Former Offensive Linemen gets Waived by The Steel City

To get to the NFL limit of 85 players (53 to the active roster and 32 practice squad guys), the Pittsburgh Steelers had to let go of many players including former Alabama linemen Chris Owens.

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Before becoming a Pittsburgh Steeler, the Arlington, Texas native was a highly recruited four-star in the class of 2016. After signing with the Crimson Tide, Owens had to wait his turn because he shared a room with Landon Dickerson, Evan Neal, Alex Leatherwood, and Jedrick Wills. Eventually, he earned the starting job in the 2020 season after Dickerson went down in the SEC Championship with a torn ACL. After filling in for Dickerson, Owens never allowed a sack in the College Football Playoff and helped the Crimson Tide win its 18th National Championship in school history.

Being a veteran lineman going into the 2021 season, Nick Saban moved Owens around the offensive line. For most of the season, he played at right tackle where he formed a strong connection with Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young. With the veteran leadership of Owens and Neal, the Alabama offensive line was a key contributor to a top ten offense in all of college football.

Sadly, In the College Football Playoff National Championship game earlier this year, the Crimson Tide came up just short of becoming back-to-back National Champions. After the devastating loss, Owens was one of many Crimson Tide players to declare for the 2022 NFL Draft. In a deep offensive line class though, the 6'3, 305-pound center signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent (UFA).

Luckily for the NFL rookie, many other teams will need help in the offensive line. With pass rushers like Aaron Donald, TJ Watt, and Myles Garrett, many teams will be looking for depth at the offensive line position. Being a prime offensive lineman at Alabama and being coached by the great Nick Saban, Owens will definitely get looks by many NFL teams.