There are always professional athletes who don’t necessarily get the recognition they deserve from the league or the fans. I think Steeler Nation can agree that there are many underrated Steelers players in franchise history. This, along with my next two stories, will be about some of the most underrated Pittsburgh Steelers players throughout the years.
I want to start off with a very prominent interior offensive linemen in the NFL that I feel goes unnoticed a lot. Ramon Foster has been with the Steelers since 2009 and has been blustering opposing defenses for years and has improved every single year. Foster was signed from the NFL Draft in 2009 as an undrafted free agent by the Pittsburgh Steelers and fought for his starting position for a few years.
Foster originally gained the position of being the starting right guard after an unexpected injury to starting guard, Darnell Stapleton, during training camp. He then lost his position to Trai Essex after fighting for the spot along with Chris Kemoeatu and Doug Legursky.
Eventually, Foster ended his rookie season as the starting left guard and then fluctuated between the two positions. Through battling with injury and fighting for the starting guard position, Foster ultimately won this fight and was considered a starting guard.
Beginning the 2016 season, the Steelers officially signed Foster to a $9.60 million contract over three years with a $2.75 million signing bonus. Through the season Foster only gave up one sack the entire season and was ranked the sixth best guard by Pro Football Focus. Stats show his improvement every year and it’s something he works hard for.
Many people outside of the Steelers fan base don’t know much about Ramon Foster, but they should. In 2016, Foster was accompanied by Kelechi Osemele and Gabe Jackson of the Oakland Raiders, and Marshal Yanda of the Baltimore Ravens who were the only four guards in the NFL who did not allow a single sack. That same year, Foster was one offensive player to be thankful for. The Steelers’ 21 sacks allowed were the 2nd fewest in the league thanks to Foster not allowing any.
Ramon Foster is one, among many underrated players, who has clearly proven himself. Personally, I think Foster should be recognized a bit more than he has been for getting the job done on the field and holding himself to higher expectations than most.
So the next time someone mentions some of the most underrated interior offensive linemen in the NFL such as Andrew Norwell of the Carolina Panthers, Zach Martin of the Dallas Cowboys, or Brandon Brooks of the Philadelphia Eagles, consider putting Ramon Foster into that list too, he deserves it.
