Steelers might’ve just signed Maurkice Pouncey’s replacement

The Pittsburgh Steelers are bringing back a familiar face to help replace the retiring Maurkice Pouncey.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, considered to be the Super Bowl 55 favorites midway through the 2020 season, were eliminated by the Cleveland Browns in the AFC Wild Card Round. Not only did general manger Kevin Colbert have to find a way to get under the salary cap threshold, but they also had to find a replacement for retiring center Maurkice Pouncey. Colbert decided to bring back a familiar face.

On Friday, the Steelers announced that they have  officially signed B.J. Finney to a one-year contract. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported earlier in the day that the team was prepared to bring back Finney.

Steelers: Pittsburgh signs B.J. Finney as potential Maurkice Pouncey replacement

Finney joined the Steelers organization back in 2015 as an undrafted free agent out of Kansas State. From making his official NFL debut in 2016 until his final season in 2019, Finney played in a total of 59 games for the Steelers and started in 13 of them.

Last year, Finney entered free agency and signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks. His tenure in the Emerald City lasted six games, as he was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals, along with a 2021 seventh-round draft pick in exchange for pass rusher Carlos Dunlap. Finney only played in one contest with the Bengals and was released by the team earlier this month.

The signing of Finney does makes sense for the Steelers, since he has a familiarity with the offense. But the team does have J.C. Hassenauer listed on the center depth chart, so there might be a competition for the starting job.

Pittsburgh renegotiated quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s contract to help free up cap space. Even so, the team likely won’t be making any huge signings on the open market. But with Pouncey officially retired, the Steelers hope that Finney can fill in admirably.