The Pittsburgh Steelers have tendered center Ryan McCollum, an exclusive rights free agent, virtually guaranteeing his return to the offseason roster. After spending years on the team’s practice squad, McCollum made a pair of starts in place of an injured Zach Frazier in 2024.
The team announced the news along with official word of tendering RB Jaylen Warren and releasing DL Larry Ogunjobi.
Warren was reportedly tendered at the second-round level.
McCollum’s tender amount sits at $1.03 million. No other team can make an offer, meaning he’ll return to Pittsburgh and battle for a 53-man roster spot in training camp.
Signed by the Steelers midway through 2022 training camp, McCollum spent the rest of the season on the team’s practice squad. The same story played out in 2023, giving him the appearance of being an old-school practice-squad lifer. But injuries and improved play earned him a spot on the team’s 53-man roster in 2024, the backup center to Frazier after veteran Nate Herbig was lost for the season with a shoulder injury.
Ryan McCollum logged 154 offensive snaps in 2024, most coming in Weeks 6-8 after Frazier suffered an ankle injury midway through the Steelers’ Week 6 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. He held his own in his first Steelers starts, wins over the New York Jets and Giants ahead of the team’s bye week.
Once Frazier returned, McCollum went back to the bench and didn’t play another offensive snap.
Initially signed as an undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M in 2021, he spent time with the Houston Texans before latching on with the Detroit Lions. There, he played 101 snaps with one start in 2021.
The Steelers’ press release makes no mention of the team’s other exclusive rights free agent OLB Jeremiah Moon. If not tendered, he will become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday. He could still sign his tender prior to then.
