The Pittsburgh Steelers are notoriously frugal when it comes to spending money in free agency. They will fill some holes on the roster with free agent additions but prefer to draft and develop their own players.
But, since Omar Khan has taken over as general manager, the Steelers have become more aggressive in free agency. Last year, he was active, signing multiple free agents to fill some voids on the roster.
One of the players that he signed was former All-Pro, Patrick Peterson. Peterson signed a two-year, $14 million contract during the 2023 offseason after a stellar 2022 season with the Minnesota Vikings.
He was unable to replicate the success he had with the Vikings in Pittsburgh, as his 60.5 overall PFF grade was the third worst of his career. It was the worst-graded tackling season of his illustrious career, as Peterson began showing his age.
As a result, the Steelers opted to release Peterson earlier this offseason. That gave them some more wiggle room against the salary cap, enabling them to bring in quarterback Russell Wilson and former Baltimore Ravens star linebacker, Patrick Queen.
The Steelers, on paper, are a better team now than they were entering free agency. There are still a few holes on the roster to address, such as their secondary with Peterson no longer in the mix.
However, Peterson is not closing the door on a return to the team. While speaking to Bryant McFadden on the All Things Covered podcast, Peterson touched on the possibility of returning to Pittsburgh.
“I can be your second and third corner and your nickel for sure because we don’t have a nickel on the roster. I know the defense, I understand what we need to do. If that’s going to come down to the pay cut, I’ll take the pay cut, that’s not a problem to me. It is not about the money at this point, I just want to have an opportunity to win a championship,” Peterson said, via Steelers Depot on X.
Peterson is the kind of veteran that every team should want in their locker room. He has the knowledge and expertise to pass down to younger players and has the right kind of mindset and temperament to be a leader for the team.
His willingness to play whatever position the team needs of him shows how selfless he can be. Being willing to take a pay cut isn’t something everyone will do, but at this stage of his career, the most important thing to Peterson is winning football games. He believes that can happen in Pittsburgh, as they have the pieces to make some noise in the AFC.
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