Today’s free agent analysis for 2024 focuses on Pittsburgh Steelers ILB Mykal Walker. A three-year veteran, he signed to the team’s practice squad on October 30 after bouncing around. Injuries prompted the Steelers to bring him up and he ultimately started five games.
Player: Mykal Walker
Position: Inside Linebacker
Experience: 3 Years
Free Agent Status: Unrestricted
2023 Salary Cap Hit: $448,889 (prorated portion of a minimum $1,010,000)
2023 Season Breakdown:
New Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith drafted Mykal Walker in the fourth round in 2020. He was in his first season as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. While he lasted three seasons, Walker did not make the cut entering the final year of his rookie contract.
After going unclaimed and then unsigned for weeks, he signed with the Las Vegas Raiders’ practice squad where he remained for over a month. A week after his release, he signed with the Steelers’ practice squad.
It would have ended there if not for a series of injuries at inside linebacker. Cole Holcomb went down for the season and then Kwon Alexander followed a week later. Suddenly Walker was on the 53-man roster starting games and contributing to a team in a playoff race.
It started well enough. He had a 10-tackle game in his third start. But defenses started to pick on him in coverage, and the coaches started scaling back his snaps. They were more selective about the packages in which they deployed him. He clearly had some limitations.
The Steelers later turned to an old friend, Myles Jack, who started for the defense in 2022. He played over 130 snaps over the final three weeks of the regular season. The two of them did play about the same amount during Pittsburgh’s playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Still, Walker deserves credit for coming in off the bench in the middle of the season and putting his hand in the pile. He should be judged on a curve given that he didn’t have the benefits of a full offseason.
Free Agency Outlook:
Mykal Walker is unlikely to have much of a market, considering two teams cut him since August. Chances are the Steelers will be able to re-sign him to a Veteran Salary Benefit contract. That is assuming that they wish to continue to do business. Frankly, with the injuries they’re dealing with, they might as well.
They don’t know when Holcomb will be back or what he will look like when he returns. The same goes for Alexander, who is not even under contract. Elandon Roberts is their only guarantee, and his repertoire is a bit limited as well. Mark Robinson cannot be counted upon as a sure thing, despite the hopes for him.
The Steelers just need to stack some bodies inside right now, and Walker is a body who now knows the defense. Presumably there are no hard feelings between him and Smith whose focus will be on offense.
