Now that the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2022 season is over, the team finishing above .500 but failing to make the postseason, we turn our attention to the offseason and everything that means. One thing that it means is that some stock evaluations are going to start taking on broader contexts, reflecting on a player’s development, either positively or negatively, over the course of the season. Other evaluations will reflect only one immediate event or trend. The nature of the evaluation, whether short-term or long-term, will be noted in the reasoning section below.
Player: C Mason Cole
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: Despite some initial speculation due to the offseason signings that the Steelers could consider rotating Mason Cole out of the starting lineup, it appears he is very much entrenched as the team’s center.
There is a natural inclination when a team signs a free agent to try to figure out what his role is going to be on the team. A lot of times it’s obvious, but not always. The timing of the Steelers’ two bigger offensive line signings likely also added to some confusion.
Because the first to sign was Nate Herbig, to a comparatively modest contract, but yet one large enough to speculate he could potentially be a starter. Then the Steelers signed Isaac Seumalo to a contract that was very clearly for a starting job.
So what to do with Herbig? Well, maybe the Steelers are going to move James Daniels from right guard back to center and allow Herbig to take over at right guard. That was the theory, anyway. But at least at this point, awaiting the start of training camp, it doesn’t appear that is even remotely under consideration.
Instead, Mason Cole has only continued to solidify not only his role on the field but his position within the locker room, as a leader. In fact, he has been very supportive, for example, of third-year pro Kendrick Green as he fights for a roster spot at the center position.
Now, he probably doesn’t have much reason to fear the potential for Green to take his starting job, so there is little risk in helping him. But the fact that Green has been so vocal about how much of a help it’s been to have Cole in his corner says a lot.
He is Mike Tomlin’s “Steady Eddie”, as he was referred to back in November, and that doesn’t seem likely to be changing. Maybe to many that was obvious all along, but there were enough people speculating about whether or not he would be in the starting lineup come September that it’s worth addressing at this point.
