The Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line finished the 2013 season out on a positive note and the starters were able to play every snap in three of the final four games. However, during a recent interview on the teams’ official website, left guard Ramon Foster said right tackle Marcus Gilbert battled through a leg injury of some sorts to close out the season.
“He played through a lot this year,” said Foster of Gilbert’s play in 2013. “I was proud to see him finish out the season healthy. His leg was two different sizes and he never moaned about it, complained about it. He just finished. My hat’s off to him.”
Gilbert, who started all 16 games this past season at right tackle for the Steelers, showed up on the injury report seven times in 2013 with quadricep and ankle injuries, but managed to play all but 96 snaps in total. He missed 51 of those snaps way back in the week 7 win over the Baltimore Ravens as his quad injury was just too much for him to play through.
In 2012, Gilbert had his season cut short after just five games because of a right ankle injury that ultimately required surgery, so it will be interesting to hear him comment on the ankle and leg problems that he fought through this past season when he is ultimately asked about it over the course of the offseason.
2014 will be a contract year for the Steelers former second-round draft pick out of Florida, who was very inconsistent this past season. For now, Gilbert will likely enter training camp as the starter at right tackle, but in order to keep the job, he will likely have to hold off Mike Adams, who will be looking to earn back a starting spot after losing the left tackle job to Kelvin Beachum after the loss in London to the Minnesota Vikings.
