3 surprise cuts the Steelers may make to up free cap space

Here are three surprising cuts the Steelers could make in 2021

No matter where the salary cap ultimately falls, the Steelers will certainly be hurting from a financial standpoint. While there will be ways to clear cap space that doesn’t involve releasing a player, some tough choices will still have to be made. With quite a few bloated contracts, odds are the Steelers end up parting pays with at least one major veteran. Here are three surprising cuts the team may be forced to make.

Joe Haden

While Joe Haden has been one of the best signings that this team has made in the past few years, his age was beginning to show this past season. While he was still savvy in coverage short, his athleticism is clearly in decline. Constantly throughout the year, he was struggling with some of the more athletic receivers in the league. This will only get worse as he gets older, and with a savings of 7 million dollars, if he is cut, the Steelers may be forced to part ways with the veteran.

What makes this move even more possible is that both Mike Hilton and Cameron Sutton are free agents this season. Both have a lot more left for their careers, so the team may have to choose between either Haden or one of the younger and likely cheaper options. The only solution would be for the team to sign Haden to a voidable contract. Here, they could spread out the 7 million they owe him as a signing bonus, and he could essentially play year to year. That said, he may prefer the open market at that point. Don’t be surprised if Haden is released early in March.