Recently, ESPN reporter Brooke Pryor suggested that the Steelers should try to re-sign James Daniels. Although his market value is likely out of their price range, medical tests will determine his market value. The veteran guard tore his Achilles four games into the 2024 season and is now a pending free agent.
Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette basically refuted that as a possibility. When asked if there was any chance of Daniels returning to the Steelers during a recent chat, he said no. He also said that Daniels was not around much last season following his injury.
The Steelers signed James Daniels as an unrestricted free agent in 2022. He has been a good, solid starter, living up to his contract but not ascending beyond it. Prior to the 2024 season, Daniels told reporters the Steelers informed him they would not extend his contract. That likely implies they also planned to let him walk in free agency the following year.
Still, I’m not convinced that the Steelers would scoff at bringing him back if his value were low due to injury. Ray Fittipaldo suggested that the team will not hand Mason McCormick the starting job. He took over for Daniels for most of the 2024 season following his Week 4 injury.
It’s interesting to note Dulac’s claim that James Daniels didn’t spend much time around the Steelers after his injury. Many injured players take the same approach, and they are free to rehab on their own. But one might choose to read into that as an indicator that he is resigned to moving on after this season.
The thing is, even coming off an injury, he is arguably the best available guard on the free agent market. Certainly, he is in that conversation for those under 30. He is still just 27 years old despite going into his eighth season. As long as his Achilles heals properly, he will make some team a fine guard, as he was for the Steelers.
However, the Steelers also have a long-range view that makes it difficult for a high-salaried guard like Daniels. They hope they are going to have to spend a lot on their tackles and center in the next three or four years. To balance that out, they will need cheaper guards—maybe somebody blue-collar like Mason McCormick.
And if James Daniels sees a weaker market due to his injury, he is unlikely to sign a long-term contract. At best, he would sign a one-year, prove-it deal, and the Steelers probably don’t want that. It really depends on how they view McCormick and how prepared they are to have a limited Plan B this season.
