Steelers are given mediocre grades for most of their free agent signings

Steelers grade for signing Patrick Peterson

Contract: 2 years, 14 million dollars, 5.85 million dollar signing bonus

Grade: B

I wrote about the Patrick Peterson deal more in-depth when right after the deal was announced, and my thoughts haven’t really changed. On the surface, adding Peterson at that price is a good deal. While older, Peterson showed that he can still hang last year, and I expect him to be a solid starter for at least the first year of his deal.

My issue is the likely long-term impact of this deal. Peterson is still playing well, but he will be 33 years old this season and is certainly close to the end of his career. This type of deal would have made more sense for a contender, as Peterson can be a short-term starter. The Steelers aren’t that though, so the Peterson deal is hard to figure out.

All of that considered, getting a capable starting cornerback for seven million dollars is a fine deal. Peterson fills the need for a top cornerback, even if it is only for a short amount of time. I may find the deal as a whole confusing, but it certainly isn’t a bad deal. Peterson should be a solid addition to this team even if I don’t completely understand the deal for either side.