The Steelers secured what potentially could be their starting left guard on Wednesday night.
The team placed a second round tender on restricted free agent BJ Finney. The tender will pay just over 3 million for the 2019 season.
The #Steelers put a second-round restricted tender on OL B.J. Finney, source said. It’s worth $3.095 million. Protecting a onetime undrafted player who has emerged as a valuable reserve.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 6, 2019
Finney came to the Steelers as an undrafted free agent from Kansas State in 2015.
The signing of Finney likely means the end of Ramon Foster as a Steeler. Foster is a free agent after spending the last 9 seasons with the Steelers. Foster spoke about testing the free agent market during the late stages of the 2018 season and he will be able to next week.
B.J. Finney’s $3M RFA tender for 2019 is more than Ramon Foster made in any one season in base salary over his 10-year career — 8.5 as a starter. If anybody deserves to get paid as a UFA it is him and the market suggests he will.
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) March 6, 2019
It's possible Foster could come back if he doesn't find what he thinks he may from other teams, but it's doubtful to think the Steelers would pay Finney 3 million as a back up.