The year 2020 was looking to be Zach Banners coming out season. He won the starting right tackle position and started against the New York Giants during Primetime. Unfortunately, his season was cut short during the first game of the 2020 season. Banner worked really hard during the offseason to win the starting tackle position in Pittsburgh and it was taken from him in the blink of an eye. Banner wanted to help the Steelers any way he could. He even begged Coach Tomlin to stay and help, but Tomlin told him to go home and take care of his knee.
Fast forward to 2021 and it looks like Banner has made tremendous strides to overcome his ACL tear. He has been cleared by the Pittsburgh Steelers to start football activities and looks to be running as well. Banner is expected to start cutting soon which is normally one of the last hurdles by overcoming his ACL rehabilitation. Banner is also looking to be ready by training camp, but I would expect the Steelers to start easing him into the game of football slowly.
Zach Banner told Dale Lolley he will be cutting soon: "As long as everything keeps going as it’s going, I’ve been running, I’ll start cutting soon," Banner told me Friday. "I’ve been doing football-specific movements, strengthening the knee. Everything has been going really well. I got double-checked during free agency by a second opinion out on the west coast by a very high-profile doctor. He looked at it. He said Zach, this doesn’t look like a six-month knee, this looks like a nine-month knee. Just keep doing what you’re doing. At the same time, we have to be smart about the joint."
Banner is expected to be fully back in nine-weeks. The Steelers will take their time with Banner because they need all the help they can get on the offensive line going into the 2021 season. If they lose Banner again in 2021 that could hurt them tremendously. I am hoping Banner will take his time coming back and not rush it because I would like to see Banner play for the whole season in 2021. Let's hope Banner can have the bounce-back season in 2021 he is envisioning not only for his sake but for the Pittsburgh Steelers too...
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