Player: C Ryan McCollum
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: For the first time in his career, C Ryan McCollum on the Steelers’ 53-man roster. This is his second time on a 53-man roster, but the first in three years. As things currently stand, he projects to be the gameday reserve center behind Zach Frazier. With the fluidity of current rosters, however, he may not last that long—even by the time you read this.
Is Ryan McCollum a placeholder or are the Steelers counting on him to be their backup center? Nate Herbig’s season-ending shoulder injury placed them in a bind, and McCollum is getting them out of it—for now. They have no other experienced centers to rely on, so here we are.
At least as of now, Ryan McCollum is a part of the Steelers’ 53-man roster. He is the only true center on the team behind starting rookie Zach Frazier—with the exception of James Daniels. But Daniels, of course, is the Steelers’ right guard, and they don’t like moving multiple people.
While the Steelers view both Spencer Anderson and Mason McCormick as center-capable, they are both primarily guards, or even a tackle in Anderson’s case. McCormick has very little experience at center. Anderson has a bit more, but not nearly as much as McCollum.
It’s not surprising that the Steelers want a true center, given the snapping issues of the preseason. Ryan McCollum is at least that, and he has familiarity. He has been on the team’s practice squad for the past two years, so he knows Pat Meyer’s techniques. He might be new to Arthur Smith’s offense, but so is everybody else.
Of course, we shouldn’t get too attached to McCollum just yet. The Steelers are probably exploring their options for backup centers, but off waivers and via trade. Former Steelers C J.C. Hassenauer is one name available as a recent termination.
But as of this writing, McCollum is (presumably) one snap away from playing center for the Steelers. Having not played in a game since 2021 with the Detroit Lions, he could be dressing for every game this year. Or he could find himself on the practice squad if the Steelers find a more seasoned reserve.
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
