Like Levi Wallace, the Pittsburgh Steelers are right where we are: sitting at home being mad. Although they managed to make the playoffs in 2023, they lost in the first round. It has now been seven years without a postseason victory, the longest drought in franchise history. The question is what to do next.
The first step is always taking stock of what happened and what is left. That’s part of the exit meeting process, in which coaches meet with each player. They discuss the season and their expectations moving forward—and potentially their role within it.
While we might not know all the details about what goes on between head coach Mike Tomlin and his players during these exit meetings, we do know how we would conduct those meetings if they were let up to us. So here are the Depot’s exit meetings for the Steelers’ roster following the 2023 season.
Player: Levi Wallace
Position: Cornerback
Experience: 6 Years
For the sake of simplicity, I am determining the fifth starter in the secondary as the one not included who played the most snaps. That turns out to be Levi Wallace, who began and ended the season as a starter but under different circumstances.
The Steelers signed Wallace to a two-year, $8 million contract in free agency in 2022. Over the course of the season, he claimed the starting job over Ahkello Witherspoon, who struggled and dealt with injuries.
Wallace served in that role in 2023, before giving way to rookie Joey Porter Jr. in the starting lineup. His playing time steadily diminished before injuries forced him back into the starting lineup. Multiple blows to the safety position prompted the Steelers to move Patrick Peterson there.
With Peterson at safety, Porter and Wallace manned the outside cornerback spots. In truth, Wallace played better, perhaps considerably better, after his demotion. If the Steelers decide to bring him back, he could still function as useful depth.
One issue he may face is his lack of special teams background. If he returns, he may have to pick up that work if he wants to dress. The Steelers sat OLB Markus Golden for a game this season due to special teams considerations.
If the Steelers are interested in retaining Wallace, which appears likely, they may be bargain hunting this time around. He is certainly in a worse position than when he signed for $4 million per year. I don’t know if he is quite at the point of fielding a Veteran Salary Benefit deal, but it may not be much higher.
Of course, the Steelers could find another veteran cornerback on the open market to bring in to replace him. But they do have a lot of work to do. James Pierre and Chandon Sullivan are also unrestricted free agents this offseason. All they have as depth are the injured Cory Trice Jr. and Darius Rush, who spent most of the year a healthy scratch.
