Former Steelers TE Jesse James seemed ready to escape Pittsburgh when he left in free agency, but the draft still meant everything to him. A 2015 fifth-round pick out of Penn State, he spent half his NFL career with his hometown team. Recently, for WTAJ, he recalled the day he found out the Steelers drafted him.
“Everyone likes to think they’re going to a certain place, but it doesn’t always work out the way you want”, James told Riley Holsinger. He was talking about the uncertainty of the Steelers taking him in the draft. “When I was sitting there waiting, each pick that went by felt like there was a 45-pound plate being stacked on my chest”.
But he called it “a dream come true” when they announced “the Steelers select Jesse James”. He spent four years here, recording 120 catches for 1,189 yards and nine touchdowns. While not a physical blocker, he also managed the occasional highlight. And to this day, many maintain that he survived the ground.
The Steelers drafted Jesse James in legendary TE Heath Miller’s final season. James already studied Miller’s game, as did just about any tight end coming up at that time. However, having the opportunity to work under him meant a lot, and he didn’t take it for granted.
“The knowledge that [ former Steelers TE Heath Miller] gave me was huge and I built my career with that foundation”, James said. “I went in and tried to copy all the processes he went through, and it became extensive. All the stuff that I learned from him really was the foundation for the success I had in my career”.
After leaving the Steelers, Jesse James never found a similarly prominent role. He spent two seasons with the Detroit Lions before landing with the Chicago Bears. He last played for the Cleveland Browns for two games in 2022. Later, he also spent time with the New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders without playing a snap.
Since his release from the Raiders’ practice squad in late 2023, James hasn’t had any movement in the NFL or any other peripheral league. Though still just 30 years old, it appears he has put his playing career aside. He hasn’t officially retired, so far as I can see.
Right now, the Steelers believe they are in a good place at tight end. They have Pat Freiermuth at the top of the depth chart, the first tight end they have extended since Matt Spaeth. More recently, they drafted Connor Heyward and particularly Darnell Washington. Arthur Smith wouldn’t mind an extra tight end, but I wouldn’t predict a Jesse James signing. Nor does it seem likely that they would draft one this year.
