James Daniels Is Quietly Having A Solid Season

Veteran offensive lineman James Daniels is one of those players that does not get mentioned often; that's not necessarily a bad thing.

A man of few words, Daniels has been one of the most consistent players on the Steelers in the last two seasons. This season has been no exception. So far, Daniels has played a total of 433 offensive snaps and has given up zero sacks and just one penalty. Since 2022, Daniels has not surrendered a sack on 1,593 total snaps. The last sack he surrendered was back in 2021, when he was a member of the Chicago Bears.

Daniels has played a major role in their wins against the Tennessee Titans and the Green Bay Packers. In those games, Daniels did not surrender a sack and just one pressure on 56 pass-blocking snaps. His success in pass protection is reflected in his 95% pass block win rate, which ranks him 15th among qualified interior offensive linemen.

Alongside rookie tackle Broderick Jones, Daniels has been instrumental in bringing balance to both sides of the Steelers offensive line. The beneficiaries of this have been running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, who have collectively accumulated 340 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in the last two weeks.

Daniels is not one for many words; rather, he allows his performance on the field to do the talking for him. His body of work has made him an essential piece of the Steelers roster. Even with his quiet approach, he is the most reliable offensive lineman the team has had in quite some time.