Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Vance McDonald retired on Friday and it’s sounding like he won’t be the only veteran offensive player to retire this offseason.
According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Sunday, Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey has reportedly told teammates he is likely retiring this offseason. Pouncey, who has played 10 seasons in the NFL, could be deciding very soon barring a change of heart, according to Dulac’s Sunday report.
Dulac goes on to report that Pouncey told several teammates after the team’s playoff loss to the Cleveland Browns a few Sunday’s ago that it would be his last game.
Former Steelers guard Ramon Foster is somewhat disputing Dulac’s report. He claims that Pouncey has yet to make a decision concerning his future.
Pouncey is under contract for the 2021 season and is scheduled to earn $8 million. That’s exactly how much the Steelers would save against their 2021 salary cap number prior to roster replacement should Pouncey indeed retire.
The Steelers don’t have great options to take over for Pouncey should he indeed retire. In fact, J.C. Hassenauer, a former undrafted free agent out of Alabama, played in place of Pouncey a few games this past season when the veteran center was sidelined on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Hassenauer is an exclusive rights free agent this offseason.
Pouncey was originally selected by the Steelers in the first-round of the 2010 NFL Draft out of Florida. He’s a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time first team All-Pro selection.
