Steelers would be foolish to re-sign TE Eric Ebron in 2022

Eric Ebron was a popular signing in Pittsburgh back in 2020, but here’s why the Steelers would be foolish to award him with an extension this offseason. 

When news broke that the Pittsburgh Steelers were going to be signing free-agent tight end Eric Ebron back in 2020, many fans were overjoyed. In 2018, Ebron had an excellent season with Andrew Luck and the Colts and made his first trip to the Pro Bowl.

Sadly, Ebron quickly came back down to earth. In his first year with the Steelers, Ebron managed 56 receptions on 91 targets for 558 yards and 5 touchdowns, via Pro Football Reference. While his production was respectable, Ebron was quite inconsistent as a receiver and really struggled as a blocker.

These traits have been the story of Ebron’s career since being selected with the 10th overall pick back in the 2014 NFL Draft. However, it’s because of Ebron’s former draft status and Pro Bowl resume that he has been awarded as many opportunities as he has.

In 2021, Ebron’s play sunk to an all-time low. Through eight games, he managed just 84 yards on 18 targets (4.7 yards per target) and managed just one score.

After injuries plagued the back-half of his 2021 campaign, Ebron will be looking for another shot to contribute as a receiving tight end… but that opportunity should not come from the Steelers.

Steelers should not re-sign Ebron

Recently, I’ve seen Steelers fans talk about bringing Ebron back on a contract extension and trying to carve out snaps alongside Pat Freiermuth and Zach Gentry. I think this is a bad idea for multiple reasons.

For starters, Ebron made it clear that he was getting frustrated with his diminished role, and there were even rumors that he wanted to be shipped before the NFL trade deadline last season. Ebron is also coming off some nagging injuries that caused him to miss half the 2021 season.

Even if Ebron is fully healthy and okay with taking a backseat to Freiermuth, Zach Gentry has emerged as a quality number two option at this point and is unquestionable a better blocker than Ebron.

In addition, the Steelers elected to restructure Ebron’s contract and tac on voidable years. Because of this, Ebron is already counting over $3.9 million against the cap despite not being under contract, and I can’t see any way that they could justify bringing him back after his struggles last year.

I know Eric Ebron has been a popular name at the tight end position since entering the league in 2014, but I think the Steelers would be foolish to bring him back on a contract extension — especially considering they have two better options at the position at this point. I didn’t mind the Ebron signing initially, but it’s time to move on.