Steelers free agent grades: Results are even uglier at the midseason mark

Steelers grade for Patrick Peterson

Grade: D-

I was a skeptic of this deal when it was initially announced. Patrick Peterson has been a great player during his career, but he is at the tail end of his career. There was also the expectation of him filling the versatile role that Cameron Sutton had. Peterson was never a fixture in the slot, so it was a questionable fill, to say the least.

The results have been poor as well. Despite consistently talking a big game, Peterson has looked like a shell of his former self at the position. His speed is declining, which has made him a problem on the boundary. He hasn’t been great inside as well, and his overall play has just been middling.

Given the expected impact and size of his contract, the Peterson deal has been a bad one. To add insult to injury, Sutton has continued to shine since joining the Lions. Peterson hasn’t lived up to expectations, and he has looked like a below-average starter for the majority of his first year with the Steelers.

Despite a decent-looking group on paper, the Steelers free agent class hasn’t lived up to expectations. Slightly overpaid and struggling in some aspects, this group has failed to live up to expectations to this point.