Category: 2024 Steelers free agency

DB Patrick Peterson might still be the best FA option for the Steelers

Patrick Peterson thinks he can come in and excel as a nickel cornerabck and the Steelers better be listening.

When it comes to the cornerback position, the Pittsburgh Steelers are set with No. 1 corner Joey Porter Jr. However, after Porter, this depth chart has more questions than answers in terms of who will play where. With the NFL draft in the books, it’s all about who is available in free agency.

But there is still a guy out there, a guy who is going to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame someday who knows the team pretty well. Patrick Peterson went on his All Things Covered Podcast and talked about what his role could be on an NFL defense this season.

“It don’t necessarily have to be a starting situation because I understand the way the league is going, said Peterson. “As far as a backup role, it would have to be like a nickel position because I feel like I can excel at a nickel position. I feel like I can guard whoever’s number two or three receiver in the slot position of a defense. I feel like over the course of the year I started to get more and more comfortable with the assignments.”

If the Steelers could get Peterson back to play the nickel, it might be the final piece of the puzzle in the secondary. We are still holding out hope that Cory Trice Jr. will be healthy this season and can compete to be the primary backup on the outside to Porter Jr. and Donte Jackson.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Steelers LB Patrick Queen passed on millions to play for Pittsburgh

Patrick Queen had his pick of more than a dozen teams but never hesitated to sign with the Steelers.

When big-name players hit the free-agent market in the NFL, it is typically a case of them chasing a huge payday for better or worse. Being on a contender isn’t always the top priority if there are millions of dollars on the line.

But this wasn’t the case for new Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen. He signed with the Steelers from the Baltimore Ravens and said that he passed up several million dollars to do it.

According to Queen, he had 15 teams showing interest in him with some of them offering up to $17 million per year average. But instead, Queen said he wanted to play for a contending team and instead signed a three-year, $41 million contract with Pittsburgh without any hesitation.

Queen has a shot to be the best inside linebacker the Steelers have had since Ryan Shazier. The team overhauled the inside linebacker position last offseason but injuries to Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander forced the Steelers to once again rebuild the depth chart with Queen and rookie Payton Wilson.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Former Steelers WR Allen Robinson signs with Giants

The New York Giants have signed former Steelers WR Allen Robinson.

Last offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers brought in wide receiver Allen Robinson to be an experienced veteran presence in the locker room and add another weapon in the passing game. The plan never really came to fruition but no fault of Robinson’s and now he finds himself a free agent signing with the New York Giants.

Robinson, like the rest of the Steelers skill players suffered thanks to a nearly full season of subpar quarterback play. Robinson only caught 34 passes for 280 yards in 2023 but did provide solid run blocking on the outside.

The Steelers have spent much of the offseason trying to rebuild the wide receiver depth chart after letting Robinson walk and trading away Diontae Johnson. The Steelers have signed multiple veterans including Van Jefferson and Quez Watkins along with most recently Scotty Miller.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Steelers signing WR Scotty Miller to 1-year contract

The Steelers have added wide receiver Scotty Miller.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Pittsburgh Steelers are signing free agent wide receiver Scotty Miller to a one-year contract. Miller spent 2023 on the Atlanta Falcons, where new Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith was the head coach.

Miller is the fourth offensive player added by the Steelers this offseason who has played for Smith in some capacity:

WR Scotty Miller
WR/RB Cordarrelle Patterson
WR Van Jefferson
TE MyCole Pruitt

A sixth-round pick in 2019, Miller spent his first four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His best season was in 2020, when he started five games and finished with 33 receptions for 501 yards. Last season he finished with 11 catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns in 17 games. He also played 107 snaps on special teams.

After trading away Diontae Johnson, the Steelers are trying to cobble together a wide receiver depth chart behind George Pickens. The best option at this point might be rookie Roman Wilson, but we definitely don’t see Miller challenging for a starting spot. He might even struggle to make the 53-man roster.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

15 Steelers free agents who remain unsigned

The Pittsburgh Steelers have put on a free agency show like they have never done before this offseason. Many critical voids have been filled, and things have been quiet with the NFL draft just over three weeks away. Pittsburgh has 15 free agents who …

The Pittsburgh Steelers have put on a free agency show like they have never done before this offseason. Many critical voids have been filled, and things have been quiet with the NFL draft just over three weeks away.

Pittsburgh has 15 free agents who remain without a team — linebackers chief among them. Given how recent seasons have played out, it seems the Steelers can’t have enough quality depth there. Re-signing guys like Markus Golden and Kwon Alexander might be a smart move.

Here are the former Steelers players who could (or not) make their way back to the Steel City.

Former Steelers WR Miles Boykin signs with Giants

Miles Boykin is now a member of the New York Giants.

On Tuesday, the New York Giants announced they had signed former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Miles Boykin. Boykin is set to enter his sixth season in the NFL and spent the last two with the Steelers.

Boykin doesn’t provide much in the passing game but is a star on special teams and a player who Pittsburgh will miss on coverage teams. The Steelers signed wide receivers Quez Watkins, Van Jefferson and Cordarrelle Patterson and hopefully Patterson can be a bigtime returner and one of the others can step up on the coverage teams.

The Steelers still have a long list of free agents who are still looking for a team and several of them could find their way back to the Steelers after the 2024 NFL draft.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Patrick Peterson’s situation more complicated for return to Steelers

Patrick Peterson says he needs some lead time if he’s going to play safety this season.

From the moment the Pittsburgh Steelers released veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson at the start of the offseason, we speculated he is a perfect candidate to return to the team at some point. We also wondered if his best bet to return would be as a safety instead of a cornerback.

Peterson addressed this on the NFL on Fox Podcast and made it clear he does not want to return to the NFL as a safety.

I don’t want to start at safety because that’s a different animal back there,” Peterson said. “That’s a different view back there. If that is the case, I would need to be warned going into the season to get my body, my mental prepared. It’s different being at the safety from the cornerback position, having those open-field tackles.

In 2023, injuries forced Peterson to play a significant amount of safety for the Steelers. He played over 1,000 defensive snaps last season and nearly 1/3 of those were at safety in some capacity. While we appreciate what Peterson is saying about needing lead time, he played well at safety last season and a case can be made he was better at safety than he was at outside cornerback.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Steelers offer stands for FA wide receiver Tyler Boyd

The Steelers have reportedly made an offer to Tyler Boyd and are sticking with it.

According to Pittsburgh Steelers beat writer Mark Kaboly, the Steelers still have an interest in signing free-agent wide receiver Tyler Boyd. This is in spite of the Steelers signing three veteran wide receivers already and scouting several top receiver prospects in the 2024 NFL draft.

However, according to Kaboly, the initial offer the Steelers made to Boyd is what they are sticking with. This means Boyd is going to have to decide if he’s willing to join the Steelers for whatever they have offered or try and do something else better.

The Steelers have already signed Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins and Cordarrelle Patterson this offseason but none of that should preclude Pittsburgh from pursuing Boyd. Boyd is the only guy who would be a true No. 2 receiver to pair up with George Pickens. If the Steelers add Boyd, that would put Jefferson and Watkins immediately on the roster bubble but wouldn’t diminish the interest in drafting a playmaker.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Steelers agree to terms with QB Kyle Allen

The Steelers have finished off the quarterback depth chart.

And just like that, the Pittsburgh Steelers have filled out their quarterback depth chart. According to multiple sources including ESPN Steelers reporter Brooke Pryor, the Steelers have agreed to terms with former Buffalo Bills quarterback Kyle Allen.

Allen is a six-year NFL veteran. He originally came into the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He spent his first two seasons with the Carolina Panthers and followed that up with two seasons with the Washington Commanders. He spent 2022 season with the Houston Texans and was the backup to Josh Allen in Buffalo last season.

In 19 career starts, Allen is 7-12. He has 4,734 career passing yards and 26 passing touchdowns to 21 interceptions.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Steelers signing WR Quez Watkins

Pittsburgh added another veteran wide receiver in free agency.

According to ESPN NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler, the Pittsburgh Steelers are signing former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Quez Watkins. Watkins spent his first four seasons in the NFL with the Eagles after being a sixth-round pick out of Southern Miss.

Watkins joins Van Jefferson as the two free-agent receivers the Steelers signed his offseason. Pittsburgh traded away starting wide receiver Diontae Johnson early in free agency to the Panthers for cornerback Donte Jackson.

Watkins had his best season in 2020 when hauled in 43 receptions for 647 receiving yards. In his career, Watkins has 25 career starts. He figures to be in the fold for the Steelers slot receiver spot after the team released Allen Robinson II.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]