Steelers 2025 Free Agent Evaluation – OG James Daniels
Steelers Free Agent Evaluation: James Daniels
Place: Offensive Guard
Expertise: 7 Years (3 with Steelers)
Free Agent Standing: Unrestricted
2024 Wage Cap Hit: $11,166,668
2024 Season Breakdown:
Steelers RG James Daniels actually didn’t have the contract yr he hoped for. It began with the crew telling him they’d no plans to increase him. By extension, that additionally possible implied they’d no plans to re-sign him in 2025. To make issues dramatically worse, he tore his Achilles within the fourth recreation of the season.
The Steelers signed James Daniels in free company in 2022. He was their premiere signing that yr, incomes a three-year contract price $26.5 million. On the time, it was the biggest contract the Steelers had ever given out to an outdoor unrestricted free agent. Since then, Patrick Queen has damaged that report by a substantial margin.
Daniels didn’t miss a snap in his first season with the Steelers however missed two in 2023. Final season, he missed 13 video games after tearing his Achilles. That is the second main damage of his profession, lacking all however 5 video games in 2020 with a torn pectoral.
The truth that Daniels is coming off an damage will clearly have an effect on his market, however maybe not sufficient for the Steelers to re-enter the image. He was nonetheless a top quality starter and will likely be once more when he’s totally healed. Groups could be cautious and will even wish to wait till later within the offseason. That may screw the Steelers if he ended up signing exterior of the compensatory window. However hopefully, the Steelers do an excessive amount of of their very own spending in free company to qualify, anyway.
Free Company Outlook:
Whereas James Daniels is coming off a major damage to finish his Steelers tenure, he’s nonetheless a top quality starter. He’s additionally nonetheless solely 28 years previous and maybe the highest guard in the marketplace below 30. The most important query will likely be how groups challenge him coming off of that Achilles tear.
With the studies of a greater-than-projected wage cap determine, may the Steelers find yourself again out there for James Daniels? I don’t see any state of affairs the place he doesn’t hit free company. However what if groups are turned off due to his medicals? Are they ready at hand Mason McCormick the full-time beginning job if they’ve a shot at retaining Daniels for an affordable determine?
The Steelers have a protracted record of free brokers this yr, however not completely can’t-lose names. Whereas it consists of vital gamers like Najee Harris and Dan Moore Jr., they aren’t the crew’s precedence. The most important query is the quarterback place, working to decide on between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. There are some selection function gamers, however they wouldn’t disintegrate in the event that they misplaced the whole lot—minus a quarterback.
