B.J. Finney officially signs one-year deal to return to Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Steelers have officially announced the signing of interior lineman B.J. Finney to a one-year deal for the 2021 NFL season. Financial terms are not available at this time.

Undrafted out of Kansas State in 2015, Finney landed on the Steelers practice squad his first season before making the roster in 2016. Used as a backup at both guard and center, Finney started 13 games between 2016 and 2019. Prior to 2019, the Steelers placed a second-round tender on Finney as a restricted free agent which paid him just over $3 million on the season.

In the 2020 offseason, Finney signed a two-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks for $8 million. Reportedly showing up to training camp out of shape, Finney failed to win a starting job and only saw time on special teams in six games. Traded to the Cincinnati Bengals at the NFL trade deadline along with a seventh-rounp pick for Carlos Dunlap, Finney would only appear in one game for the Bengals which was in Week 10 against the Steelers. Finney failed to log a single offensive snap in 2020 between his two teams and was released in early March.

Between the Seahawks and Bengals, Finney collected $4.5 million of his $8 million dollar contract.

Exactly how are the Steelers planning to implement Finney for 2021 remains to be seen. Used as a back up his entire career in Pittsburgh, Finney’s inability to get on the field in 2020 does not jump out as a player ready to step into the starting role. Having familiarity with the Steelers, even though it will be with a new offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, Finney will at least give some that are in depth on the offensive line much like the signing of Stefen Wisniewski by the Steelers in 2020.

Whether or not B.J. Finney can crack the starting lineup for the Steelers will not be known until this fall. Until then, look for the Steelers to continue to add another center into the mix via free agency or the NFL draft as they prepare for life after the retirement of Maurkice Pouncy.

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