Pittsburgh Steelers free agent safety option signed by New England Patriots
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been aggressive in free agency this offseason, but they still need to add a starting safety to play alongside Minak Fitzpatrick. Pittsburgh has a few directions they could go. They could draft a safety (which is risky), make a trade (unlikely), or sign a free agent (the likely path). One of […]
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been aggressive in free agency this offseason, but they still need to add a starting safety to play alongside Minak Fitzpatrick.
Pittsburgh has a few directions they could go. They could draft a safety (which is risky), make a trade (unlikely), or sign a free agent (the likely path).
One of the Steelers' potential free agent options came off the board on Tuesday.
Safety Jabrill Peppers and the New England Patriots reportedly agreed to a one-year deal.
Peppers seemingly fit what the Steelers usually look for in free agency. The former Michigan standout was a first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft and he's coming off his rookie contract. A one-year prove-it deal would've been a great scenario for Peppers and the Steelers.
Instead, it's the Patriots that get a (potential) steal.
Pittsburgh still has some other options. They could choose to bring Terrell Edmunds back, who is still unsigned. Or they could look to make a splash and sign Tyrann Mathieu, one of the top free agents that's still available.
I don't expect the Steelers to go the Mathieu route — it doesn't fit with the way the franchise typically operates (giving a player a second or third big contract is not Pittsburgh's style).
Re-signing Edmunds seems much more likely. For now, it appears that Edmunds is trying to get a little more on the free-agent market than what the Steelers are offering.
Pittsburgh, though, is definitely willing to bring Edmunds back at the right price. That's why I wouldn't be surprised at this point if Edmunds ends up back with the Steelers in 2022.
Featured image via Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
