Steelers A to Z: Guard James Daniels enters 3rd and perhaps final season as Steelers starter

Editor’s note: From now until the first practice of training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2024 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with at least two players each day between June 14 and July 25. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

G James Daniels

Experience/age: 7th season/Turns 27 in September

Contract status: $11,166,668 cap hit for 2024, the final year of his contract

The past: Daniels became one of the first pieces of the offensive line’s restructuring process when he signed a three-year, $26.5 million deal in the 2022 free agency period.

Daniels has started 32 games at right guard the past two seasons, missing just two games in 2023 with a groin injury. Last year, he paired with Isaac Seumalo to give the Steelers one of the more experienced and stable guard pairings in the NFL.

According to Pro Football Focus, Daniels has been charged with just one sack over his two seasons with the Steelers. He also cut his penalties from five in 2022 to three last year.

The offensive line coming off the ball, Dan Moore Jr. (65) and Isaac Seumalo (73) initially, followed by Nate Herbig (71), and eventually James Daniels (78) and Broderick Jones (77). pic.twitter.com/gv3tIuKyJf

— Mike Prisuta (@DVEMike) June 12, 2024

2024 outlook: Daniels is entering the final season of a three-year, $26.5 million contract he signed after leaving the Chicago Bears. Perhaps surprisingly, his cap hit of $11,166,668 is the highest of any Steelers offensive player.

Barring injury, Daniels will enter the season as the unquestioned starter at right guard for the third year in a row. But it could be his final year with the organization. The Steelers used their fourth-round pick to select guard Mason McCormick from South Dakota State, and he could be primed to take over the position in 2025.

If he continues his steady play, Daniels could be in line for a third NFL contract and a nice payday from another team. That should provide motivation for Daniels to continue his steady play in the trenches.