Mike Tomlin is “really excited” about Ryan McCollum starting and compares him to JC Hassenauer

With Zach Frazier of the Pittsburgh Steelers out for tonight's game against the New York Jets, Ryan McCollum is expected to make his first appearance for the Steelers tonight. McCollum has been on Pittsburgh's practice squad for most of the last two seasons and Mike Tomlin said he's excited for McCollum to get his chance tonight.

“He was and is extremely reserved and mature in a footballing sense. It’s important to him and I’m really excited about this opportunity for him,” Tomlin told Bob Labriola of Steelers.com.

Tomlin also compared Ryan McCollum's situation to that of JC Hassenauer, who stepped in as Pittsburgh's starting center in Week 17 of 2022, a game in which Najee Harris started with 188 yards on the ground.

“And in fact, as we were concentrating on this week, I spoke to him about another man who had a similar trip planned for us. We had a practice squad center, JC Hassenauer, a few years ago, and in 2021, near the end of the season, he had the opportunity to step up and start. I think we played Cleveland in Week 17 and Najee ran for 188 yards.”

It's not an ideal situation for the Steelers, as Frazier has been one of the best centers in the league so far this season. But another injury to the offensive line only hurts Pittsburgh, especially with the switch at quarterback to Russell Wilson, who is less mobile than Fields. It's not great having to open a backup center for a team that already uses a backup guard and Broderick Jones, who has struggled mightily this year.

But we saw the Steelers' running game explode with Hassenauer and John Leglue in that game against the Browns at the end of the 2022 season. Harris is coming off a big game against the Las Vegas Raiders in which he rushed for 106 yards on 14 carries and scored his first rushing touchdown of the season. Ryan McCollum took center stage on his longest run of the day. If he can carry this momentum against the Jets, the Steelers could end up having another strong performance on the ground with a backup center.

It's a tall order to ask Ryan McCollum to live up to Frazier's standards, but he's someone Tomlin appears to have a lot of trust in and his teammates have praised him as well. It's a big opportunity for him in a prime-time game, and Harris' big day with Hassenauer at the helm also included a prime-time matchup on Monday Night Football. Ryan McCollum will be the center of attention tonight and we'll see if he can deliver.