The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to flirt with Tyrann Mathieu as we get closer and closer to the NFL Draft. And as the days keep getting closer, the more safety needy teams are filling their holes with names other than Mathieu's. Just two days ago the Indianapolis Colts signed Rodney McLeod. They were a team that was considered to have higher odds of signing Mathieu than Pittsburgh.
Kansas City Chiefs strong safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) speaks during a news conference on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020, in Aventura, Fla., for the NFL Super Bowl 54 football game. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
McLeon isn't the name of Mathieu, but he's had a solid ten-year career in the NFL, and he will be a starter for the Colts. But it's the move from this morning by the Colts' that could get the attention of the Steelers front office, and possibly Mathieu's agent. The Colts went out and signed former All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Now Gilmore is a little older, and plays cornerback opposed to safety, but the stature and name of both players is similar.
Gilmore has played 10 seasons in the NFL, while Mathieu has played 9. Gilmore has 5 Pro Bowl trips, Mathieu has 3, Gilmore has 2 All Pro Selections, and Mathieu has 3. As far as statistics go they're very similar there too. Gilmore has 27 career interceptions to Mathieu's 26. Gilmore has a lot more pass breaks ups, and Mathieu has a lot more tackles. You get the point though, right?
Stephon Gilmore guards JuJu Smith-Schuster / MassLive.com
Cornerback is arguably the more valuable position. As the years have gone by in recent years the safety market seems to be less and less valued while cornerbacks are usually more high profile and receive more money.
The thing that Gilmore has going against him is that he's 31, and he's going to be 32 on September 19th. He's also coming off of a season where he missed a the first half of the year due to injury. So pair age and injury troubles together and we can see why it took nearly a month into free agency before he found a new home. But that doesn't mean there weren't plenty of suitors for Gilmore. The Philadelphia Eagles were reportedly making a push for him, but ultimately lost out to the Colts.
Bob Labriola from Steelers.com mentioned earlier this week that the Steelers are interested in Mathieu, but in a 2-3 year contract range for the right price. Well obviously, as isn't every team looking for 'the right price', but with Gilmore being the first domino to fall, it could help Pittsburgh.
Steelers Cap Situation
Pittsburgh has plenty of cap room to sign Mathieu. They reportedly have 13.2 million available at the moment, and in 2023 they're set to have over 150 million in cap room. So signing Mathieu to a 2 or 3 year contract wouldn't be an issue. It just seems they're waiting for him to blink. The teams left in the market for him are Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New Orleans, and the Los Angeles Rams. That means there are 3 teams that likely won't be overpaying for his services. The Rams on the other hand are the wild card. They seem to have an unlimited salary cap and don't really seem to care how much or who they spend their money on. Can't fault them though, cause they won the Super Bowl last season.
Pittsburgh gave Joe Haden a 2 year extension in 2019 for 22 million with a 16.8 million dollar signing bonus. The Steelers could easily tack on a few million to this deal and offer it to Mathieu. Even a 3 year 35 million dollar deal is feasible for Pittsburgh. Leave an out for the Steelers after two years.
The Steelers should use these two contracts to guide the way to a deal with Mathieu before the draft.
