After being inserted into the starting lineup at center in Week 17 against the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers’ center J.C. Hassenauer has turned some heads as of late, drawing the praise of head coach Mike Tomlin and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in recent weeks. Now, add veteran guard Trai Turner to that list.
Hassenauer stepped in for the injured/struggling rookie Kendrick Green, who seemed to have hit a rookie wall and regressed hard down the stretch, essentially forcing the Steelers’ hand. Fortunately for Pittsburgh, they were able to turn to a guy in Hassenauer who had 235 snaps in 2020 at center, and another 39 snaps this season prior to taking over as the starter in Week 17.