Former Steelers CB Mike Hilton is still available as an unsigned free agent. Should they call him?
Mike Hilton made a name, and a career, for himself with the Steelers for four years. While he found success after leaving for the Bengals, schematically, he fit best here. Meanwhile, the Steelers are still trying to emulate that archetype, without the same success.
While Hilton did not excel in man-to-man coverage, he did basically everything else well. He could play in zone, he could play the run, he could hit, he could tackle, and he could blitz. And he got to do some of these things more here than the Bengals ever allowed him to. And the Steelers have yet to find anyone who can do these things equally well, since letting Hilton leave in free agency.
After four years in Cincinnati, though, the Bengals are moving on from the eighth-year veteran. Since the start of the new league year, Mike Hilton has not yet signed with a team. Arguably, the Steelers are still at least looking for candidates for the slot defender job.
While they saw flashes from rookie Beanie Bishop Jr. in 2024, they also demoted him. The Steelers signed veteran Brandin Echols this offseason, but he isn’t the type of player you change your plans for. Some are excited by rookie college free agent Sebastian Castro, but that is far from a guarantee.
Going into his 10th season (he spent his rookie year on practice squads), Mike Hilton is now 31 years old. It’s fair to question how much he has left in the tank. But considering he is still available, one would imagine he would be fairly cheap to sign. Slot cornerbacks are not the priciest items on the shelf, and the Steelers know that. They shop there all the time.
The question is would a 31-year-old Mike Hilton four years removed from Pittsburgh be an upgrade for the 2025 Steelers? Maybe he doesn’t have to be, if he can serve as depth. Perhaps he could return and function as a dime defender or even convert to safety. They put him back there a couple times in the preseason, and he seemed to look the part. Pittsburgh is not above reunions, and teams are starting to sniff around Hilton with the compensatory window closed.
The Steelers are rebuilding, or reloading, whatever they feel the need to call it, after another disappointment last season. Though they limped into the playoffs, they once again embarrassed themselves therein.
Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers is the quarterback question. While ultimately traded George Pickens, they have other decisions to make. The 2025 NFL Draft class is now behind us, so most of the roster construction is complete.
But we still have a long offseason ahead for Steelers football, or football in shorts. Certain will-he-or-won’t-he situations remain in play, which we continue to monitor. Now it’s about evaluating the roster in place and filling holes as we go.
