Steelers' Ramon Foster Drops Bomb That The 2009 Team Kept Players Purely Because Of The Money

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a franchise that prides itself on its homegrown players and the ability to develop within the organization. As much as honor and loyalty play their parts, the NFL is a business, and many decisions ultimately come down to money. According to former Pittsburgh offensive lineman Ramon Foster, even the Steelers aren't the exception to that rule.

Steelers Kept Players On The Roster For Financial Reasons

Foster came into the NFL as more of an afterthought than a sure thing, joining the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2009. Not being selected in the 2009 NFL Draft left a sour taste in Foster's mouth and was a catalyst to him setting out to prove everyone wrong. Foster would go on to have a successful 11 seasons with the Steelers.

It didn't take Foster long to make an impact, setting himself apart in Mike Tomlin's eyes and earning a spot on the team's roster. On The Ramon Foster Show via DK Pittsburgh Sports Thursday, Foster told a story from his rookie season that revealed how even the Steelers have to prioritize money at times.

"We've seen first-rounders get kicked out of Pittsburgh after their four years is up because, 'We owe you this because of the money.' If it wasn't for the money, in those certain situations, the first-rounder and the undrafted guy is the exact same person! They are!... I had to learn it super early, DK, and I felt slighted, as you can tell, being undrafted, which kept that chip on my shoulder. But here's the thing: we were having a meeting that was my '09 rookie season -- we had that meeting, and I've told this before, and we go in there, and I had outplayed a draft pick, and I made the team outright and Coach Tomlin, in front of everybody, told this one particular guy, 'Mon outplayed you to make the squad. The only reason we can't cut you is because we gave you this amount of money!' That's when it was like, 'Oh!' Imagine that being the conversation!"

Tomlin is never one to shy away from calling players out if that is what he feels will bring out the best in them. In that situation, though, it had to be frustrating for a coach like Tomlin to be handcuffed to a player purely for financial reasons. Foster never looked back after earning that starting role on Pittsburgh's offensive line, becoming a consistent and reliable member of the group for over a decade.

Steelers Hoping To Get Foster-Like Contributions From Their Linemen

During the 2023 offseason, the Steelers set out to reconstruct their offensive line into a grittier, bruising bunch that could become the catalyst for Pittsburgh's rushing attack. The Steelers signed Isaac Seumalo to be a steady hand, then traded up to draft Broderick Jones with the 14th overall pick. While Seumalo and Jones have shown potential for that long-term benefit, Mason Cole has become more of a liability than a positive at the center position.

Foster's tenure with the Steelers is the kind of consistency that Pittsburgh hoped for when they spent a high first-round pick on Jones. With Cole's struggles, especially in key moments down the stretch in 2023, Pittsburgh will certainly be looking for a new center for 2024 and beyond. The Steelers can be hopeful about grouping whoever they choose to anchor the line with Seumalo and Jones.

It took the surprising emergence of Mason Rudolph at quarterback to turn the 2023 campaign from a complete embarrassment into a resilient ending. However, quarterback wasn't the only reason for the late-season surge that got the Steelers a 2023 Wild Card game. Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren provided a dangerous two-headed monster during Pittsburgh's final three regular season games of 2023. With the addition of a competent center, the sky is the limit for the Steelers' running game.

The 2023 Steelers were supposed to be about getting back to the old-school Pittsburgh ways of a bruising rushing attack and a commanding defense. While things may have gone off the rails for a while there in 2023, there are plenty of reasons for the Pittsburgh faithful to feel hope for the future. As always, it begins and ends with the offensive line, and as long as that priority remains, things will be heading in the right direction.