3 Steelers impending free agents who need to be brought back

3. James Pierre, CB

Here's a name that wasn't often talked about by Pittsburgh Steelers fans in 2023. This is because James Pierre saw a career low in defensive snaps in 2023 -- seeing the field just 2 percent of the time on defense (26 snaps). With how poorly Levi Wallace and Patrick Peterson played at times, there was certainly a case to be made to put Pierre in the lineup.

At this stage in his career, I know that Pierre is not a quality option on defense for the Steelers. However, he's one of their top players in special teams coverage units. Pierre logged 269 special teams snaps during the 2023 season. He now has a whopping 936 special teams snaps in four years in Pittsburgh.

Because of his limited top-end speed and adequate lateral movement skills, Pierre is a 'last resort' type of player who really should only see the field at cornerback if a couple of injuries occur. Still, there is value in keeping a quality special teams player around -- especially on a veteran minimum-type deal.

It's also worth noting that the Steelers could see a ton of roster turnover in the secondary this offseason. Levi Wallace and Chandon Sullivan are free agents who are unlikely to return, while Patrick Peterson could be a cap casualty. This would leave just Joey Porter Jr. as the only CB on the roster with any notable game experience. Keeping James Pierre around for one more year might be beneficial.

All player grades and ranks courtesy of Pro Football Focus.