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A new report from Adam Crowley of ESPN Pittsburgh indicates that Zach Banner is going to be the starting right tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
SOURCES: Zach Banner has been named the #Steelers starting RT.
It remains to be seen if that’s true; Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin did not identify a starter at right tackle during his press conference early this afternoon. Instead, when asked if he was comfortable with the options based on what he saw during training camp, he talked about the position in general terms.
“I’m comfortable with the right tackle prospects. Like I’ve said in recent days it’s been a tough decision because I feel like we have two guys that are starter-capable. So that’s a good issue to have. We’ll quickly sort through that as we get through the week and formulate what is best for us in terms of winning this football game [against the New York Giants].”
You can watch Tomlin’s press conference in its entirety here:
Zach Banner: Grammar Police
Regardless of whether or not he starts at right tackle, Zach Banner is once again making his presence known on Twitter after a self-imposed break from social media during training camp.
Early this morning Steelers tight end Eric Ebron tweeted how he is “Excited about the rolls [sic] this new team has planned for me!”
Banner was quick to call out his teammate on his mistake, responding with a message saying: “This confirms that the University of North Carolina’s student athletes did not type their own papers.”
In turn, there were some hilarious replies on Twitter:
And this, clearly a reference to Ebron’s reputation for having suspect hands:
@Ebron85 Damn Ebron. Really dropped the ball with this tweet
Ebron was acquired by the Steelers in free agency during the offseason by way of the Indianapolis Colts. He played his college football at the University of North Carolina.
Zach Banner was a fourth-round draft pick of the Indianapolis Colts in 2017 but did not make the team’s roster out of training camp. He was subsequently claimed on waivers by the Cleveland Browns, meaning that he suffered through an 0-16 season with the Browns during his rookie year. Banner was acquired by the Steelers in August 2018 and has been in Pittsburgh ever since.
During this year’s training camp he has battled third-year lineman Chuks Okorafor for the starting right tackle job.
Zach Banner Social Media
Banner is known for his creative use of social media. For example, he recently won over the Internet with his ‘Hulkish’ interpretation of the iconic dance scene from the 1983 movie Flashdance. In July, he expressed mock outrage at a Steelers promo that failed to include him among the team’s tight ends, tweeting: “@Steelers, don’t you ever disrespect me like that again.”
As you probably know, Banner is cheered every time he reports in to a game as an eligible receiver at Heinz Field, hence his desire to be mentioned among the pass-catching tight ends. Of course, if he’s out on the field every play at right tackle, he’ll probably have a greater chance of realizing his dream of catching a touchdown pass.
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Steelers’ Zach Banner: Starting Right Tackle, Grammar Police