The Pittsburgh Steelers and General Manager Omar Khan are always trying to upgrade the roster and get better as a team, and that happens year-round. There are always ways to improve and get better, especially when it comes to depth. One area that has been a focus of the team in recent years has been the offensive line. Three of the team's past four first round picks have been used on the tackle position, and the starting five on the offensive line is still up in the air, but the group has gotten better each year. The rebuild of the offensive line really began in 2022, which is right around the time that Khan took over as General Manager.
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Steelers' Omar Khan stands on the field before a game against the New York Jets in 2022.
The Steelers traded up for and drafted Broderick Jones in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and that was the real start of the purge on the offensive line. Jones hasn't necessarily worked out so far, but Pittsburgh has continued to draft offensive linemen high. In 2023 the Steelers also made another attempt to improve the offensive line, maybe before drafting Jones. The organization tried to bring in Taylor Lewan, who made the Pro Bowl multiple times as the left tackle for the Tennessee Titans.
Lewan is the co-host of a very popular podcast called Bussin' With The Boys, and he was talking with Sam Darnold during a recent episode when the subject of the end of his career came up. His career ended with injury, but he mentioned that the Steelers did contact him.
"I got a couple calls, from like Kansas City and Pittsburgh," Lewan said.
This came after Lewan's second ACL injury which occurred near the start of the 2022 season. He didn't have much guaranteed money on his deal, so it was essentially a foregone conclusion that he was going to be released the following offseason, and that is exactly what wound up happening. He was released in February of the 2023 offseason, which was before the Steelers made the move to draft Jones.
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Former NFL left tackle watches warmups while at a Michigan game in Ann Arbor during the 2025 season.
At this point, Lewan was fairly transparent on his podcast about how he expected to be released, and it eventually happened. He didn't seem to have much of a desire to continue playing football, especially for any team that was not the Titans. This is why nothing ever happened between him and the Steelers, and it's also why he did not go to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The former Pro Bowler would have been quite the addition, even though he probably would not have been able to return to that version of himself. Lewan eventually retired, although it was clear that his career was done way before it was officially announced. The butterfly effect is interesting to consider here, as there is a world where Pittsburgh was able to sign Lewan and then does not draft Jones. This would have allowed the franchise to select someone else in that spot while holding onto the fourth round pick that was traded to move up.
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Steelers edge rushers TJ Watt and Nick Herbig celebrate together during an NFL game.
Steelers' Dynamic Would Have Been Off With Taylor Lewan
Lewan signing in Pittsburgh would have been a bit bizarre as he and star outside linebacker TJ Watt do have some history. There is a bit of a beef between the two sides, as Lewan apparently spit on Watt during a game. Lewan has since publicly apologized for this act and taken full responsibility for his actions, but there has not been any public interaction between the two parties that were involved. JJ Watt and Lewan have had some interactions, but that is it. Had Lewan actually joined the Steelers, the two sides surely would have been professional and figured something out, but it would have been an interesting dynamic to follow.
What do you think about the Steelers once pursuing Lewan? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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