4 former Steelers that the team will miss the most in 2021

Steelers can’t afford Mike Hilton

This is easily one of the Steelers’ worst moves of the offseason, as Mike Hilton was one of the more dynamic players in the Steelers’ secondary. If just straight up losing him wasn’t enough, he signed with the rival Bengals and his salary was below what most expected him to get. Considering the huge question mark that the team has at slot cornerback right now, having Hilton would be huge in this secondary remaining a great unit.

The only caveat that is comforting in losing Hilton is that he is a unique player that has to be played properly. While he is adequate in coverage, his real strength is playing downhill against the run and blitzing the quarterback. If the Bengals don’t play to his strengths, he may struggle more so than he did with the Steelers. That said, that does little to answer the remaining questions the team has at the slot cornerback position in 2021.

Hilton ascended the ranks in a compelling underdog story, and he was due to get paid. While it seemed unlikely that the team could have afforded him, the opposite proved to be true. Playing him twice a year will also prove to be unappealing, especially if the Bengals play him to his strengths. Hilton was one of the team’s toughest losses from the offseason, and his high quality of play will surely be missed.

The Steelers lost quite a few players this offseason, and these four will be the toughest losses to overcome. They all were high-quality starters for the team, and two of them now figure to benefit direct rivals. With some of the potential replacements still major question marks for these individuals, expect to feel these losses regularly throughout the 2021 season.