Steelers reportedly signing former Bears offensive lineman Rashaad Coward

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been looking to add depth to their offensive line this offseason. Considering the loss of Matt Feiler, the potential loss of Alejandro Villanueva and the retirement of Maurkice Pouncey, the Steelers were in dire straits as it pertains to depth.

The organization has been making moves this offseason to help address that depth, and it started with the acquisition of former C/G B.J. Finney. After that, the team acquired free agent G/T Joe Haeg to a two-year contract. However, it seems as if they weren’t done trying to piece together an offensive line capable of both protecting Ben Roethlisberger and helping the running game climb out of the cellar.

Over the weekend it was rumored the Steelers were going to sign former Chicago Bears lineman Rashaad Coward. Fans on Reddit spoke of the rumor, and this tweet from Coward raised even more eyebrowns.

Monday, the rumors gained even more traction with Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network saying the Steelers did plan on signing Coward, a Restricted Free Agent (RFA).

For those who don’t know much about Coward, he was an undrafted rookie free agent in the 2017 NFL Draft who worked his way from the practice squad to the starting lineup in his rookie season. Coward has appeared in 30 regular-season games with 15 starts over the last two seasons.

There is a kicker to this story, and that is when Coward came into the league he wasn’t playing on the offensive line, but the defensive line. It was in 2018 when Matt Nagy made the decision to switch Coward from the offensive line to the defensive line. In 2019, filling in for injured guard Kyle Long, and he started 10 games at the position during that season.

The Steelers now have added a significant amount of depth along the offensive line, and it looks as if they might be settled at the position in free agency heading into the 2021 NFL Draft. Be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the black and gold.