In 1974, the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Mike Webster in the fifth round from the Wisconsin Badgers, kicking off 15 years of elite center play. The Steelers followed Webster's tenure by turning the position over to Dermonti Dawson, who spent one season at right guard before taking over the center position. Over the next 12 seasons, Dawson produced six first-team All-Pro campaigns and seven Pro Bowl selections. Webster was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1997, and Dawson was enshrined in 2012.
That was 27 consecutive years of Hall of Fame-worthy center play in Pittsburgh. After Dawson retired in 2000, Pittsburgh turned to free agency and brought in Jeff Hartings. He spent six years in Pittsburgh and was the starting center for the winning Super Bowl XL team. Justin Hartwig followed in free agency in 2008 and helped the Steelers win Super Bowl XLIII. In 2010, the Steelers drafted Maurkice Pouncey, who will likely be the organization's third Hall of Fame center when he becomes eligible for election.
On Wednesday, the Buffalo Bills released Mitch Morse after spending the last five seasons of his nine-year career with the organization. Morse was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2022 and started 77 games for the Bills. Morse slipped in 2023, according to Pro Football Focus, from the 12th-best center in the NFL in 2022 to 20th in 2023. PFF's rankings are highly subjective, but at 31 years old, it is worth noting the slide in performance.
Pittsburgh has had three consecutive years of substandard play at the position. Fans are clamoring for Omar Khan to select Jackson Powers-Johnson in the 2024 NFL Draft to solve the problem. The Steelers have had phenomenal success drafting centers, but Hartings and Hartwig prove they can find meaningful help in free agency.
The Steelers have multiple holes on their roster to address in the NFL Draft, and selecting Powers-Johnson in the first round or picking Zach Frazier or Sedrick Van Pran on day two are all viable options for Khan and Andy Weidl. Fans might not like the idea of another stopgap solution at a hallowed position. On Wednesday, CBS Sports reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala told Andrew Fillipponi on The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller that a veteran like Morse could pay dividends for the offensive line.
"You do need veteran leadership on the offensive line," Kinkhabwala said. "I don't know the specifics of Mitch Morse, so I can't speak to that. Philosophically, Mike Tomlin likes to grow and develop his own. I think when you are sitting here saying we need to implement a new offense then maybe you think about the puzzle pieces around [Kenny Pickett] a little bit more."
Kevin Colbert tried to replace Pouncey by drafting Kendrick Green in 2021 to convert from his natural position at guard to center and it failed miserably. In 2022, he signed Mason Cole from the Minnesota Vikings and got one average year from him before Cole's total collapse in 2023 led to his release. The first two attempts to solidify the middle of the line with a draft pick and a free agent also were failures.
Khan will now get his opportunity to solve just the latest roster issue he inherited from Colbert. Steelers fans appreciate and demand great center play. The offensive line has been a mess for three seasons, and many blame the lack of leadership in the middle. Morse is personable and one of the best communicators in the NFL. If the Steelers sign him, he could assume a critical role in Kenny Pickett's development and transition into Arthur Smith's offense.
Steelers General Manager Omar Khan Has To Select The Next Man In The Middle Of The Offensive Line Carefully
Morse is not the right answer for the next decade, but he may be the correct one for Pickett and the Steelers, if Pickett is the starter in 2024. The third-year quarterback is in a make-or-break season, and having a competent veteran center who is not finding his way in the NFL could be just what the doctor ordered to get Pickett on the road to a career recovery.
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