‘Availability is everything,’ including the only thing holding back Steelers’ Vance McDonald

Vance McDonald has had quite an NFL career. This will be the eighth pro season for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ tight end, and he already has earned more than $25 million in salary.

But through the 166 catches, 15 touchdowns and almost 2,000 receiving yards, one very simple achievement had eluded McDonald: He has yet to play all 16 games of a season.

That lack of consistent availability might be the only thing that has prevented McDonald from reaching his potential.

“I didn’t honestly hear this until I got here having my position coach (James Daniel) and Coach (Mike) Tomlin say this: ‘Availability is everything,’ ” McDonald said during a video conference Tuesday. “Obviously, (playing all 16 games) is something I’m working for. Availability is everything.”

McDonald has missed 27 games because of injury. He has missed game time on 14 other occasions for differing ailments.

Seven injury absences (covering 18 games) occurred while he was a member of the San Francisco 49ers, another seven (causing nine games missed) since he was traded to the Steelers in 2017. McDonald’s injury absences have ranged in length from one to six games.

Three times, it was a knee injury that prevented McDonald from playing. Three other occasions, it was a shoulder ailment. Twice each, an ankle, back injury or concussion kept him out. McDonald also has missed time because of hip and foot injuries.

“With where he plays and with the recklessness that he plays, there’s going to be (injuries) sometimes,” Daniel said. “But he’s a full-speed, good player every time that we have him on the field, and I know it’s his intention to be available for us every game he can possibly play. So we can’t get frustrated because that’s the game of football.”

Vance McDonald injury history—
(for SF)
'13: 1 gm missed (ankle)
'14: 8 gms (knee, 2; back, 6)
'15: 2 gms (knee, 1; concussion, 1)
'16: 5 gms (hip, 2; shoulder, 3)
(PIT)
'17: 6 gms (back, 1; knee, 1; ankle, 3; shoulder, 1)
'18: 1 gm (foot)
'19: 2 gms (shoulder, 1; concussion, 1)

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) August 18, 2020

Daniel pointed out McDonald’s snap counts have increased each season he has played for the Steelers, from 271 in 2017 to 564 the following year and 684 last season.

“You can’t determine if you’re well or not. All you can determine is your attitude and the speed that you play the game with,” Daniel said of McDonald. “And I like the speed and the violence he plays the game with.”

It is that “violence” to which McDonald, in part, attributes his injury history.

“When you watch film, guys have different mentality,” he said. “The conservative guys will make it through a lot of seasons playing every single game. I like to think the fact that I’m just — not out of control — but almost a little bit crazy that it’s caused some injuries in the past.”

McDonald said some of his injuries have been “freakish,” such as the sprained AC joint he suffered while leaping for a catch last September. That cost him six quarters of play.

No one is blaming McDonald, but his injuries have been a source of frustration because his talent is obvious and his contributions to the offense have been muted as a result. McDonald often has been viewed as a breakout candidate in the Steelers’ passing game.

He has shown some flashes: the two-touchdown game last season against Seattle, a 112-yard game that included a memorable stiff-arm on a long TD catch in 2018 against Tampa Bay, four games with at least five catches.

Tuesday, McDonald gushed about the potential for the Steelers offense. If everyone is healthy, he makes a compelling case when he says it can be “one of the top offenses in the NFL.” McDonald is an intriguing piece in attaining that, and the first step therein is staying on the field.

“I definitely want to play 16 games before I call a retirement,” McDonald said. “At the same time, I’m not going to get down, and put too much weight on the fact that I haven’t played 16 games where it’s going to cloud my day and bring me down mentally.”

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