It hasn’t been a great start to the season for Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Mark Barron. Pittsburgh signed Barron to be the next Ryan Shazier but then traded up for Devin Bush who really does look like the next Shazier. Nevertheless, the Steelers have made Barron the starter and honestly, his lack of football acumen is worrisome.
A perfect example of this came in Sunday’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers when Barron had a key holding penalty that he didn’t seem to understand. Here’s what Barron said after the game.
“I don’t know what it looked like to everyone else, but I know what happened to me,” Barron said. “I just felt like the guy ran into me. I just absorbed him. I didn’t get my hands off him fast enough and that was the call.”
If you go back and watch the play it is literally the textbook example of holding on 49ers tight end George Kittle. Pittsburgh was without Vince Williams this week but you have to wonder once Williams is healthy how long Barron will be able to hold off Bush for the starting spot.
