5 Pittsburgh Steelers free agents who won’t be back in 2022
By Tommy Jaggi
The Pittsburgh Steelers should have more money to spend next offseason, but here’s why these five free agents won’t be back in 2022.
Things have not gone according to plan for the Pittsburgh Steelers this year. In Kevin Colbert’s best effort to string together a competitive roster for one final season with Ben Roethlisberger, this team fell way short of lofty expectations and Mike Tomlin’s team could be on the cusp of a rebuild.
Some players won’t be around for this. The Steelers will have a bit more money to spend in free agency next offseason, but these five free agents won’t be returning to Pittsburgh:
Steelers CB Joe Haden
If you weren’t paying attention to Joe Haden’s comments during the preseason, I’d ask you to go back and examine what he said. After his agent reached out to the Steelers regarding a contract extension (which Pittsburgh had no incentive to give), Haden essentially said his goodbyes to the team.
It makes sense for both sides to have a mutual parting. Haden will want to go somewhere that will pay well and where he can compete for a starting gig, while the Steelers need to start looking for younger, fresher talent as they look to retool their roster.
Haden has been a fantastic free agent signing by Pittsburgh — one of the best in the Kevin Colbert era. However, it seems like there is almost no chance the soon-to-be free agent cornerback returns in 2022.