steelers safe, giving them time and space to operate. That became more evident once rookie Kenny Pickett started feeling more comfortable between the tackles, taking over as the team’s QB1 in the final stretch of the season.
King James 💪 @jamsdans pic.twitter.com/5fbRmvTUt4
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) February 18, 2023
According to Pro Football Focus, Daniels didn’t allow a single sack in the whole season, which is notable for a guy who played every single offensive snap in every single game. He was only called for three penalties all year long, two of which were declined or offset.
Would Daniels Leave Pittsburgh?
All things considered, there’s absolutely no reason to believe the Steelers will look to part ways with Daniels next season. If anything, they must be glad and delighted at the value they’ve gotten out of his three-year contract:
"Looking at the group, the Steelers are set to retain all five of their starters heading into 2023," Steelers beat writer Andrew Falce wrote. "This means there won’t be any apparent holes on this unit due to a free agency departure. That doesn’t mean improvements can’t be made, but it does mean this team won’t necessarily have to address the group in 2023."
"The team seemed to hit on both free agents that they brought in last year. James Daniels was the best lineman overall and Mason Cole did a fine job of solidifying the center position. Both are locks to return and start next season,” Falce concluded.
Photo credit: Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
The Steelers still need to make some adjustments and will need more help from their offense if they want to go back to their winning ways, especially with Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, and Deshaun Watson all wreaking havoc in their division.
But, even if they don’t look like a contender at first glance, we’ve seen over and over that one can never rule Mike Tomlin out, and this team could take a major leap forward if the OL continues to play the same way they closed out the season.
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