Pittsburgh Steelers: All signs point to 2021 being Kevin Colbert’s last

With all of his recent Pittsburgh Steelers moves in the offseason, Kevin Colbert certainly seems like he is entering his final year as the general manager.

One of the most underrated yet critical elements to the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ success over the past twenty years has been the organization maintaining Kevin Colbert as their general manager. The man has navigated a plethora of draft picks working out, a few quality free agent signings, and has help field a competitive roster year in and year out. While his days with the team are numbered as retirement is looming, it seems like now more than ever that 2021 should be his final season with the team.

For starters, the team has, by my count, 11 starters or key depth players that are set to be free agents in 2022. While the team should have some cap space to use to re-sign some of them, more than likely quite a few of them walk. The Steelers were in a similar position this offseason, and while Colbert did a good job getting a decent roster together, no one can argue this group is better than last year. Another exodus again next year and this team will be even worse off.

The Pittsburgh Steelers can’t rebuild

Simply put, the Steelers are in a unique position where the team is set to be in a major decline after this season, and Colbert is deciding to do as much as he can to go out with a bang. It started earlier in the offseason when the team was aggressive in retaining talent at the expense of cap in the future. The team implemented voidable year deals to free up cap space for their immediate needs, but it does damage to future year’s cap space.

As of now, the Steelers have added on just over 22 million dollars against their cap space next year due to voidable year deals. Add in a likely huge pay increase for T.J. Watt and this team’s upcoming cap space isn’t as high as many are touting it. Sure, they will have more money than usual, but with so much talent set to be free agents, it isn’t like this team will have the luxury of adding to a good roster. Instead, they will be trying to rebuild with their newfound cash.

Even with the newfound cash, the team won’t be huge spenders on top-of-the-line players. Sure, they will throw some money around, but it won’t be for players resetting the market. Even in a rebuilding state, the Steelers will look to try and draft their future starters as opposed to buying them.

Unfortunately, the Steelers are relatively void of draft picks. While they still have their top three picks, after that, they only possess a pair of seventh-round draft picks. The team traded their fourth-round pick for the right to pick Isaiahh Loudermilk. Their fifth was used to get Avery Williamson last year, and just a few weeks ago the team traded their sixth-round pick for Joe Schobert. Essentially, the third day of their draft is already gone.

The team was projected to get two compensatory picks next year, those being a third and a fifth-round pick. After the recent trade for Ahkello Witherspoon though, those terms have changed. While the team only gave up a 2023 fifth-rounder to acquire him, he was a qualifying free agent this year. This means the team takes on his draft compensatory value and will essentially lose their projected fifth-round pick from next year’s draft.

This means the Steelers will enter the 2022 offseason with little talent, some cap space, and limited draft capital. Add in the likely retirement of Ben Roethlisberger, signifying a true end of an era for the team, and there is little keeping Colbert around. With him being year to year right now, it wouldn’t be at all surprising for him to announce his retirement after the season. He has done an immense job with this team, but his attack of this offseason makes it seems likely that it is in fact his last with the Steelers.