The Steelers need to add a veteran leader on offense

A few weeks ago Behind The Steel Curtain’s Geoffrey Benedict brought up who would be the Steelers new offensive captain to fill the void left by Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement. The fact of the matter is if the Steelers can't retain the likes of JuJu Smith-Schuster there is no clear-cut leader on this team. Someone could rise to the occasion sure, but as of right now the Steelers are searching for that guy. The team has Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt to lead this team going forward but the offense needs someone that can command the meeting room and lead other NFL athletes.

Of the offensive players currently on the Steelers roster in 2022, the oldest member is 29 year old tackle Chaz Green, followed by 28 year old tackles Zach Banner and Joe Haeg, all of which likely won't make the team in 2022. The oldest player that is projected to start in 2022, for now, is 26 year old Mason Rudolph. Yes, you got that right, Rudolph is the most veteran starter of this offense and everyone else is 25 or younger. This team desperately needs to bring in so someone with legit NFL experience, and it would be nice if that player has won a Super Bowl, something no one else on the roster has done.

I should also mention the Steelers traditionally don't sign any players older than 30. They also never sign these players at the beginning of free agency. But considering the state of the offense, I don't only think they should sign just one of these type of players, but they should sign two. This core needs to have direction from legitimate leaders. The best players on the offense are guys that are typically not that vocal. Think of Diontae Johnson, Pat Freiermuth, and Najee Harris as the clear top performers of this group and none of them really have shown vocal leadership thus far.

Considering the Steelers’ needs on the offensive side of the football, I think they should seriously consider bringing guys like 30 year old Ryan Jensen, Center from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or even a big name tackle like Terron Armstead of the New Orleans Saints. A player of this caliber immediately commands and earn the respect of the locker room, and really I don’t think there is a player with that sort of aura on this team since Ben Roethlisberger called it a career. I know this isn’t something the Steelers typically do, but they should consider it to make the rest of the offense better and to lead this group in a new direction.

But what do you think? Should the Steelers go out and find a big-name free agent for the offensive side of the football? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.