The Pittsburgh Steelers were linked to one of the more popular veteran free agents in recent weeks, as guard Dalton Risner is said to be considering a visit ahead of the preseason finale and Week 1. An AFC North rival is also in the mix.
“Free agent guard Dalton Risner, who worked out for the [Cincinnati] Bengals today, will also visit the [Seattle] Seahawks, per source,” ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler reported on August 19.
“Visiting the Steelers [is] also a consideration,” Fowler added. “[Risner] wants to take multiple visits before making a decision.”
Although you can never have enough quality offensive linemen, Risner to the Steelers would be a bit of a surprise. Pittsburgh has had a set starting five on the OL since the final snap of the 2024 campaign in January, and starting left guard Isaac Seumalo is healthy again after beginning training camp with an undisclosed injury.
Risner has made 82 career NFL starts (including playoffs), so don’t expect him to take a backup role somewhere with that resume. The 30-year-old former second-round pick spent the past two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings after starting out with the Denver Broncos from 2019 through 2022.
Where Does Dalton Risner Fit in With the Steelers?
GettyFree agent guard Dalton Risner was connected to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
As stated above, this is kind of an odd free agent connection. Second-year right guard Mason McCormick is coming off a fairly impressive rookie season, and second-year center Zach Frazier could be a future All-Pro candidate by most assessments.
Then you have Seumalo, whose current cap hit is over $10.1 million.
It should be noted that the Steelers could save $7.875 million by trading or releasing Seumalo before Week 1, but that feels highly unlikely given his track record and the built-in cohesiveness on the offensive line.
The final starters are two former first-round picks, Troy Fautanu and Broderick Jones. While Jones is generally viewed as the shakiest of the Steelers’ starting offensive linemen, Risner has no starting experience at offensive tackle, so any interest in the veteran guard would seemingly be on the interior.
Based on all this, the obvious question is, where does Risner fit with the Steelers? And the only plausible answer is that he doesn’t, unless he’s willing to sign on as a key backup.
How Much Would a Risner Signing Cost?
Risner has been paid a base salary right around $1.4 million over the past two seasons. He’s also coming off a year where he missed time due to injury, so he’d likely make a similar amount or something lower than that salary.
His cap hit over the past two seasons has been between $2.4 million and $2.65 million.
The consensus appears to be that Risner would be signing on as a backup in Pittsburgh. We outlined why above, and the writers over at Steelers Depot agree.
“The Steelers’ starting five offensive linemen are set entering a season for the first time in many years, but their depth is still questionable,” Steelers Depot’s Ross McCorkle noted on August 19. “Spencer Anderson is their backup guard, but they could stand to upgrade their depth with additional experience.”
“The report that he is considering a visit to Pittsburgh indicates the Steelers are poking around at depth options for the offensive line,” McCorkle went on. Reminding: “Notably, Steelers OG Isaac Seumalo has barely practiced at training camp this year as he entered on the NFI list with a soft-tissue injury.”
Unfortunately, Risner might find a better path to starting snaps elsewhere, like with the rival Bengals in Cincinnati.
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