Steelers Insider Writes That 2 Starters In 2023 Will Likely Be 1 And Done In Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Steelers had an extremely aggressive 2023 offseason under General Manager Omar Khan. The front office made it a point to retool several different areas and while it was exciting for fans at the time, there are still a number of question marks on the roster. Even though the team sits at 3-2 after a Week 6 bye, some of those offseason decisions are coming to light. It's possible that some of the veteran guys brought in will not end up lasting more than one season in the Steel City, despite their impressive resumes.

One of the more high-profile signings in recent Steelers free agent history was bringing in future Hall of Fame candidate, Patrick Peterson. The cornerback has a phenomenal track record and fans were praising Khan for opening up the checkbook, but the Steelers have yet to use Peterson as more of a hybrid defensive player, which would be more suitable for him at this point in his career. It's possible there are still questions about how effective of a tackler he can be, but no one is quite sure what the hold up is when it comes to rookie, Joey Porter Jr. starting on the outside.

On the offensive side of the ball, Pittsburgh agreed to trade for wide receiver, Allen Robinson II, who will face off against his former team, the Los Angeles Rams, in Week 7. Even with Diontae Johnson out for the majority of 2023 thus far with a hamstring injury, the veteran pass catcher has only hauled in 17 passes for 137 yards and no touchdowns.

The two veterans in Peterson and Robinson are listed on the Steelers official depth chart as starters, but that doesn't mean the team will keep them around for the final year of their deals in 2024. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette chatted with fans on Wednesday on the newspaper's official website. When asked if both Peterson and Robinson would be one-and-done in the Steel City, he had a very simple answer.

"Probably," Dulac wrote.

Both are very likable players who bring a lot to the locker room in terms of veteran presence. However, it's hard to imagine both hanging around for a second season unless their value drastically improves for the remainder of 2023.

Steelers Will Have Big Decisions To Make In 2024 On Peterson And Robinson

It will come down to the cap situations for both players. Robinson has a glaring cap hit of nearly $12 million. For a guy who could very well be the fourth or fifth wide receiver on the depth chart in 2024, it's probably way too high to keep him around. For Peterson, it would be just under $10 million. Dead money aside, the Steelers would save almost $17 million if the organization decides to move on from the two.

The 2023 team was always going to be flooded with youth in the secondary and at wide receiver, so it makes sense as to why Khan went out and brought both of these veterans in. They may act as strong mentors to younger players, but the on-field product has not been strong enough, up to this point, to justify the Steelers bringing one or both back in 2024.

If one of them is to find themselves back in Pittsburgh for a second season, it would almost certainly be Peterson. The Steelers will likely add another young corner in the 2024 NFL Draft and it's possible the front office can justify keeping him around to provide more mentorship. Robinson, on the other hand, doesn't really have any argument on his side, especially due to the financial component.

Pittsburgh is known to be a loyal organization, but two veterans with significant cap numbers being released would just be the cost of doing business. Both guys will need to have an incredible final three months of the 2023 season if they want the franchise to consider retaining them, but the decision may already have been made internally given their respective contract statuses.

Do you think Pittsburgh will move on from both Peterson and Robinson in 2024? Let us know in the comments below!

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