5 reasons current Pittsburgh Steelers tight ends are a waste of money

Steelers tight ends haven’t been good

Vance McDonald and Eric Ebron have both had their moments over their 13 combined seasons in the NFL prior to 2020. In 2018, Both Ebron and McDonald posted the best statistical numbers of their careers, and every once in awhile, they would make a play that would be the highlight of the team’s offense for the week (like Vance’s stiff arm on Chris Conte).

However, these plays have been few and far between, and their consistency has been all over the place. In 2020, both tight ends have been pretty bad. Through the first two games of the season, Ebron and McDonald have combined for just 6 catches for 67 yards on 13 targets (46 percent catch rate) and 0 touchdowns, according to Pro Football Reference. They’ve also had few drops early in the season.

While both are adequate receivers, their blocking has been atrocious thus far. As a result, both players have graded out poorly so far. According to Pro Football Focus, Ebron has earned an overall season grade of 55.8 (55th out of 71 qualifying tight ends), while McDonald’s 36.2 overall grade is the lowest among all tight ends in the league. Both of these players have had solid years in the NFL, but they just haven’t been good in 2020.