“It will be my breakthrough season”, Vance McDonald told Ed Bouchette of his plans for the 2018 campaign with the Pittsburgh Steelers, his second season with the team after joining them in late August. The Steelers traded their fourth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft to the San Francisco 49ers for McDonald and their fifth-round pick, so this is his first real offseason work in Pittsburgh.
The entire season was something of a crash course for the tight end. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger told reporters last year that they were using their first-round bye during the postseason to continue to get McDonald fully integrated into the offense with some rapport with the quarterback.