Claiming that the Pittsburgh Steelers should be interested in pending free agent Tremaine Edmunds is nothing new. But radio host Andrew Fillipponi of 93.7 The Fan went further on January 10, posting on Twitter that Edmunds to the Steelers is basically as good as done.
“Tremaine Edmunds being a Steeler next year seems like a done deal,” Fillipponi wrote on Twitter. “Young. Plays a position of enormous need. And the Steelers put an enormous emphasis on.
“Plus, good genes. Steelers love bloodlines.”
Tremaine Edmunds being a Steeler next year seems like a done deal. Young. Plays a position of enormous need. And Steelers put an enormous emphasis on. Plus, good genes. Steelers love bloodlines.
Edmunds’ brother, safety Terrell Edmunds, has played the last five seasons for the Steelers. But Terrell is also set to be a free agent in March.
Terrell Makes 2023 Plans Clear, Teases Steelers Signing His Brother
Terrell joked with the media on January 9 about making him and his brother “a package deal” in free agency. That way, his family doesn’t have to choose which game to attend every week.
In all seriousness, though, that’s a deal the Steelers should be interested in pursuing.
Terrell has come into his own at safety over the last couple years. In 2022, he concluded the season with 70 combined tackles, including 3 for loss, 5 pass defenses and 2.0 sacks.
At Pro Football Focus, Terrell earned the second-best player grade of his career in 2022. He was a well rounded safety, particularly excelling at pass rushing this season according to PFF.
Out of 69 safeties who played at least 50% of their team’s defensive snaps, the PFF player grades ranked Terrell 29th.
As a two-time Pro Bowler, though, Tremaine is regarded as the superior Edmunds brother. He finished 2022 with 102 combined tackles, including 5 tackles for loss, despite missing four games.
Terrell hyped his brother as a great free agency option for the Steelers.
“If my brother comes here, that would be good,” Terrell told the media. “If he comes here, Steelers Nation, you got a good one.”
Asked Terrell Edmunds if he is going to push for his bother, Bills ILB Tremaine Edwards, to sign with the Steelers.
“If my brother comes here, that would be good. If he comes here, SteelersNation, you got a good one.”
Terrell made it pretty clear that he wants to be back in Pittsburgh next season too, but that he will go into free agency with an open mind.
“I’m not really expecting anything, I’m just going into it head first, and just like whatever happens, happens,” Terrell said. “I have been through it last year, I know the ups and downs of it, I know everything that goes with it. Whatever happens now, hopefully, happens in everyone’s favor and we can come to a mutual agreement. But we’ll see how everything goes.”
Terrell Edmunds spoke to the media about free agency, the defense + more.
Can the Steelers Afford Both Edmunds Brothers?
Spotrac reported that the Steelers have about $13 million in salary cap space. That’s a tad below the $14.2 million that is the league average as of January 10.
The Steelers aren’t in a difficult cap situation, but that’s also not a ton of space.
Spotrac projected Tremaine alone to receive about $11 million annually on a four-year contract. Spotrac predicted Terrell’s market value to be approximately $5.4 million per season on a two-year deal.
To fit the Edmunds brothers on the pay roll, the Steelers will have to do some maneuvering. But it’s possible.
One move they could make is to release middle linebacker Myles Jack and save $8 million. Tremaine would then replace Jack in the middle of the Steelers defense.
Steelers media expects the team to be perhaps more aggressive than normal in free agency this offseason even though the organization has about an average amount of cap space. That’s because quarterback Kenny Pickett is locked in on a rookie deal through the 2025 season.
So the Steelers should be able to afford more veterans like the Edmunds brothers for the next few seasons.
It may not be a done deal just yet, but it would be surprising if the Steelers don’t target Tremaine, and consider bringing back Terrell, in free agency.
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Steelers Predicted to Make Bold Free Agency Move: ‘It’s a Done Deal’