As of 4 PM today, RB Najee Harris is going to be the longest-tenured member of the Pittsburgh Steelers on offense, if all reports prove true. The Steelers have reportedly agreed to trade WR Diontae Johnson, a 2019 draft pick and the current longest-tenured player under contract. A pair of 2018 selections, T Chukwuma Okorafor and QB Mason Rudolph, will no longer be here as well. The Steelers already released Okorafor while Rudolph hits unrestricted free agency with no indications of him returning. Outside of OLB Alex Highsmith, the entire 2020 draft class is already gone.
And so the Steelers now have Harris as their longest-tenured offensive player—but only barely. They drafted him a day before they drafted TE Pat Freiermuth, whom they drafted a day before Dan Moore Jr. Thus, they have three offensive starters from the 2021 NFL Draft class, going into Year 4 together—but nobody older.
Let’s count backward, shall we? They drafted WR Chase Claypool in the second round in 2020 and have since traded him. RB Anthony McFarland Jr., also from that class, is in the UFL, while G Kevin Dotson is rich in LA.
Johnson spent five years with the Steelers from the class of 2019, but two others stuck around. RB Benny Snell Jr. and TE Zach Gentry each played out their rookie contracts, but no more than that. 2018 second-round WR James Washington only played out his rookie deal. Rudolph spent six years here but is unlikely to return. Okorafor also lasted six years, most of them as a starter, but they benched him last year.
The Steelers drafted successfully in 2017, producing two Pro Bowl offensive skill players. WR JuJu Smith-Schuster is no longer the same player, but RB James Conner is still going. Even QB Joshua Dobbs is coming off the most notable season of his career, though he departed years ago.
The Steelers didn’t seriously address the offense in some of the preceding drafts, truth be told. Martavis Bryant is the most notable figure to come out of the era from 2014 through 2016, another receiver traded. Sammie Coates had that one good game, which was cool. And Jesse James’ incomplete catch against the Patriots is a touchdown under today’s rules, but I digress.
All of those guys are not just long gone from the Steelers but out of the NFL. And let’s be clear: we’re not just talking about draft picks. Harris, Freiermuth, and Moore are the only offensive players who’ve been with the team for more than two years. That is the entire list. These are the only three players on offense who shared a locker room with Ben Roethlisberger.
This offense, then, is astonishingly new, and that includes free agents. G James Daniels is entering his third season with the team while G Isaac Seumalo enters his second. QB Russell Wilson is their new presumptive starter. Third-year WR George Pickens is their only player at the position worth noting. They also have a new offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach, and wide receivers coach. Only running backs coach Eddie Faulkner has been on the staff for more than three years.
So where are the leaders?
