Four guys who are attempting to avoid the Steelers in 2024
ESPN: Steelers main problem with …
In 2024, these players have contracts, however they could not last long.
It has not been difficult to pinpoint some of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ main problems as the 2023 season draws to a close. A few recent draft picks have performed poorly for this squad, while a few free-agent signings have not yet received their salaries from the organization.
Fans and bloggers have already been speculating about what the team might do in the 2024 offseason to replace a number of these guys. The fact that the Steelers’ 2024 roster includes players who have played the most proportion of snaps this season is one factor that works in their favor.
Sadly, there are a lot of players that may need to leave early in 2024, thus this might not be ideal for them. Despite having contracts that expire in at least one more season, these four players are clearly not in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ plans for the upcoming season based on their 2023 performance.
1. Cornerback Patrick Peterson
There comes a time, though, when a player’s prior record—however stellar—becomes irrelevant. When it comes to seasoned cornerback Patrick Peterson, we are beyond past that. With an amazing resume that may even earn him nomination for the Hall of Fame, this player has managed to play in the NFL for 13 seasons.
However, Peterson’s play has collapsed at the age of 33 in Year 13. The former three-time First-Team All-Pro cornerback began his career with eight consecutive Pro Bowl selections, but in his late 20s and early 30s, his play steadily declined. Peterson shouldn’t be a cornerback starting on an NFL roster after joining the Steelers.
Even worse, Pittsburgh signed the seasoned veteran to a two-year contract. According to Over the Cap, Peterson will have a cap hit of more than $9.77 million the next season. If the team wants to avoid paying Peterson’s 2024 salary, they will have to forgo almost $3 million in dead money.
Nevertheless, given his lackluster performance, this is what is probably going to happen. Mike Tomlin should immediately realize that having an elderly and slow secondary means that reputation and experience count for little. Patrick Peterson won’t be in the Steelers’ long-term plans, in my opinion.
