The Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line has received much attention this offseason after significant moves were made to improve last year's unit. Head Coach Mike Tomlin, early on in the spring, summed up the need to add depth to a unit where the starters were available for almost every snap, and that's what they've done on paper. The team added a guard capable of playing at championship-level caliber in Isaac Seumalo and added depth pieces with plenty of experience, like Nate Herbig and Le'Raven Clark. The unit went through some growing pains in 2022, but solid play from Mason Cole has former Steelers guard Ramon Foster convinced that Cole plays an anchor role for the team in 2023.
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Steelers center Mason Cole stands ready to snap the ball to Mitch Trubisky during the 2022 training camp at St Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Cole joined the team in 2022 as a free agent after playing one season with the Minnesota Vikings, where he started seven games split between center and guard before he landed on injured reserve. Cole played 100% of offensive snaps in every game, but two, missing a few snaps against the Tampa Buccaneers to finish at 98% and suffering an injury that forced J.C. Hassenauer into some extended action in Week 11 against the Cincinnati Bengals. By all accounts, the team was satisfied with the season from Cole and will look to him to continue to be an anchor in the middle of the line.
The former Steelers lineman said in response to a listener question that there are a couple of different factors that he's seen from Cole that make him think he will be the leader of the offensive line moving forward into 2023 during a recent episode of The Ramon Foster Podcast on DK Pittsburgh Sports Network.
"He's steady and you know what you're getting out of him," Foster said. "He's a vocal leader and by his work too, I feel like Mason [Cole] really embedded himself more than anybody else."
James Daniels joined Cole as a new member of the unit last year, and offensive coordinator Matt Canada highlighted the work both veterans were doing to help a young group. Foster said that while Daniels will be an essential presence in the leadership of the offensive line, he's not sure how vocal he is. Not everybody has to be a vocal leader, there are plenty of fantastic examples of great players that only lead by example, but to have the anchor of the line moniker, it takes some speaking up.
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Steelers offensive linemen Chukwuma Okorafor (76) and James Daniels (78) pose at the team's 2023 Organized Team Activities at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
Chukwuma Okorafor was drafted in 2018 in Foster's second to last year with the team, and his former teammate said he's not much of the vocal type. Despite making 48 starts in the past three seasons, Foster doesn't see him as a leader for next year's squad. Foster also mentioned that he might be fighting for a starting role with reports that the team has been trying Dan Moore Jr. on the right side. Moore is involved in his own training camp battle with rookie tackle Broderick Jones. Foster seemed to think it would be tough for either to take on a leadership role while they fight for their jobs, but Jones has said that Moore has already taken him under his wing.
Steelers Tradition Of Leading Centers To Continue In 2023
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Steelers center Mason Cole practices during the team's minicamp at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
The Steelers have been fortunate over the year to employ some top talent at the center position. Mike Webster earned five First Team All-Pro honors as a steady presence in front of the team's quarterbacks from 1974 to 1988. In 1989, Dermontti Dawson moved from guard to center to take over for Webster and continued in that spot until his release in March 2001.
The team picked up Jeff Hartings to replace Dawson, and while he might not have the Hall of Fame resumé like Webster or Dawson, he provided six seasons of solid play with two All-Pro nods and a Super Bowl victory.
After Hartings retired due to knee problems in March 2007, Pittsburgh grabbed Justin Hartwig for a pair of solid seasons including a Super Bowl win, but he lost his job to a rookie Maurkice Pouncey in 2010. Pouncey went on to build a very successful career and should be in the discussion for a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame when he becomes eligible.
"The center position in Pittsburgh has always been at the forefront of all things offensive," Foster said. "As it stands right now, before Broderick [Jones] grows up, it's got to be him [Cole]."
After one season of Kendrick Green taking the majority of the snaps at center, the team pivoted and found Cole on a nice cheap deal (he only makes $6.2 million for the next two seasons per Spotrac). He's provided one season of stability, now he'll have to prove that adding a leadership role won't hinder his play.
Do you think Cole can be a longer-term solution at center? How long before Broderick Jones becomes the alpha on the line? Comment below!
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