One injury-altered year with the Los Angeles Chargers cast a cloud over Trai Turner’s status in the NFL. The prior five seasons, Turner was a Pro Bowler at guard for the Carolina Panthers, before the franchise shipped him to L.A. for tackle Russell Okung. That season out west, in which Turner played only nine games and took a noticeable step backward from his Pro Bowl form, resulted in a lengthy tenure as a free agent this offseason.
That tenure ended when the Pittsburgh Steelers brought him in as a replacement for the released David DeCastro. Returning to a team planning to play some physical, hard-nosed football gives Turner a chance to get his reputation as a dependable blocker back, and set himself up for a bigger deal next offseason.