James faces added competition following the Steelers' acquisition of fellow tight end Vance McDonald, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
While James is the Steelers' incumbent starter, head coach Mike Tomlin suggested that the move to acquire McDonald was spurred by concerns with the lack of consistency displayed by the team's tight ends. It remains to be seen if McDonald immediately or eventually supplants James, but either way, the potential for a timeshare here reduces the short-term upside of both players.