Steelers sign Pro Bowl guard Trai Turner

According to ESPN on Thursday, the Pittsburgh Steelers have signed guard Trai Turner to a one-year contract worth $3 million. Turner has played seven seasons in the National Football League. After playing six seasons with the Carolina Panthers from 2014 to 2019, Turner played the 2020 season with the Los Angeles Chargers.

In his last five seasons with the Panthers, Turner, a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, was selected to five consecutive Pro Bowls from 2015 to 2019. In his first season where Turner was selected to the Pro Bowl, he played in the Super Bowl, in a 24-10 Panthers loss to the Denver Broncos.

Turner was actually traded from the Panthers to the Chargers on March 18, 2020. In return, the Panthers received offensive tackle Russell Okung of Houston, Texas.

However Turner’s time with the Chargers was short-lived. On March 12, 2021, the Chargers released Turner. Interestingly, the Steelers released six-time Pro Bowl guard David DeCastro to make room for Turner on their 2021 roster.

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Turner’s contract with the Steelers is significant. However, one must realize that Turner signed a four-year contract worth $45 million, of which $20.5 million was guaranteed with the Panthers on July 20, 2017.

Turner initially played his college football at Louisiana State University. He was selected in the third round, 92nd overall, by the Panthers in the 2014 NFL Draft.

In NFL free agency so far, Turner will be making the most among all players the Steelers have acquired from other teams in the offseason. Their other notable offseason signings were acquiring tackle Joe Haeg from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, center B.J. Finney from the Cincinnati Bengals, and safety Miles Killebrew from the Detroit Lions. The Steelers were in need of upgrading their offensive line after Maurkice Pouncey announced his retirement as the Steelers center on February 20. 

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