Editor’s note: From now until the first practice of training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2024 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with at least two players each day between June 14 and July 25. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.
DT MONTRAVIUS ADAMS
Experience/age: 8th season, turns 29 the day Steelers report to Saint Vincent
Contract status: $2.125 million cap hit in 2024, signed through 2025
The past: Adams is on his third contract with the Steelers, finding stability in the organization after spending calendar year 2021 as property of four teams. He began it finishing up his four-year entry-level contract with the Packers, signed as a free agent with the Patriots, joined the Saints after being among New England’s final preseason cuts and was signed by the Steelers off New Orleans’ practice squad that November. He immediately felt at home in Pittsburgh and started four of the final five games of the regular season. That led to a two-year contract with the Steelers that began in 2022, over which Adams started 17 of the 30 games he played. But Adams was formally supplanted atop the official depth chart at nose tackle at the midway point of last season by then-rookie Keeanu Benton. An ankle injury that caused Adams miss four games played a role in that proverbial changing of the guard – though Benton’s immense talent probably was the more deciding factor. Still, Adams remained a significant part of the Steelers’ rotation along the defensive line. He played almost 30% of their defensive snaps the rest of the season.
2024 outlook: The emergence of Benton combined with the recent expenditure of mid-round picks on Isaiahh Loudermilk and DeMarvin Leal and the presence of veteran starters Cameron Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi seemed to portend that Adams would be allowed to walk upon the opening of free agency. But Adams is popular amongst teammates and the coaching staff, and his 6-foot-4, 304-pound body fits in all up and down the defensive line in the Steelers’ scheme. That versatility, high level of intangibles and experience is good to have in a position room. But it’s quite the crowded room with Heyward, Ogunjobi, Benton, Loudermilk, Leal, veteran free-agent signee Dean Lowry, returning veteran Breiden Fehoko, rookie sixth-round pick Logan Lee, Adams and others. There are only so many spots available in the rotation. It’s clear, however, that Adams is appreciated by the organization (by way of a two-year, $5.25 million contract). So it’s likely he will keep a role on the defense for a fourth consecutive year.
Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.