Getty The Pittsburgh Steelers were named a potential landing spot for Stephon Gilmore
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been busy reshaping their secondary recently.
They released Keanu Neal on March 7 and now they’ve done the same to Patrick Peterson.
The team has plenty of options to find replacements in the secondary as the safety class is loaded and there have also been a ton of corners that have been brought up as options for the team.
Now they’ve been linked to another option at cornerback who could be their replacement for Peterson.
In an article where he played free agency matchmaker for each AFC team, CBS Sports’ Jared Dubin paired the Steelers with Dallas Cowboys corner Stephon Gilmore.
Gilmore Still Playing at a High Level
There was a time when Gilmore wasn’t just one of the best corners in the NFL, but one of the league’s best defensive players at any position.
From 2018 to 2020, Gilmore made three Pro Bowls, earned a spot on the NFL’s All-Pro First Team twice, was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year once, and won a Super Bowl.
It has been a few years now since he has collected any accolades, but he has still been playing at a high level even at 33 years old.
This past season, Gilmore was part of one of the league’s best defenses in Dallas.
The Cowboys’ pass defense was particularly strong during the 2023 season. They finished the season fifth in passing yards allowed and fourth in completion percentage allowed.
Strong play from Gilmore was a big part of the Cowboys’ success defending the pass.
In his 12th NFL season, Gilmore allowed opposing QBs to complete just 55% of their pass attempts when throwing his way.
He defended 13 passes over the course of the season and made 68 total tackles.
His impressive play at this stage in his career should get Gilmore interest in free agency this offseason, but the Steelers’ recent experience with a similar signing could scare them away from the former Defensive Player of the Year.
Why the Steelers Might Not be Interested
This situation is nothing new for the Steelers.
They found themselves looking for corners last offseason.
Last seasons they needed two and decided to get a pair of corners that were at very different points in their careers to fill the spots.
They drafted Joey Porter Jr. at the start of round two and signed Peterson, who had previously been one of the best in the league at the position and was 33 years old for the 2023 season.
The draft pick worked. The signing didn’t.
Age caught up with Peterson this past season and he lacked the speed to cover receivers on the outside.
Pittsburgh signed him to a two-year deal, but just released him after the first to save cap space.
That could make them wary about replacing him with a corner who is only two months younger.
Gilmore made $10 million per year on his most recent contract, so he isn’t going to be any cheaper than Peterson was. His deal was worth $7 million per year.
This offseason, the Steelers should be looking to find a corner that is more of a long-term solution for them.
They can’t put themselves into a situation where they might once again be looking for their second corner again next offseason.
Gilmore will probably be a solid addition for somebody this offseason. It just doesn’t seem like the Steelers should be that team.