The Pittsburgh Steelers had plenty of reasons to celebrate the past season. Despite the many struggles they experienced, they managed to sneak into the playoffs and put up a respectable effort against the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card.
The issue they now have to address is improving their roster to push for a deep playoff run. While they managed to squeeze their way into the playoffs, plenty of players within the Steelers roster didn’t contribute enough to their on-field performance.
With a sizeable size of Steelers entering free agency, the biggest question for Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh front office is figuring out which of their free agents should stay or go.
Pittsburgh Steelers players who will likely enter free agency
Curt Popejoy of Steelers Wire wrote about the incoming free agents on the Steelers roster and assessed which players will be leaving once free agency opens.
Two of the players at the top of the list are Mitch Trubisky and Chuks Okorafor. Okorafor saw his snaps fall off after playing in every drive in 2022. While he won’t likely get the contract he’s looking for in Pittsburgh, he still is talented enough to get another offer elsewhere.
Another player who will likely have to look for another team is Mitch Trubisky. The former Chicago Bears QB failed to solidify his position as a backup in 2023, eventually giving way to Mason Rudolph playing in the team’s playoff loss. He only played five games this past season, throwing for 632 passing yards, four touchdowns, and five interceptions.
Other Steelers players who will likely walk during free agency are Mason Cole and Levi Wallace. Cole played in every snap last season, but he was released to save on cap space. While Wallace had a strong 2023 season where he completed 32 solo tackles and two interceptions, they won’t be able to offer him the money he wants.
Pittsburgh Steelers players who will stay with the team for 2024
While there are quite several players who will leave the team by the time the 2024 season comes around, there are also contributors the team will want to keep for next season.
One of the key players the Steelers will want to keep is Miles Killebrew. While his 21 solo tackles are the only notable thing on his stat sheet, his performance was enough to get him a First-Team All-Pro nod. The team will undoubtedly do anything to keep him in the team.
DT Montravius Adams was a solid defensive presence for Pittsburgh, finishing the 2023 regular season with 11 solo tackles, one pass deflection, and one forced fumble. If they manage to tie him to a contract similar to the value he got this season at $2.5 million, there’s no reason they won’t go for him.
Other players the Steelers will not want to make the free agency include Markus Golden, Kwon Alexander, and James Pierre
