4 reasons the Steelers extending Joe Haden is the wrong move

How does this reflect on the Steelers?

The Steelers had a tough offseason when it came to the cornerback position. They lost Mike Hilton and Steven Nelson due to cap constraints making it hard for the team to keep either. That said, there has been a surge in hope and playmaking potential so far from the team’s younger corners in camp. In particular, James Pierre looks like he has the potential to be a starting defensive back on this defense.

Bringing back Haden would be a detriment to their development. Unless he was willing to take on more of a reserve role, Haden would keep the next wave of Steelers cornerback from having the chance to develop properly. Now, there is no guarantee that these players develop properly, but Haden signing another deal for top money now would be telling of what the team thinks about their depth chart at cornerback.

Worst of all, the Steelers were in a similar boat with Nelson earlier in the offseason. Instead of negotiating with him, they cut him. Now, his days were likely numbered due to cap constraints, but what does it say to the league and other players if the team treats Haden that differently. While he may be the slightly better corner at this point, Nelson was still a great fit for the team and is significantly younger. Haden would be in decline and at the end of his career during the duration of the deal. Nelson would have been at the end of his prime in contrast.

All in all, signing Haden to an extension right now isn’t the right move. Unless Haden took a significantly reduced yearly value and was willing to be more versatile with his role on the team, then this would be another story. Since that seems extremely unlikely, the team would be best served to let him hit free agency next year. That doesn’t mean he won’t be back, but the market would dictate his value and likely lead to a more team-friendly deal. An extension right now is clearly not the right move at this time.