5 of the Steelers best moves during the 2021 NFL offseason

While the Steelers weren’t big players this offseason, these five moves stood out as the best that the team made in 2021.

The Steelers were never going to be overly active during this past offseason, as their cap limitations were some of the worst in the league. That said, the team was focused on making a flurry of low-risk, low reward signings. Add in a standard draft and this offseason was a far cry from the spending spree two seasons ago or the lack of trade capital from last year’s draft. While some of the moves the team made were puzzling, these five moves are definitely ones that the Steelers appeared to get right.

Steelers re-sign Alualu

In what was one of the more shocking turns of events for the Steelers, Tyson Alualu made a surprising move as he initially agreed to a deal with the Jaguars, got sick with COVID, and while in quarantine decided to stay in Pittsburgh. He rejected the Jaguars deal and signed a deal for less money to play for the Steelers in 2021. Despite the unusual way he ended up back on the roster, the team retaining him was a huge win.

Despite making a positional switch at a very old age, Alualu was dominant in the middle of the defense last season. He was an anchor against the run and a bully along the interior of opposing offensive lines. His contract was for a fair price and it has little long-term risk attached to it. Even if Alualu falls off next season due to his age, his deal is one that would be easy to get out of. Considering how well he played last year though, doubting that he will earn that second year seems like an unwise bet.