Steelers' recent tendencies could be a false hope for fans hoping to land the top free-agent WR on the market
We're nearing a year since the Pittsburgh Steelers traded Diontae Johnson, and the team has yet to find his replacement. An offseason that saw draft picks like Roman Wilson, and rumors surrounding a multitude of superstar WRs, Pittsburgh sits in the same spot heading into 2025. Yet, there's one name on the market who they […]
We're nearing a year since the Pittsburgh Steelers traded Diontae Johnson, and the team has yet to find his replacement.
An offseason that saw draft picks like Roman Wilson, and rumors surrounding a multitude of superstar WRs, Pittsburgh sits in the same spot heading into 2025.
Yet, there's one name on the market who they have a ton of familiarity with. That would be Cincinnati Bengals WR Tee Higgins.
But killing two birds with one stone by lessening a division rival and bolstering a reeling position group almost sounds too good to be true.
That's because it is…
Why Tee Higgins is unlikely to be a Pittsburgh Steeler
A 26-year-old WR coming off a 10-TD season and multiple 1,000-yard seasons under his belt might as well be liquid gold on the free-agent market. Sure Higgins has battled injuries and never eclipsed 75 receptions in a season, but he's the kind of big play merchant that the Steelers covet on the perimeter of their offense.
So as you may expect, the Steelers have been linked heavily to Higgins, and it makes sense given their needs and Mike Tomlin's fondness for the WR he's faced twice a year for half a decade.
"Tee is a goon. He is. You can't let him beat you up while at the same time, the officials are going to call it the way they call it," said Tomlin regarding the first game between Higgins and Joey Porter Jr. last season. "Sometimes, I kind of absorb some of that, that comes with that. You cannot let a big dude like that beat you up. You gotta match the fire with the fire. You hope you do it clean enough that it doesn't draw a bunch of penalties. We weren't as successful in that regard today. We'll keep working, but one thing we're not gonna do is let that guy goon us."
But the problem is the money. Yes, in recent years the Steelers front office and more specifically GM Omar Khan have made some splashier moves. Signing Patrick Queen to the richest deal in free agent franchise history comes to mind.
But as John Sheeran of A to Z Sports Cincinnati would say, "Pittsburgh is still more of a bargain shopper than a big money spender."
Take Queen as an example. His contract is valued at $41m and averages nearly $14m a year. A healthy amount for an inside LB. In reality, however, most of that money is tied to a prorated signing and roster bonus', and he already has no guaranteed salary on his deal despite signing the contract just last year.
So with numbers like $33m APY and a total value of three years and $100m plus flying around for Higgins, it's a stretch to believe that Pittsburgh would get into a bidding war or pony up that kind of cash for a WR.
Right or wrong, the team believes in building inside and out and through the draft, essentially the exact opposite process of signing a big fish on the free agent market.
But, never say never Steelers fans.
