The Pittsburgh Steelers are very likely to lose cornerback Joe Haden in the 2022 offseason. Here are five teams he could land with next season.
Steelers cornerback Joe Haden subtly waved goodbye to the team just before the start of the season with a post on Twitter that read, “#LastDance.” Pittsburgh will be in the midst of a transition phase during the 2022 offseason, and after contract extension talks fell through during the preseason, Haden is almost certainly going to sign elsewhere.
At this stage in his career, the Steelers might not be able to garner a quality compensatory pick from someone else signing him in free agency, but he has been a huge part of their defense over the past five years. Here are five potential landing spots for Joe Haden in 2022:
Baltimore Ravens
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Joe Haden stick around in the division. He had no issue joining the Steelers after he was released by the Cleveland Browns in an effort for the team to save money. Cornerback Jimmy Smith has an expiring contract and Tavon Young has just one year remaining at over $9 million, according to Over the Cap.
In addition, the Baltimore Ravens were probably the most injured team in the NFL this year, with numerous key players missing across nearly every positional group. Though Haden will be 33 years old during the 2022 season, he has shown that he still has some juice left in the tank.
The Ravens don’t have a ton of cap space and they could acquire Haden on a reasonable one-year deal until they find a more permanent solution at cornerback. At the very least, he would give them quality depth at a position that could get an overhaul this offseason.
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns have a pretty talented roster, but that hasn’t equated to success on the football field. Though they have a young, talented cornerback room with Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome, and Greedy Williams, there’s a chance that Joe Haden could elect to return to his old team in 2022.
While Haden would no longer be a starter for the Browns, he could alter his role to more of a sub-package cornerback — something he may be forced to do at this stage of his career. Still, Haden had a strong connection with the fan base, and I have little doubt that he would be welcome back with open arms.
As a member of the Browns for the first part of his NFL career, Haden earned 19 interceptions and two Pro Bowl appearances. What Cleveland is really lacking on their roster right now (specifically on defense) is veteran leadership. Haden could mentor this young group of cornerbacks while finding sub-package work. Based on his history with the team, this seems like an option he could be willing to explore.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs have gotten better play from their cornerbacks this season than they have in years. What was normally a weakness for this team has recently become a strength. However, that may not last very long.
Several of Kansas City’s top cornerbacks are set to be unrestricted free agents in 2022. Both Charvarius Ward and Mike Hughes have expiring contracts and they could seek some big contracts this offseason. This would leave the Chiefs with just two young options in L’Jarius Sneed and Rashad Fenton.
We have seen how much interest Andy Reid has had in bringing in veterans with Pro Bowl resumes. Last year, the Chiefs traded the Steelers for Melvin Ingram early in the season. In years prior, they pursued players like Tyrann Mathiew and Frank Clark. They were even willing to take a shot at WR Josh Gordon this past season.
Joe Haden is a smart cornerback who can jump routes and help the Chiefs create more takeaways with a few of their top defensive backs potentially leaving this year. He could sign a deal in Kansas City that would take him to the end of his NFL career.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders have two quality cornerbacks in Casey Hayward and Nate Hobbs. However, Heyward is in a contract year and has played well enough to earn one more sizable deal. If the Raiders decide he’s not worth elite money at this stage in his career, they could go for a discounted version of that player in Joe Haden.
The Raiders have over $41 million in cap space in 2022, so retaining Hayward seems like an option. Even if this is the case, the team doesn’t really have another quality option outside of Hayward and Hobbs.
Joe Haden would bring experience and veteran leadership to a team that is on the fringe of being a serious contender in the AFC. I can see the Raiders being a team willing to load up on older veterans to make a strong push at a championship over the next 2-3 years. Joe Haden is no longer the athlete he once was, but he could still have a sizeable role on this team and give them added security in the secondary.
New England Patriots
This seems like a Patriots move to me, and it wouldn’t be the first time New England has snagged a player who was on his last legs in Pittsburgh. New England has arguably the best cornerback in the league right now in J.C. Jackson, but he is set to be a free agent and can control his own destiny at this point.
Even if the Patriots throw the franchise tag on him, they are still in need of a talent upgrade at the position. While Jalen Mills has been a decent veteran option, the team really doesn’t have much outside of these two players, and things could get much worse if Jackson refuses to stick around.
Bill Belichick might not be the best at finding talent through the NFL Draft, but he knows exactly what veterans to bring in that could help his team, and they typically end up finding great success in New England. While Joe Haden is nearing the end of his career, he could be a guy that Belichick has an interest in.
The Pittsburgh Steelers need to start setting their sites towards the future, and Joe Haden isn’t part of the long-term plan at this point. Perhaps he winds up with one of these five teams in 2022.