You know what hasn’t worked out so far? Signing Patrick Peterson and having him play outside cornerback. I don’t know if the Pittsburgh Steelers would eventually get better, more consistent play out of him if they were to move him into the slot on a more regular basis, but four games into his two-year contract, thing are not going well.
While he was granted one gift of an interception a week ago, he has just not been good. He has given up as many touchdowns in coverage as anybody else in the NFL with four so far—and Levi Wallace, by the way, is tied for fourth with three. No other starting duo has given up that many. And it all just makes free agency a bigger question mark.
“The exchange of Cam[eron] Sutton for Patrick Peterson is looking worse by the week”, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Ray Fittipaldo wrote in his latest chat session, referring to the former Steelers cornerback who signed with the Detroit Lions as a free agent this offseason.
Drafted in the third round in 2017, Sutton took time to mature in the Steelers’ defense, beginning his career playing behind Joe Haden and Steven Nelson. He became a full-time starter on his second contract in 2021 and steadily improved his play since then, earning a three-year, $33 million contract from Detroit. The Steelers turned around and signed Peterson to a two-year, $14 million deal, paying him $4 million less per season, but not necessarily getting the bargain they were looking for.
Interestingly, Pro Football Focus has the two rated next to each other among qualifying cornerbacks who have played the most snaps, though the gap opens up substantially once you cast a bit wider net. Sutton has not recorded a pass defensed so far, but nor has he given up a touchdown. In fact, he is in the lower half of the most-targeted cornerbacks, which plays a role in his numbers.
“I know Sutton is making a few more million a year”, Fitipaldo said. “Maybe the Steelers should have spent their money there instead of on the defensive line. Second-guessing for sure, but it’s not looking like a great free agency addition right now”.
Pittsburgh elected to re-sign DL Larry Ogunjobi on a three-year contract worth nearly $10 million per season. They retained S Damontae Kazee on a cheap two-year, $6 million deal and added Keanu Neal for even less, signed a bridge nickel in Chandon Sullivan, and called it a day in the secondary, at least in free agency.
While he is starting to turn the corner, OL Isaac Seumalo was their biggest free agent, and he started the season poorly. Another free agent lineman, Nate Herbig, is acting as a reserve but did not look good in his first work this past Sunday.
The only signing that really seems to have worked out on the whole thus far is OLB Markus Golden, who has been a serviceable rotational pass rusher so far with two sacks. I suspect a lot of people will be questioning a lot of the Steelers’ offseason decisions when this season is over—and their perceptions of those moves at the time, as well.
