The Pittsburgh Steelers issued a one-year exclusive rights free agent tender to offensive lineman Matt Feiler ahead of the start of the 2019 league year and he has now officially signed it, according to Friday’s official NFL transaction sheet. Feiler is now set to earn $645,000 in 2019.
Feiler, a former undrafted free agent out of Bloomsburg University, started 10 games for the Steelers last season in place of injured starter Marcus Gilbert and he represented himself well in the process.
With Gilbert being traded this offseason, Feiler is now expected to compete against fellow Steelers offensive linemen Chukwuma Okorafor and Jerald Hawkins this offseason for the starting right tackle job. Feiler, however, will likely be considered the incumbent at the right tackle spot when the team’s annual OTA practices get underway in May.
Feiler has been quite the find for the Steelers as he’s also shown he can play both guard positions at the NFL level since signing originally with the Steelers in 2015.
After entering the NFL with the Houston Texans in 2014 as an undrafted free agent, Feiler spent his rookie season on their practice squad. After failing to make the Texans 2015 53-man roster, Feiler was signed to the Steelers practice squad that September and remained on that unit the entire season.
In 2016, Feiler bounced from the Steelers practice squad to the 53-man roster a few times. The last two seasons, however, Feiler has been a fixture on the Steelers 53-man roster.
With Feiler now signed, cornerback Mike Hilton is now the Steelers lone exclusive rights free agent who has yet to sign his tender this offseason. Hilton isn’t expected to sign that tender for quite a while as he’s reportedly looking to get a long-term contract worked out with the Steelers by the start of the 2019 regular season.
