If Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan wishes to remain active in free agency, he has to keep his phone close to him. Those who lurk out in free agency are starting to become worried. They haven't landed a job during the first wave of free agency, and their opportunities are dwindling. Pittsburgh still has a comfortable amount of cap space right now, but it could dry up quickly.
Bringing Aaron Rodgers on board will cause the team to eat most of their remaining cap space. Even if they ink Rodgers, other free agents could be perfect fits with the Steelers. One of those could be a former member who left in free agency in 2021.
Mike Hilton was a fan favorite before getting paid lots of money with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Hilton signed a four-year, $24 million deal that got him a significant raise that Pittsburgh wasn't willing to offer. This veteran remains one of the best slot cornerbacks in the NFL. The Steelers have missed his presence in the secondary since he skipped out of town. This offseason could provide Hilton and the organization a chance at a reunion.
Steelers should consider signing Mike Hilton if his offers are slim
Everyone thought Hilton would get a raise in free agency, but the market hasn't been too kind. The free agent hasn't signed a new contract yet, so his offers are not extravagant. That could always change with a phone call, but Khan better be on the line. The Steelers know what they lost after Hilton left and should be offering a chance to revive their relationship.
According to Spotrac's website, Hilton could make over $12 million per season on his next deal. That would produce a significant offer for any organization trying to bring him onto their team. Time continues to work against the 8-year veteran. Jourdan Lewis is another premiere slot cornerback, but he only received $10 million per season on his deal during free agency.
Lewis is two years younger than Hilton, and that age difference could scare teams away.
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It would be lunacy for Khan to consider offering Hilton a contract worth near Spotrac's projection. Perhaps a one-year contract worth around $10 million would benefit both sides. Hilton can cash in next offseason while Pittsburgh fixes their slot cornerback spot. They added Brandin Echols to their cornerback room, but Hilton would be the only surefire answer.
Different scenarios would have to break in the Steeler's favor for them to land Hilton. The free agent would need barely any other offers for a possible return. Maybe he burned the bridge back to the Steelers when he left in 2021, but money talks. Both parties know what they are getting out of this possible reunion, and it would be the best outcome Pittsburgh could hope for.