The Pittsburgh Steelers have already lost two starters today. They could soon lose a third. According to a tweet from NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Cincinnati Bengals are reportedly in the mix to sign CB Mike Hilton.
Hilton had been a valuable piece to the Steelers’ defense since taking over as their slot corner in 2017. He’s regarded as one of the top nickel cornerbacks in football with a unique blend of run defense, blitzing, and coverage.
Losing Hilton this offseason has been expected for a couple weeks now. But losing him to the Bengals would hurt even more.
Earlier Monday, the Steelers re-signed Cam Sutton to a two-year, $9 million contract. Sutton will be Hilton’s replacement in the slot in 2021.
During the first day of free agency, OLB Bud Dupree signed a 5-year, $85 million deal with the Tennessee Titans while OL Matt Feiler signed a three-year, $21 million contract with the Los Angeles Chargers. The team is also expected to lose starting WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, OT Alejandro Villanueva, and RB James Conner in addition to Hilton in the coming days.
