OG James Daniels has been a solid piece for the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line over the last two seasons, but 2024 looks like it will be his last season in Black and Gold. Daniels signed a three-year contract ahead of the 2022 season, and he confirmed he’s not negotiating a new deal with the team. As the Steelers traditionally extend their players with one season left on their contract, it doesn’t seem as if Daniels is in the team’s future plans.
Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette believes that the Steelers know Daniels can get more money than they’re willing to pay, comparing the situation to that of Cameron Sutton, who left the team to sign with the Detroit Lions last offseason. Of course, he’s now circled back after being released by the Lions due to off-field issues, but the situation is similar where the Steelers won’t pay more than they’re comfortable, and the team is preparing to let James Daniels walk next offseason.
“When Cam Sutton was hitting free agency, I remember talking to sources. The Steelers had a number in mind of what they were comfortable paying Cam Sutton. And when the Detroit Lions went above and beyond that, they were very content to say congrats, we’re gonna walk away from that. We’ll find a cornerback another way. So you have to be firm. You have to be confident in your evaluation of a player going into free agency. And I think the Steelers feel that way about [James] Daniels. They know that he’s going to be able to make more money on the open market. That’s why they planned ahead and drafted Mason McCormick this year,” Fittipaldo said on the North Shore Drive podcast with Christopher Carter.
The Steelers drafted McCormick in the fourth round. He has a ton of collegiate experience and enters the NFL as an older rookie, as he’s already 24 years old. It sounds as if the Steelers will look to use McCormick as a backup this season and give him a year to get acclimated to the NFL before inserting him into the starting lineup in 2025.
James Daniels has been a solid player for the Steelers, but the guard market exploded this offseason. Robert Hunt, a guard who has yet to make a Pro Bowl in his four-year career, signed a five-year, $100 million contract with the Carolina Panthers with $44 million fully guaranteed. Former Steelers guard Kevin Dotson signed a three-year, $48 million contract with $24 million fully guaranteed with the Los Angeles Rams.
Fittipaldo said that he thinks Daniels could come close to doubling his money on the open market next season. The Steelers will have to pay their young offensive tackles in the future. Committing future money to the guard position could hinder their ability to pay their tackles, and the Steelers prepared for a potential Daniels departure by drafting McCormick.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Steelers address Isaac Seumalo’s contract situation, as he has two years left on his deal. If the Steelers want to commit to paying him, he might be less expensive since he’s older than James Daniels, who will be 27 when he hits the free-agent market.
If the Steelers decide that Seumalo might be too expensive, they could take the same route they did this year and look for a guard in the 2025 draft to be their future starter. When the Steelers let Sutton walk, they drafted two cornerbacks in Joey Porter Jr. and Cory Trice Jr., while also signing Patrick Peterson for immediate corner help. They could again take the draft route at guard like they did with McCormick this year.
It’s not surprising that the Steelers don’t want to commit to paying James Daniels, given what the guard market looked like this offseason. The team will work on developing McCormick and turning him into a future starter. But for now, Daniels will look to impress in what could be his final season in Pittsburgh with an impressive line around him to try and cash in next offseason.
