4 burning questions the Steelers must answer vs. the Broncos

Can Banner make a difference?

It has been a tough year and a half for Zach Banner. After winning the right tackle job last season, Banner only got in about a half a game as his season was lost due to injury. 2021 hasn’t started off much better, as he landed on injured reserve shortly after the final cutdowns were made. Considering he was their top free-agent signing on the line, the team has to want him starting at right tackle sooner rather than later.

As of now, Banner’s status for week five is up in the air. He claims that he is healthy enough to play, but the team has yet to promote him from injured reserve. There is no guarantee that he ends up playing this week. Even if he does, there may be some rust considering he hasn’t played an NFL game for well over a year now (besides the preseason).

Frankly, the Steelers have a lot riding on Banner right now. With the line being well below average right now, Banner needs to provide the steady play that he was signed for. If not, there is essentially no hope that this blocking unit will get any better. The hope should be that Banner finally gets on the active roster and, more importantly, plays up to the level that the team hoped he would play at.