One review of new Steeler Stefen Wisniewski: ‘Our heads spun’

There had to be one team, right?

With all the substandard offensive line play across the league, there had to be at least one franchise that needed an upgrade.

Stefen Wisniewski was at least better than one of 32 starting centers. Certainly better than one of 64 starting guards.

But the former Penn State and Pittsburgh Central Catholic star couldn’t find a roster spot for the first five weeks of 2019.

“There were definitely some doubts that crossed my mind,” Wisniewski said via a conference call last week. “But I tried to remain positive and believe in myself and my abilities. I was working hard knowing I would get an opportunity.”

Wisniewski was jobless despite being less than two years removed from winning a Super Bowl ring with the Philadelphia Eagles.

So when he was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs on Oct. 9, it would’ve been fair if those who cover the team wondered if the defending AFC West champions were getting all that much of an upgrade.

It sounds like those questions were quickly doused, though, once Wisniewski was inserted into the starting lineup with two weeks remaining in the regular season.

“Our heads spun the first time he got out on the field,” said Sports Radio 810 host Soren Petro. “How was this guy sitting out of work for five weeks? Why wasn’t he already on a roster?

“Their left guard position had really been a problem. Wisniewski stepped in and we immediately started talking about, ‘How is this guy available with all the teams that have beat up offensive lines?’ He solidified the left guard spot and the Chiefs never looked back. And I think they’d love to have him back (in 2020). They just have so many other contracts that are already signed.”

If this was how the media was thinking at the time, imagine what Wisniewski was thinking.

“I definitely had a lot of those thoughts. I was watching NFL games every Sunday and I was thinking, ‘I’m definitely better than some of these guys I am watching.’ But I try not to spend a lot of time wondering about ‘the why.’ I think you can drive yourself crazy with that,” Wisniewski said.

Now, signed recently by the Pittsburgh Steelers, Wisniewski looks to fill a left guard spot again after the retirement of Ramon Foster.

First, he’s got to earn the job. In a worst-case scenario, Wisniewski will likely play the old B.J. Finney (who signed with the Seattle Seahawks two weeks ago) role as the gameday backup to both guard spots and the center.

But Wisniewski wants to win the starting job outright.

“I’ve been a starter most of my career, so I wanted to go somewhere where I’d have a good shot to compete to be a starter. When Ramon retired, I knew that would be an open job. That was exciting. But it was more exciting because it’s a starting job for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Where I grew up, for my hometown team,” Wisniewski said.

Petro tells us more about Wisniewski in Wednesday’s podcast, and whether he thinks the former Chiefs offensive lineman still has quality play left in him.

We also get into Wisniewski’s performance last year in both the run game and the pass game, the reasons why Kansas City let him go after helping them win a Super Bowl a few months ago, and how the Chiefs are preparing to defend their championship.

Listen: Tim Benz and Kansas City radio host Soren Petro talk about the Steelers signing Stefen Wisniewski