3 blockbuster trades Steelers should explore in their Super Bowl window
By Tommy Jaggi
Patrick Peterson
Steelers trade: 2020 1st round pick
Cardinals trade: Patrick Peterson
The Steelers are right one the edge of the cap as we speak, so this deal wouldn’t be possible without some much needed restructuring.
Pittsburgh could extend a few players like Joe Haden and Alejandro Villanueva to free up the cap space they need for this season to take on Peterson’s nearly $11.9M cap hit.
Great cornerbacks don’t come without a cost, and the Steelers would be giving up a lot with Peterson. A 1st round pick can be very valuable to a team, but Pittsburgh has also drafted players like Artie Burns, Terrell Edmunds, Bud Dupree, and Jarvis Jones in recent years.
Rather than playing a game of chance with that 1st rounder, the Steelers can get a top-flight cornerback.
Peterson just turned 29 years old this month, and is presumed to have a handful of good years left in the tank. He has been a Pro Bowl player all 8 of his NFL seasons and has 3 All-Pro honors to his name.
Even more impressive is the fact that Peterson hasn’t missed a single game in his 8-year career.
The Steelers would would have to give up a lot with trading away their 1st round pick next season and taking on Peterson’s massive contract. The cornerback will also need an extension very soon. However, this would be a worthwhile trade for Pittsburgh, and it would make them legitimate contenders this year.