The Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line saw another shift during the NFL negotiation period. Soon after free agent left tackle Dan Moore Jr. agreed to terms on a lucrative contract with the Tennessee Titans, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network announced the Miami Dolphins agreed on contract language with Steelers' offensive guard James Daniels.
Steelers fans had high hopes for Daniels when Pittsburgh signed him as an unrestricted free agent during the 2022 offseason. As the 39th overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears, Daniels had quick feet and guard-center versatility.
Daniels was just 20 years old entering the NFL, so by the time he came to Pittsburgh on his second contract in Year 5, he was still just 24 with his best years ahead of him. The talented guard was off to a career start in 2024. Unfortunately, a season-ending Achilles injury cut his season short after just 209 offensive snaps.
This devastating injury proved to be a double gut punch to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were robbed of top guard play in the prime of James Daniels' career
The Steelers were first robbed because of the injury itself. Before going down in Week 4 against the Indianapolis Colts last season, Daniels was the top-graded offensive lineman in the NFL—earning a 92.9 overall grade on the season.
While Daniels was heading toward a massive payday and Pittsburgh could have lost him in free agency, the front office may have changed their mind if his outstanding performance had continued throughout the year. After all, Daniels was just 26 years old to start the 2024 season.
It's probably not fair to prorate Daniels' first three games and change over the course of a season, but had he earned Pro Bowl or All-Pro honors and not suffered a season-ending injury, the Steelers could have found a way to keep him around on a long-term deal.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were robbed of a high compensatory pick for James Daniels' departure in free agency
The second way Pittsburgh was robbed by Daniels' Achilles injury is because of his recent departure in free agency. Quality starters leaving for greener pastures in free agency isn't uncommon. However, the Steelers could have earned a much higher compensatory for allowing him to walk away.
Daniels agreed to a three-year, $24 million contract with the Miami Dolphins—giving him an average annual earnings of $8 million per season (which is less than the Steelers paid to bring him to Pittsburgh three years ago). Over the Cap projects that Daniels' departure in free agency will fetch the Steelers a sixth-round.
However, had Daniels not suffered a serious Achilles injury, his price tag would have been among the highest of the offensive guards available in free agency.
Aaron Banks is a perfect example. The former San Francisco 49ers guard signed with the Green Bay Packers in free agency on a four-year, $77 million deal. But Banks is slightly older than Daniels with roughly half as many starts (43 to 84). Meanwhile, Daniels has graded out significantly better over the course of his career.
Now the 49ers are expected to receive a fourth-round compensatory pick in 2026 for Banks' departure. A healthy James Daniels at the pace he was on in 2024 could have blown Banks out of the water with a massive new deal.
The Steelers could have been looking at another third-round pick toward the comp pick in 2026 or, at the very least, an additional fourth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Instead, Daniels' injury sabotaged his market value and the Steelers will settle for a sixth-rounder.
This projected sixth-round pick isn't guaranteed to stay either, as Pittsburgh could cancel this out if they spend similar money to what Daniels received on his deal. Simply put, they may have just lost a starting guard on pace for a Pro Bowl season in the prime of his NFL career with nothing to show for it.