With plenty of cap space and needs at important positions, the Pittsburgh Steelers could have a more eventful free agency than ever. Last offseason, they handed out the biggest free-agent contract in team history to linebacker Patrick Queen, paying him $41 million over three years.
This time around, that record could be broken again by a decent margin. Multiple players who make sense as potential targets for the Steelers could command much more than what Queen received. The cornerback market, in particular, is due for a boost, and there are many names worthy of signing sizable deals.
While it's a nice change of space to see the Steelers be more aggressive in free agency, the potential to be burned by a bad contract is always looming over teams this time of year.
The Steelers should be willing to shell out significant contracts if it will help them finally win a playoff game after a near-decade drought, but they must do so wisely. Here are three players Pittsburgh should steer clear of in free agency.
Pittsburgh Steelers must avoid these free agents to have a successful offseason
Amari Cooper, WR, Buffalo Bills
Amari Cooper was a model of consistency during the first nine years of his career, reaching 1,000 yards in seven of those seasons. This past season was the least productive of his career, however, accumulating just 547 yards.
His quarterback situation definitely contributed to his career-low statistics, at least while playing for the Cleveland Browns for the first six games of 2024. A trade to the Buffalo Bills sparked optimism for a return to form for Cooper, but his production remained underwhelming.
It is entirely possible that he could bounce back in 2025, but the Steelers are not the team that should take that gamble.
Cooper would theoretically be a good number two across from George Pickens. His route running and ability after the catch used to be his biggest strengths, but the 2024 version of him was simply not starting caliber.
Sam Darnold, QB, Minnesota Vikings
There is no doubt that Sam Darnold is the best quarterback available in free agency this offseason, at least in terms of recent performance. The former first-round bust had by far his most effective season as a pro, finishing with 4,319 passing yards and 35 touchdowns.
The Minnesota Vikings enjoyed a surprise 14-3 regular season, thanks in large part to Darnold's performance. Until a disastrous final two games where he made too many mistakes, it seemed like a lock that the Vikings would attempt to bring him back, even with 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy waiting in the wings.
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Despite all of the clear improvements Darnold made in his lone season in Minnesota, his fit with the Steelers and several other QB-needy teams is murky at best.
How much of his improvement can be attributed to coaching and his elite surrounding cast? Can he take what he learned and apply it in a different offense? Will he regress to the turnover-prone QB that got run out of New York and Carolina? Ultimately, there are too many questions about his future to sink over $100 million into him.
Carlton Davis, CB, Detroit Lions
The Steelers need to find a starting corner to pair with Joey Porter Jr., and this year's free-agent class offers plenty of options to choose from. One of the more high-profile players available is Carlton Davis.
Davis has been a very productive player throughout his seven-year career. He had four consecutive seasons of 11 or more pass deflections from 2019 to 2022. For reference, only six players had 11 or more in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus. He is an overall solid cover corner who has the size (6'1", 206 pounds) that the Steelers have coveted in recent years.
So why not go after him? One word: injuries.
Davis has missed at least four games in each of the last four seasons, and he has yet to play a full season in his career. He suffered multiple nagging injuries in 2024 before a fractured jaw ended his season.
If the Steelers did sign him, they would need to either sign additional veterans or take a corner relatively high in the draft. That would limit their flexibility and could hurt their chances of building the best roster possible for 2025.