New to Steelers, Trai Turner forced to immediately embrace leadership role

The brace on his left knee notwithstanding, Pittsburgh Steelers guard Trai Turner proclaimed himself fully healthy.

“I feel pretty good. I don’t have any limitations, per se,” Turner said after practice Monday at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. “Just out here playing ball.”

Turner is playing ball as the starting right guard. But as an eight-year NFL veteran and five-time former Pro Bowl honoree, he also is being looked to for veteran savvy.

Is that an awkward situation for a player who just joined the organization less than 2 ½ months ago?

“All I can do is be myself,” Turner said. “I just go out there, and I want to show that with my effort and my work and give insight where I have knowledge. I can’t speak on things that I don’t know. I can speak on things that I do know. So it’s just a work in progress, me taking accountability first, and, second, going out there and put it on the grass. Anything after that will take care of itself.”

Veteran G Trai Turner on whether he’s expected to be a leader of the OL despite it being his 1st year as a Steeler pic.twitter.com/GgaPCSthj1

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) August 23, 2021

The players flanking Turner on each side for the Steelers’ first-team offensive line have combined to start and finish zero NFL games. Rookie Kendrick Green is taking over at center, and Zach Banner is slated to start at right tackle after suffering torn ACL during last season’s opener.

Chuks Okorafor has played just 17 full NFL regular-season games — and none at left tackle, where he’s starting this season. And the Steelers’ starting left guard, Kevin Dotson, has four career starts.

Turner (93 career games, 89 career starts) by himself has more than four times as many starts as the rest of the Steelers’ 2021 starting offensive line.

Coming off an injury-riddled season in which he made only nine starts in his lone year with the Los Angeles Chargers, Turner is the player the younger linemen must look up to.

“There are questions (from them),” Turner said, “and I see from a standpoint from maybe I am an older guy here now. But we have too many good coaches, and we have a lot of support around here. So whether they come to me or they come to the coaches we have, as long as they get the right answers and we are all on the same page and we ball, that’s all that matters.”

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