The Steelers are now in their offseason after failing to reach the playoffs in 2022, coming up just a game short of sneaking in as the seventh seed. They needed help in week 18 and only got some of it, so instead they sat home and watched the playoffs with the rest of us.
On tap is figuring out how to be on the field in January and February instead of being a spectator. They started out 2-6, digging a hole that proved too deep to dig out of even if they managed to go 7-2 in the second half of the year.
Starting from the end of the regular season and leading all the way up to the beginning of the 2023 season, there are plenty of questions that need answered, starting with who will be the offensive coordinator. Which free agents will be kept? Who might be let go due to their salary? How might they tackle free agency with this new front office? We’ll try to frame the conversation in relevant ways as long as you stick with us throughout this offseason, as we have for many years.
Question: How much does Patrick Peterson have left in the tank?
While the Steelers’ pact with Patrick Peterson isn’t a long one at just two years, there’s still the legitimate question to consider about how much gas he has left in the tank. In other words, how long can he continue to play, and at what high a performance level?
The former All-Pro, soon to turn 33, would be the first to acknowledge that he isn’t quite the same athlete he once was and that the tread on his tires is beginning to wear. We know this because he’s said it himself half a dozen times or more since signing with Pittsburgh.
The hope is that he can keep playing at a high level for a while, perhaps even beyond his current contract, which he sort of implied recently is something he may be open to when the time comes. That will depend on how well he transitions to a more multi-faceted role, which will likely emphasize working out of the slot.
While Pittsburgh brought in him, they are also planning for the future. They drafted two cornerbacks in 2023 after signing Peterson, with Joey Porter Jr. coming in with the 32nd-overall pick. They also added Cory Trice Jr. on day three, who drew some buzz during OTAs.
But one thing that can never be a problem is having too many good cornerbacks. So what if Porter and/or Trice develop quickly? Who would complain about Peterson still balling at that point if that were the case?
Of course, that’s an ideal scenario. We don’t know what Peterson is going to look like this year either on the outside or on the inside, especially after playing a lot more off coverage the past couple years. Will the Steelers adjust their coverage schemes to fit where he is in his career?
We also don’t know what Porter or Trice are going to look like when crunch time comes. It’s extremely fun to think about the possibilities—imagine finding two tall, physical, talented starting cornerbacks in the same draft class without using a first-round pick—but they will have to prove themselves first.
