The Steelers have been a very mixed bag in terms of performance so far this season. They had high hopes entering the year, but a poor offense and an inconsistent defense have caused this unit to struggle. For every player showing up in a given week, you have one that isn’t.
While there is still a long way to go with this season, these five Steelers are likely playing their last season with the team. They could be pending free agents in the offseason with little chance of a reunion, or even a potential cap casualty. No matter the means, these five players are likely in their final season with the Steelers.
Steelers likely won’t bring back Montravius Adams
While some have been adamant that Montravius Adams has been horrible (he hasn’t), his time with the Steelers will likely end after this season. To be fair, he revived his career when the team signed him in the middle of the 2021 season, and he is doing better than his dreadful 2022 season, but he certainly doesn’t move the chain as a starting nose tackle.
Add in Keeanu Benton waiting in the wings to be the sole nose tackle (as well as move around the line) and Adams seems to be on his last legs. He has likely done enough to latch on somewhere else as a reserve, and a return to Pittsburgh isn’t impossible on a minimum deal, but it just doesn’t seem likely. I fully expect Adams to continue losing snaps and for him to be playing elsewhere in 2024.
Steelers likely won’t bring back Levi Wallace
Levi Wallace looked like a sneaky good addition just a season ago. Brought in on a cheap deal, he was set up to be a solid second option in a secondary that had talent elsewhere. He held his end of the bargain, proving to be a good-not-great option in the secondary while compiling a career season statistically.
With the turnover at the cornerback position this offseason, I expected Wallace to be a needed stable face in the cornerback room. Ideally, he would start until Joey Porter was ready and then become a valuable third outside cornerback in dime and nickel defense. While he has kept Porter off the field, his own play has been lackluster.
The weakest link at a position that is struggling as a whole is a bad place to be, and that is just where Wallace finds himself. While he has picked off two passes, he is constantly being picked on by opposing offenses. He is having his worst season since entering the league, and that includes his rookie season where he was forced into a starting role despite being an undrafted free agent.
While far from the only issue, Wallace’s lack of speed has been apparent this season. He misreads a play or gets beat on a play early and can’t recover and stop a small gain from being a big one. His tackling has also regressed, furthering his issues with the team.
With his contract set to expire after this season, I find it hard to imagine the team bringing him back unless he turns his play around. More than likely, this cornerback room is going to be overhauled once again (more on that later). Wallace had a strong start to his Steelers career, but his play this year will likely cause him to find a new home next season.
Steelers likely won’t bring back Mason Rudolph
To be fair, I was saying the exact same thing a season ago as Rudolph entered free agency for the first time. While his landing a starting job seemed far-fetched, plenty of teams could have used a stable backup quarterback, and Rudolph fits that bill. Instead, he wallowed in free agency before returning to the team on a minimum deal.
Like the other two names above, a reunion on a minimum deal could be in the works, but I struggle to see why this team would keep him any longer. Mitchell Trubisky is the entrenched backup while Kenny Pickett will be the starter until he proves he isn’t capable of being that.
If Pickett had made the jump many expected him to make, a Rudolph reunion would make more sense. With Pickett looking like anything but a franchise quarterback so far this season though, finding a different third option with some potential upside makes more sense. Add in the deep quarterback draft class, and the third quarterback could feasibly be a rookie.
As for Rudolph, you would think that he would like the opportunity to be at least the second-string veteran option for a team. That way, he would only be a snap away from playing, and that could revive his career. That isn’t happening with the Steelers. Because of these reasons, I think he will play elsewhere in 2024.
Steelers may cut Chukwuma Okorafor
We have now gone from expiring contracts to likely cap casualties. The first of which is longtime starting tackle Chukwuma Okorafor. The former third-round pick has seemingly reached his ceiling as a player. That ceiling is a very average right tackle who has some stretches of poor play.
That isn’t the inherent issue, as you could do worse than have Okorafor as your right tackle. The issue is his contract, as he will be entering the final year of his deal and have a cap hit of nearly 12 million. Pittsburgh can save nearly all of that cap space by releasing him before his roster bonus is due next season.
Could the Steelers feasibly keep Okorafor? I guess, but having that much money tied into a mediocre player isn’t smart. This team has shown a willingness to invest in this line, and they should continue to do so next season.
Dan Moore could move over to the right side and let Broderick Jones take the reigns as the left tackle. From there, a free agent or rookie could be brought in to compete with Moore on the right side. Assuming it is a rookie, that should cut the costs on a line slightly and still provide as good of play as what Okorafor is currently giving you.
With his contract being as easy as it is to get out of and his play not being anything exceptional, I expect 2024 to be the final season of Okorafor in the black and gold. The team can easily get by without him and with little drop-off in play. Don’t be surprised when he is released in the offseason.
Steelers may cut Patrick Peterson
Steelers fans seemed excited when the team announced they had signed Patrick Peterson. While letting Cam Sutton walk was tough, the general sentiment was that Peterson could easily replace the versatile cornerback. I was skeptical of the move considering Peterson’s age and lack of versatility in his career.
Frankly, Peterson has been worse than even I expected. He has missed a few coverages and has tackled poorly. While not completely gone, his athleticism is certainly diminishing. His tandem with the aforementioned Wallace makes up one of the worst starting duos in the league right now at cornerback.
While he does have another year on his current deal, I find it unlikely that the team will keep him around given his high cap hit and poor play (which will likely continue to decline). Instead, the team will likely be revamping this room once again, as the savvy veteran many hoped Peterson would be hasn’t materialized.
While he has been a better player than Wallace, neither has looked good in their starting roles. The Steelers would be wise to cut bait, save some cap space, and get younger at the position. That could start this season as well, as the team should continue to expand the role of Porter at the cost of the veterans in front of him.
While there is still a lot of football left to be played, these five players have struggled so far this season. I wouldn’t expect any of them to be a part of this roster in 2024, as they will either be let go or cut in the offseason as this roster attempts to improve.