Former Steelers NT Javon Hargrave's Bottom Line Is Week 1 Will Be Won In The Trenches

The Pittsburgh Steelers play the San Francisco 49ers during Week 1 of the 2023 season. For one player, it is a bit of a return to his roots. Former Steelers defensive tackle Javon Hargrave is now a 49er and is looking forward to coming back home. He recently appeared on his former teammate Cam Heyward's podcast and talked about what he thinks it will take to win this huge matchup. 

Hargrave, who played college football for South Carolina State, was drafted by the Steelers in 2016. Heyward was actually the player who came out and announced his pick in the third round. After competing during camp his rookie year, he won the starting nose tackle job finishing the season with 27 tackles, two sacks, and one touchdown. He helped the Steelers make their way to the AFC Championship where they lost to the New England Patriots. 

During his four seasons in Pittsburgh, he played in 111 games, starting 96. He had 168 combined tackles, 22 quarterback hits, and 14.5 sacks. While he was highly successful when on the field, he would get subbed out frequently when both Heyward and Stephon Tuitt were playing. He was a highly effective run-stopper and was a major contributor to a really powerful defense. 

In 2020, Hargrave signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. The 2021 season was arguably one of the best of his career. He had seven and a half sacks, 63 combined tackles, and 18 quarterback hits. Those stats earned him a Pro Bowl selection where he replaced an injured Kenny Clark. He helped the Eagles make their way to Super Bowl LVII in 2022 where he had five tackles. Unfortunately, the Eagles lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. 

In March of 2023, Hargrave signed a four-year contract with the 49ers worth $84 million. Hargrave, along with his new teammates, will travel to Pittsburgh for the game on September 10th. The 49ers will be led by their second-year quarterback Brock Purdy. Purdy was "Mr. Irrelevant" or the last pick of the 2022 draft. He was originally the third-string quarterback behind starter Trey Lance and backup Jimmy Garoppolo. Lance suffered a season-ending injury Week 2 and Garoppolo suffered a foot injury and was relieved by Purdy. He performed so well that he led the 49ers to the playoffs where they lost to the Eagles during the NFC Championship Game.           

This 49ers team is stacked with talent and their fans have high hopes for an even better season in 2023. Hargrave is just one addition they made to help the team find additional success. But they aren't the only team that has made major upgrades. The Steelers also had a rookie quarterback in 2022 that turned their season around. While the Steelers missed the playoffs in the highly competitive AFC North, they bounced back and maintained a winning record at the hands of Kenny Pickett. So what will it take for the Steelers to win? 

Former Steelers Teammates Javon Hargrave And Cam Heyward Talk What It Will Take To Win Week 1

When Hargrave appeared on a recent episode of Heyward's podcast, Not Just Football With Cam Heyward, he was asked about the Week 1 match-up and what the 49ers have to do to win.

"We gotta dominate the trenches. Y'all got a good offensive line, y'all got a good defensive line and I feel like we got a good offensive line and defensive line. Like everybody says, it starts in the trenches. So I think whoever wins the trenches is gonna win the game," predicts Hargrave.

While it is true that the two teams both have solid, newly upgraded offensive and defensive lines, there are other factors that will come into play and Hargrave understands that. The Steelers were not getting much love from the media during the offseason, unlike the 49ers. Many analysts felt that they wouldn't even finish above .500 for 2023. 

However, the Steelers won all three of their 2023 preseason games. While it is still the preseason and not a totally fair litmus test, they do appear to be improved over this time last year. There are still some unknowns, for example, if San Francisco's powerhouse EDGE rusher Nick Bosa will be playing. Bosa has been sitting out hoping to negotiate a new contract with the 49ers. What is unclear is if it will happen in time for the game.  

"Y'all do got some good wide receivers, we do too. So it's gonna come up to other things too, but I think the trenches is the key to the game," said Hargrave.

During the 2022 season, Hargrave got to play his former team when he was a member of the Eagles. Despite being post-bye week, and during the time when Pickett was improving, the Eagles routed the Steelers 13-35. Hargrave had a pair of sacks on Pickett during that game. He said that he has seen growth in Pickett during the offseason. He appeared to be connecting better, especially down the field. Heyward promises him this will not be a repeat of the Eagles game, telling him it won't be so easy this time. 

The first game of the season is always an unpredictable one. The opponents haven't been able to study much in the way of new film on the team so they aren't totally able to evaluate how the newer players are fitting into the previous system. While Purdy was riding a wave of success last season, it is impossible to guess if he will return in 2023 in that same manner. The Steelers are definitely much improved, but will it be enough to show the doubters wrong and beat the 49ers? 

What do you think? What is your prediction for the game? Do you agree with Hargrave that the game will be won or lost in the trenches? Click to comment below. 

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