Pittsburgh Steelers re-sign Guy Whimper
Pittsburgh Steelers helmet during warmups prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Pittsburgh won 38-31. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
The Pittsburgh Steelers have officially announced the re-signing of veteran backup offensive lineman Guy Whimper, who has agreed to a one-year deal with with the team. There was no reported interest in him prior to his re-signing with the Steelers, and it’s no surprise that he’s back with the Steelers for at least one more season.
Last year, the 30-year-old appeared in ten games, and he received heavy snaps in four of those games. Whimper picked up two starts last season as well, and he was predictably underwhelming in both of those games, receiving a whipping against the Detroit Lions talented front seven.
Whimper isn’t anything more than a career backup at this stage, but he’s a decent enough backup. Of course, the Steelers would hate to be forced to start him again, but he does bring some great versatility to the table. He played at left guard, left tackle, right guard, and right tackle at points last season, and that’s certainly more impressive than his horrible run blocking and below-average pass protection.
He played in 31 games for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2011 and 2012 seasons, and it will be interesting to see how much the Steelers use him as a spot-starter next season if injury strikes.