The Pittsburgh Steelers have had some issues in the 2023 season with the exchange of the football between the center and the quarterback. Mason Cole was brought in to stabilize the position during the 2022 offseason and had a solid first season in Pittsburgh. He has struggled with consistency in his second season, however. His lack of consistency, with some snaps landing in the dirt, has made life difficult at times for quarterbacks Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky.
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Steelers center Mason Cole (#61) stands on the field at Acrisure Stadium during warmups before a 2022 regular season game in Pittsburgh, PA.
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin recognized the struggles of Cole this season snapping the ball during his weekly press conference held on Monday due to the Steelers playing the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday at 4:30 pm ET in Week 15. He said that the team will continue to work with Cole to deal with his tribulations.
"I acknowledge that we have some that haven't been good as of late, but our behavior hasn't changed because we're not reactionary," Tomlin said about a question about Cole's snaps. "We like to be out in front of those things and we value routine things happening routinely."
The longtime head coach didn't seem too worried about the struggles that have seemingly become routine with Cole and have cost the Steelers in multiple games this season. Early in the third quarter of the Steelers' Week 13 game against one of Cole's former teams, the Arizona Cardinals, he sent a snap right at Trubisky's feet, resulting in a fumble recovered by Arizona defensive tackle, Dante Stills. The defense had just forced a quick three and out to get Pittsburgh the ball back trailing 10-3 with a chance to tie the game. The Cardinals were able to take advantage of the short field and former Steelers running back, James Conner punched in his first of two scores of the day.
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Steelers center Mason Cole prepares to snap the football against the New England Patriots in a Week 14 game in Pittsburgh at Acrisure Stadium.
Cole also had a low snap to Pickett earlier in the contest that he wasn't able to coral and ended a promising drive in the red zone. The game was one of Cole's worst outings and played a big part in the Steelers' offense stalling against a previously two-win Cardinals outfit. He initially deflected any personal accountability and focused on the offense as a unit not getting the job done against the Cardinals. He did acknowledge that his snaps were a big problem, and it is on him in a comment to The Athletic's Mike DeFabo.
"No issues, except me," Cole said after the loss to the Cardinals. "It's unacceptable. I've got to fix it."
Tomlin shook off any notion that a change at the center position would be considered. He said they will continue to work through things with Cole through "work routinely." He added that the staff doesn't wait for a problem like this to arise and then find ways to fix it.
Steelers' Options At Center Should Cole Continue To Flounder
Veteran leader Cam Heyward called for the benching of players who aren't getting the job done. If Cole can't find a way to more consistently get the ball to the quarterback without it being in the dirt, his name should jump right to the top of the list. The Steelers quarterback play in 2023 has left a lot to be desired, but if they're scrambling to deal with a bad snap, the evaluation of their play becomes even tougher.
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Steelers' Nate Herbig at a training camp practice at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
The Steelers brought Nate Herbig in as a free agent in 2023, but he hasn't played much on offense this season. The 25-year-old started two games in place of an injured James Daniels at guard, but has also played some center in his career. He had some snaps at the position for the Steelers in the 2023 preseason, but he has played some center for the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets in the past. Herbig is currently listed as Cole's backup on the team depth chart.
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Steelers rookie Spencer Anderson prepares to block in a 2023 preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Spencer Anderson made the team out of camp as a seventh-round pick from the 2023 NFL Draft. The Maryland product has experience at almost every spot on the offensive line, including center in college, and got some experience along the line in training camp. The Steelers love his versatility, and with Cole struggling, is an option.
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