4 former Steelers players likely to rejoin the team this offseason

Tyler Matakevich, Linebacker

Tyler Matakevich is heading into the last year of his contract with the Buffalo Bills. He signed a two-year deal last offseason that could be worth up to $9 million total if he plays out the entire term. It does seem possible that his days with the Bills are limited as he did not live up to expectations entirely. He was brought in for competition at the starting linebacker spots on the defense but failed to play many snaps there.

Even when injuries started to mount up for the position, Matakevich could not find much playing time. His strong suit has been and always will be on special teams. This past season left no doubt as he continued to dominate in that phase of the game. That was never the issue for ‘Dirty Red’ during his career to this point.

Matakevich has not been able to transition his game to play meaningful snaps on the defensive side of the football and that is why his contract could be terminated. Buffalo is very close to becoming Super Bowl contenders and they could try and go for it this offseason. Subtracting a highly paid special teamer could help free up more cap space to sign a bigger name in free agency. The Steelers would like to add depth at the linebacker position and they love his ability on kick and punt coverage.