The Steelers have made some questionable choices when it comes to contract extensions. Here are five contracts they would do differently if given the chance.
The Steelers are one of the most well-run organizations in the National Football League. They have a business model that seems to work by spending small in free agency and retaining their own players. But even general managers as established as Kevin Colbert make financial mistakes from time to time.
While some players on the team have proved to be terrific financial investments, others may not be worth their cap hits. Here are five current contracts the Steelers would love to do differently if given the chance:
Vance McDonald
Vance McDonald was a solid tight end in 2018, but he took a giant step backward last season with Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges at the helm. But it wasn’t just his production that dipped. McDonald ranked dead last among qualifying tight ends last year (67th out of 67) with an overall grade of 45.3, according to Pro Football Focus.
Unfortunately, the projected number two tight end for the Steelers in 2020 doesn’t come cheap. Thanks to a recent restructure, Vance is due nearly $8 million next season, and Pittsburgh would take a $2.7 million dead cap hit just to cut him. This will be a big year for him to prove if he can come anywhere close to proving his worth.