5 Steelers that must be re-signed in 2022 no matter the cost
By Andrew Falce
Steelers must re-sign Witherspoon
Had anyone asked me about five weeks earlier if Ahkello Witherspoon was worthy of a contract extension, I would have pointed out that he wasn’t worth the draft pick the team traded for him early in the season. He played minimally in the early portion of the season, and his on the field work wasn’t great. Since getting the starting nod over James Pierre though, Witherspoon has really taken off.
In terms of play from the cornerbacks, Witherspoon has easily been the best of the starters since taking on that role. He has been savvy in man coverage (something this defense has lacked this season). He has now allowed a quarterback rating of 34.9 when he is targeted in coverage and has nine passes’ defenses. Add in his three interceptions in a five-week span and Witherspoon has been playing at a dominant level.
With Joe Haden likely out the door next season, the Steelers will be in a bind at cornerback. In a position that you typically want to be four deep at, the team will have one established starter (Cameron Sutton) and one that has struggled in his starting stint (Pierre). Locking up Witherspoon has to happen. Retaining him and adding another top option in the draft or free agency should turn this cornerback group around.
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The Steelers have a slew of free agents set to depart in 2022. While locking up some of their top names isn’t a must given their rebuild status, there are a few key depth and potential starting players that have to be brought back. These five players have to be re-signed before they can leave in the offseason.