Vance McDonald made some of the biggest splash plays in a Pittsburgh Steelers uniform last season. He blew through a Vontaze Burfict tackle, and ended Chris Conte’s season with one of the most violent stiff arms the NFL has seen.
With Jesse James gone, the Steelers need Vance McDonald more than ever.
Jesse James wasn’t a transcendent tight end in Pittsburgh. Fans might have uttered something along the lines of ‘oh, that stinks’ when he was signed by the Lions, but James leaving Pittsburgh probably wasn’t enough to ruin anyone’s weekend.
What Jesse James did provide for the Steelers, however, was a consistent body on the field. James has not missed a game (or even practice time) from injury since his rookie season is 2015. That’s more than we can say for McDonald.
Vance is a punishing tight end who excels in both run blocking and pass catching. He can be a match-up nightmare that the Steelers can move all over the field, and is one of the best tight ends in the league after the catch.
But one think Vance McDonald has never been able to do is stay healthy for an extended period of time.
Throughout his career, McDonald has always been banged up with one thing or another. In fact, McDonald has missed a combined 22 regular season games since 2014.
Vance’s injury history is especially concerning considering the severe lack of depth behind him this year. With Jesse James gone, Xavier Grimble will serve as the Steelers TE2 in 2019. Grimble, however, has just 6 games of starting experience after four years in the NFL.
Outside of Grimble, rookie Zach Gentry stands to compete for the third tight end spot on the roster. However, the Steelers could clearly use help in this area.
There is no question that Vance McDonald is an upper tier tight end when he is healthy. He can can block and run after the catch with the best of them. However, he has never played a full NFL season in 6 seasons.
The Steelers may rely heavily on Vance McDonald this year after trading away Antonio Brown and losing Jesse James to free agency. Let’s hope he breaks tradition and plays a full season in 2019.