In potentially final game with Steelers, B.J. Finney knows drill in spot starts

Four of the five Pittsburgh Steelers offensive linemen have been starting alongside each other for almost five seasons. The bond between three of them goes back to 2012.

So, it perhaps was the ultimate compliment to B.J. Finney that one of those venerable veteran lineman said earlier this week that Finney — purportedly a backup — has been accepted as one of them.

“He’s played long enough and well enough and got some good time in when we have all kind of had our turns being down,” David DeCastro said. “So he’s got enough experience where he’s definitely part of that (starting) group.”

Finney will start his 13th game for the Steelers in what could end up being his final game with the team. Because of a knee injury suffered during Sunday’s loss at the New York Jets, Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey will not play against the Baltimore Ravens in the Steelers’ 2019 regular-season finale.

“I’m prepared, like I always am,” Finney said. “By now, I know the drill.”

Finney has been excellent when he has known he is going to start — certainly, at least, the Steelers have. The Steelers are 11-1 when Finney has started in his career, including 3-0 this season.

“Obviously you don’t ever want to have (bad snaps to) happen, but with the thousands of snaps that we take, if you have that many, those are going to happen."https://t.co/qY3VLCE2I0

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) December 24, 2019

Two of Finney’s starts this season came when he was filling in at center while Pouncey served a two-game suspension for his role in the Myles Garrett incident in Cleveland. Finney also started at left guard for the Nov. 3 win against the Indianapolis Colts when Ramon Foster was out because of a concussion.

Last season, Finney started two early-season games in place of DeCastro (broken hand) at right guard.

In 2017, Finney started two games at left guard (because of injuries to Foster) and the regular-season finale while Pouncey rested (something he’d also done the year before), in addition to one game at tight end when the Steelers opened in their jumbo package.

His first NFL regular-season starts came as a first-year player in 2016, both at left guard, when a chest injury prevented Foster from going.

Kevin Gorman: Steelers center B.J. Finney ready to put snap-count snafu behind him.
The video is worth a watch, as Finney had fun with the meme. https://t.co/QlV3d1x97E

— Kevin Gorman (@KGorman_Trib) September 12, 2019

Add it all up, and that’s four starts each at left guard and center, two starts at right guard and one at tight end. The only one out of all of them that did not produce a win did produce 37 points and 475 yards – Sept. 16, 2017, at Heinz Field in a 42-37 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Oddly, three of Finney’s first six starts as an offensive lineman came against the Chiefs, the NFL team closest to where he went to high school (Andale, Kan.) and college (Kansas State). And if Finney helps the Steelers beat the Ravens and the Steelers get into the playoffs (it’s possible they get in with a loss), guess who is their most likely wild-card round opponent? The Chiefs.

“Like a broken record,” Finney said with a smile.

The majority of NFL fans where Finney spent his formative years might be Chiefs fans, but Finney wasn’t. A video of him announcing to friends and family that he signed with the Steelers just after the 2015 draft went viral because Finney’s voice cracks with emotion because he and his family had long been Steelers fans.

But after five years and four seasons on the active roster, is Finney’s “dream come true” about to come to an end? He’s due to hit unrestricted free agency in March.

And even after they surprisingly gave him a $3 million-plus contract via a second-round restricted free-agent tender this season, there is no guarantee the Steelers and Finney will agree to terms on a long-term extension.

Foster is signed through 2020 — but at 34, will the Steelers elect to move on from him and give his job to Finney?

Much remains to be decided, but Finney insists he is focused on his play and not his contract status.

“I haven’t thought about that, really,” he said. “You know, it is what it is. But we’ve still got some things to fight for, and we still have that chance of attaining a world title, so we’ve got take care of our business and makes things happen.”

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