The Pittsburgh Steelers have surprised folks by racing out to a 3-1 record to start the 2024 campaign, and they have done so despite the fact that their offensive line is continuing to get beat up.
Troy Fautanu, Nate Herbig, and Dylan Cook are all already on the injured reserve, and it sounds like starting guards Isaac Seumalo and James Daniels are both expected to miss extended periods of time now.
Even a casual fan can recognize that Pittsburgh needs some help up front, which led to them making an interesting move on Tuesday morning. The Steelers snatched veteran guard Max Scharping off the Washington Commanders practice squad, and given their current injury situation, they could end up plugging him into their starting lineup immediately in Week 5.
Via Jeremy Fowler: “Steelers are likely to sign veteran guard Max Scharping off the Commanders practice squad, per sources. Pittsburgh is decimated by injuries and Scharping has starter’s experience.”
Steelers looking for Max Scharping to help out banged-up offensive line
Scharping is a former second-round pick of the Houston Texans from the 2019 NFL Draft, and he initially seemed like a key piece of their offensive line moving forward after his strong rookie campaign.
Unfortunately, Scharping’s play regressed, and the Texans ended up waiving him ahead of the 2022 campaign. Since then, he’s spent time with the Cincinnati Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles, and Commanders.
This obviously isn’t an ideal situation, but Scharping has experience starting games at both guard positions, which is precisely what the Steelers need right now.
He’s not the best offensive lineman in the world, but he should be able to at least hold his own if he finds his way onto the field. And given how solid Pittsburgh has looked to start the season, he could end up playing a key role in their quest to make the postseason.
