The Pittsburgh Steelers have a number of holes on their roster they need to address. So far this offseason, they’ve made a few moves to shore up their roster, but they shouldn’t be done yet. Specifically, their offensive line depth is still lacking, especially at offensive tackle. Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu are slated to be the starters, but the Steelers don’t have much behind them. Right now, Calvin Anderson and Dylan Cook are the backups. The Steelers could still look to add more competition to that room.
It looks like they could have a new target on the market. The Tennessee Titans waived offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere Thursday, as reported by NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport. Selected by the Titans in the third round of the 2022 draft, Petit-Frere has struggled with consistency.
During his rookie year, Petit-Frere started almost every game for the Titans at right tackle. However, he didn’t really build on that in 2023, getting suspended for several games due to violating the league’s gambling policy. He did return that season for three games, but an injury quickly shut him down for the rest of the year.
Petit-Frere has had a tough time bouncing back from that sophomore slump. He was healthy to start the 2024 season, but after a few weeks of bad play, the Titans benched him. Leroy Watson, a 2022 undrafted free agent, and Jaelyn Duncan, a 2023 sixth-round pick, both got a chance to replace him. It wasn’t like the Titans replaced him with a player with a high draft pedigree.
However, the Titans had to start Petit-Frere again after both Watson and Duncan went down with season-ending injuries. The Titans were the worst team in the NFL last year, and Petit-Frere did not help that. Pro Football Focus charged him with 10 penalties and 10 sacks allowed in 2024.
Could the Steelers target Petit-Frere? He’s still a young player at 25 years old. The Steelers could feel like they might be able to tap into some of Petit-Frere’s potential. His NFL career has been rocky so far, but a change of scenery could do him some good.
If they claim him off waivers, his salary in 2025 would be $3,406,000. However, with his shaky history, he could likely clear waivers, paving the way for the Steelers to work out a new deal with him. However, with their current tackle situation, they might be better off going in a different direction.
Pittsburgh has two young tackles scheduled to be its starters this season, and both already bring enough question marks. Jones in particular had a rough 2024 season, getting benched early on. The Steelers might be better off bringing in a veteran as their primary backup at tackle. That would give them a more trustworthy swing tackle, and a potential mentor for Fautanu and Jones.
Petit-Frere is an interesting case and might be worth kicking the tires on. However, while none of the remaining free agent offensive tackles are solid starters, there could be better depth options than Petit-Frere.
