The Steelers have a lengthy list of free agents in 2023, and here are the four who have likely played their way off the team.
The Steelers season is wrapping up, and the focus of fans and the team is switching to the offseason. While there are a slew of issues this team needs to tackle, they also have a lengthy list of pending free agents to deal with. A lot of those names will be contending for small deals, but there are also a handful that are established starters whose contracts are up.
While many are calling for an aggressive overhaul, you have to remember that this team has a lot of holes to fill. You can’t build a roster of completely new faces, as there will be no unity amongst the players and more issues will then present themselves. That said, the decisions on who stays concerning these four players seems easy, as it seems unlikely that they will return in 2023.
Steelers have seen the end of Alualu
Tyson Alualu was one of the more surprising free-agent additions to this team a few years back. Brought in to be a rotation defensive end, he was a fine backup that then saw a second deal with the team. He moved to nose tackle and looked surprisingly dominant, leading to another deal with the Steelers.
He was lost last season due to injury and looks his age this year as he has reverted back to being mostly a backup. Given his age, it seems likely that Alualu ends up retiring as opposed to just signing elsewhere. No matter what he decides to do with his career though, Alualu is playing his final season with the Steelers as it seems unlikely that he returns in 2023.
Rudolph will be running from the Steelers
No player on the Steelers roster has been given more unnecessary hate than Mason Rudolph. No, he never developed into the starter many hoped he would following his third-round billing, but he has become a dependable backup who can be counted on. With Kenny Pickett set to be the starter moving forward, it would make sense on paper for the team to actually try and bring Rudolph back.
Rudolph, more than likely, is counting down the days until he is a free agent. He gets to leave a city that has never really embraced him and leave a franchise that never gave him a great shot to start. It seemed like his time had finally come this year, but the Steelers were quick to add Mitch Trubisky and draft Pickett, blocking Rudolph from any shot at being the starter yet again.
While he likely knows the odds of him landing a starting gig next season are slim, he would still benefit from a new team that is more willing to give him an actual shot. Even if the Steelers offered him a contract, it is a safe bet that he will see what his options are elsewhere and would only resign if nothing else materialized. Expect Rudolph to be out the door in 2023.
Bush hasn’t played well enough to earn a second deal
A lot was riding on Devin Bush this season. While his time as the every-down starter was finished, he is a former top-ten pick with his contract set to expire after this season concludes. He needs a solid season in order to get some consideration for a starting role in 2023. Bush hasn’t played horribly by any means, but his play is still far from where it should be given his pedigree.
While the Steelers naturally want more out of their top pick, they will be in a pickle when it comes to sorting out a potential new deal for Bush. As well, other teams may be willing to overpay for him, especially if they had an interest in him before he was drafted. Pittsburgh would be fools to lock him up for multiple years, and that could make finalizing a deal a difficult one.
His best chance to return could be a similar route that Terrell Edmunds took last year. He signed a veteran benefit deal, but since he has been with the team long enough, he can receive a total of over 2.5 million on his deal but only count just under 1.2 million against the cap. Bush has to be willing to accept that deal though and not have a lot of interest elsewhere. I find it unlikely that he returns in the offseason.
Sutton has played his way off the Steelers
One of the brightest stars on this Steelers defense this season has been Cam Sutton. While he has been a steady member of this secondary for a few years now, his play this season has been great. He has served both as an outside cornerback as well as the slot corner, and he hasn’t missed a beat in either spot.
The Steelers brought Sutton back two seasons ago and inserted him as a starter. Last year was on par with the usual expectations (above average), but his play has taken off this season. He has three interceptions and a quarterback rating of 63.1 when he is targeted. These are elite numbers, and Sutton only adds to his value by being slot versatile on top of this.
To be clear, the Steelers should be making every attempt to retain Sutton this offseason. He is a valuable leader amongst the cornerbacks and is the best cover corner that they have. That said, his price tag has likely skyrocketed this season, and he would be foolish to not test the open market. He is a real case of a player that may have priced himself out of Pittsburgh in 2023.
The Steelers will have quite a few hard decisions to make this off-season when it comes to their roster. They have a lot of pending free agents, and this team needs a more complete roster overall. These four pending free agents could very well be playing on a different roster next season.