Just under month ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers shockingly released cornerback Arthur Maulet. Later on, it was reported that the release came per his request. Maulet felt as if he deserved more money than the front office was offering him. Still, it came a bit out of nowhere. While the team had improved their depth at corner this offseason, the slot role wasn't exactly addressed.
Since the departure of Mike Hilton, Maulet had been the team's primary slot cornerback. In his two seasons with Pittsburgh, the six-year defensive back appeared in 34 games, which included eight starts. That included a total of 860 defensive snaps, along with over 300 snaps on special teams. On Tuesday, he posted a few separate stories on his Instagram page, seemingly addressing his displeasure with the Steelers front office.
"Being too loyal will leave a sour taste in ya mouth with this game. You gotta get what you can out these m-- because they don't have no loyalty in this business! My work always speaks for itself, my grind always speaks for itself," Maulet said in one story. "They pay who they wanna pay and slave who they wanna slave. S--- weird. S--- ain't football. S--- a popularity contest."
While Maulet wasn't necessarily great in coverage, he brought some versatility to the Steelers. Additionally, he was able to excel in the running game at times, similar to Hilton. As mentioned before, the slot corner position remains a bit up in the air in Pittsburgh. Chandon Sullivan was signed more than a month ago, and he seems to be the most likely option to replace Maulet. When Sullivan was signed, it wasn't believed that he would replace Maulet as the Steelers slot corner. But it wasn't long after that when Maulet and the Steelers reportedly had an issue over his contract.
Mark Kaboly of The Athletic reported that Maulet and the Steelers had a handshake deal that would allow Maulet to get a raise this offseason even though he signed a two-year $3.8 million deal last offseason to stay in Pittsburgh. He didn't elaborate much on that theory, but it makes sense that Maulet was possibly upset because the Steelers decided they weren't willing to give him any more money.
Beyond that, it seems like defensive coordinator Teryl Austin could throw a few different guys out there to address the vacancy. Veteran Patrick Peterson is one guy that could see some time there. So could versatile defensive back Tre Norwood. Regardless, as of now, it seems like it will be a position by committee led by Sullivan. Pro Football Focus rated Sullivan slightly lower than Maulet in 2022.
Peterson, seen as the mentor of the group, isn't too concerned about the CB room in 2023. Recently, he touted the group as "dangerous" due to its depth, specifically mentioning an underrated guy like Levi Wallace. With a few rookies added to the mix, Steelers fans expect the secondary to be better than it was in 2022. The talent is there, but the slot position remains a concern.
Who will be Steelers' main slot CB in 2023?
It seems the former Minnesota Vikings corner, Sullivan, provides a bit of an upgrade rushing off the edge as a blitzer. Like Maulet, he struggles in coverage and is average in the run defense aspect. As a result, it's clear that this remains a concern in Pittsburgh. In the meantime, Maulet is making it clear that he's not happy with how things went down with the Steelers.
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