Getty Stephon Gilmore looks on before a game.
As we inch closer to NFL free agency, speculation of player comings and goings ramps up.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have needs on both sides of the line and in the secondary. Losing Steven Nelson and Mike Hilton in the 2021 offseason left a sizeable void which they filled nine days before Week 1 with rental Akhello Witherspoon, who is slated to hit free agency next month.
This offseason, the Steelers could find themselves in a similar predicament, with corners Joe Haden and Arthur Maulet expected to test free agency.
ESPN sees the potential for one of Pittsburgh’s needs to be filled by a former star of the New England Patriots defensive backfield.
When the free agency legal tampering period opens on March 14, teams will be clamoring for the services of two-time All-Pro Stephon Gilmore. In October, the decorated corner was traded in a surprise move from the Patriots to the Carolina Panthers.
Of all the teams that Gilmore’s talents could vastly improve, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Matt Bowen like the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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“We struggled with narrowing down this fit because many teams would like Gilmore,” Fowler said. “About two dozen teams had an interest at the trade deadline.”
Gilmore spent most of the last season hurt, but when he did get on the field, he showed he’s still a playmaker, intercepting two passes and defending two more in only 305 snaps. He also added 15 solo tackles and one tackle for loss.
“The 49ers desperately need corner help and will probably poke around here,” added Fowler. “But Pittsburgh is retooling at the position as well, and Steelers coaches have long been fans of Gilmore’s play.”
Gilmore would be reunited with his former coach Brian Flores, whom the Steelers recently hired. Flores served in various roles with the Patriots, namely on defense, from 2006 to 2019.
“With Gilmore’s detailed coverage technique and high-level awareness, he’d fit with plenty of teams in free agency,” added Bowen. “But we like him in Pittsburgh, where the veteran corner can check receivers in man or match/carry in the Steelers’ multiple zone schemes.”
If the Steelers let Joe Haden walk in free agency, plugging in Gilmore is a no-brainer.
Mixed Messages
All of the Steelers’ focus last offseason was on getting T.J. Watt paid, so when Joe Haden’s agent Drew Rosenhaus reached out to the organization for an extension, it was denied.
A cryptic hashtag “last dance” tweet last fall gave Steelers fans the feeling that Haden will indeed test the free-agent market.
While it’s likely we’ve seen the last of Haden in Steelers uniform; he recently posted a couple more upbeat tweets that could indicate the two parties are trying to hammer out a deal.
“The Steelers organization is FIRST CLASS,” Haden tweeted on February 19.
The Steelers organization is FIRST CLASS.
A couple of hours later, he tweeted, “The Rooney family is HOF!!!!”
Haden, 32, is easily Pittsburgh’s most high-profile pending free agent and will undoubtedly garner interest from several teams should the Steelers not make a move to sign him to what could be his final contract. The issue with Haden has always been availability — he’s only played an entire season twice in his 12-year career.
It’s undeniable that Haden is a game-changer when healthy. Even on the downside of his career, the three-time Pro Bowler remains one of the league’s best corners, not to mention an all-important leader in Pittsburgh’s secondary. While the Steelers have a solid young cornerback in Cam Sutton, depth is questionable at best, and there will be no true No. 1 if Haden leaves.
You definitely can’t blame the guy for wanting to finish out his career in Pittsburgh. Hopefully, they can make that happen.