3 biggest regrets from Pittsburgh Steelers 2021 offseason
By Scott Long
Steelers regret re-signing Zach Banner
While the team didn’t invest a whole lot of money into Zach Banner, they likely regret inking him to a two-year deal, worth $8 million prior to the season. Although the expectation was that Banner would start at right tackle this season, he was coming off of a torn ACL last season and was placed on Injured Reserve to start this season.
Banner missed time this year, but that isn’t the only reason that resigning him is something the Steelers likely regret. Even after he returned, he has not been able to beat out Chukwuma Okorafor or Dan Moore Jr. for playing time, and it’s not like this offensive line has been a strength for this team. While it was unlikely he’d beat out Moore once he began to play, just due to his young age, it is disappointing that he hasn’t been able to beat out Okorafor, who the team will definitely be looking to replace this offseason.
Had the team not opted to bring back Banner, they could have put more draft capital into the offensive tackle position or could have brought in a different free agent who would have been healthier than Banner has been, or at the very least touched the field. Even though the monetary investment wasn’t much, Signing Banner and expecting him to be a part of the starting offensive line is something the Steelers no doubt regret and wish they had looked elsewhere.