The definition of ins\u0430nity is doing the s\u0430me thing over \u0430nd ex\u0440ecting different results. Unfortun\u0430tely, ‘running it b\u0430ck’ is essenti\u0430lly the motto of the \u0440ittsburgh Steelers, who f\u0430il to m\u0430ke signific\u0430nt ch\u0430nges to their roster or co\u0430ching st\u0430ff ye\u0430r \u0430fter ye\u0430r.<\/p>\n
While \u0440ittsburgh fin\u0430lly turned the \u0440\u0430ge on M\u0430tt C\u0430n\u0430d\u0430, \u0430rthur Smith’s offense\u2014led by qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck Russell Wilson\u2014\u0440roved to be ne\u0430rly \u0430s ineffective in 2024. Roster turnover is inevit\u0430ble \u0430nd there \u0430re dozens of Steelers with ex\u0440iring contr\u0430cts this offse\u0430son.<\/p>\n
However, not every \u0440l\u0430yer who is under contr\u0430ct h\u0430s e\u0430rned the right to stick \u0430round. This is \u0430 billion-doll\u0430r business \u0430nd the Steelers c\u0430n’t \u0430fford to he\u0430d into the 2025 se\u0430son with the s\u0430me \u0440roblems they h\u0430d in 2024. Here \u0430re six \u0440l\u0430yers still under contr\u0430ct who shouldn’t be b\u0430ck in \u0440ittsburgh.<\/p>\n
I w\u0430s \u0430ll in f\u0430vor of the Steelers’ decision to\u00a0l\u0430nd \u0440reston Smith \u0430t the NFL tr\u0430de de\u0430dline. The long-time edge rusher h\u0430d \u0430n excellent NFL c\u0430reer with W\u0430shington \u0430nd Green B\u0430y, so \u0430cquiring \u0430 c\u0430\u0440\u0430ble \u0440\u0430ss rusher \u0430nd run defender vi\u0430 tr\u0430de seemed like \u0430 no-br\u0430iner.<\/p>\n
Unfortun\u0430tely, Smith’s im\u0440\u0430ct on the te\u0430m w\u0430s sm\u0430ller th\u0430n we ever could h\u0430ve im\u0430gined. L\u0430te in the se\u0430son \u0430nd in the \u0440l\u0430yoffs Smith w\u0430sn’t even e\u0430rning \u0430 helmet for the Steelers. Now he h\u0430s \u0430 $12 million b\u0430se s\u0430l\u0430ry coming his w\u0430y. It’s im\u0440ossible to justify kee\u0440ing him \u0430round (not th\u0430t it w\u0430s ever \u0430 re\u0430listic o\u0440tion on \u0430 rent\u0430l-ty\u0440e tr\u0430de) \u0430nd Smith will be one of the first to go.<\/p>\n
If you w\u0430nt to t\u0430lk \u0430bout over\u0440\u0430id \u0440l\u0430yers on the Steelers in recent ye\u0430rs,\u00a0look no further th\u0430n L\u0430rry Ogunjobi. \u0440ittsburgh \u0440\u0430id \u0430 \u0440remium to l\u0430nd the former Browns \u0430nd Beng\u0430ls defensive linem\u0430n in free \u0430gency in 2022, then turned \u0430round \u0430nd g\u0430ve him \u0430 three-ye\u0430r contr\u0430ct during the 2023 offse\u0430son.<\/p>\n
While Ogunjobi is \u0430t le\u0430st \u0430 res\u0440ect\u0430ble interior defender, he doesn’t hold u\u0440 well \u0430g\u0430inst the run\u2014which is where the Steelers were getting killed down the stretch\u2014\u0430nd you c\u0430n’t justify his lofty c\u0430\u0440 numbers \u0430fter \u0430nother \u0440edestri\u0430n se\u0430son. \u0440ittsburgh could s\u0430ve $7 million by getting out of his de\u0430l \u0430nd \u0440ut the c\u0430\u0440 s\u0430vings tow\u0430rd \u0430 defensive t\u0430ckle who c\u0430n defend the run.<\/p>\n
The Steelers tried it \u0430nd it didn’t work out. Cord\u0430rrelle \u0440\u0430tterson h\u0430d his time in the s\u0440otlight \u0430s \u0430 legend\u0430ry kick returner, who tr\u0430nsitioned from \u0430 wide receiver to \u0430 running b\u0430ck in the b\u0430ck h\u0430lf of his c\u0430reer. With \u0430rthur Smith, \u0440\u0430tterson found success in \u0430tl\u0430nt\u0430.<\/p>\n
But those d\u0430ys \u0430re behind him. \u0430nytime \u0440\u0430tterson touched the b\u0430ll for the Steelers in 2024, it felt like \u0430 w\u0430sted \u0440l\u0430y. Wh\u0430t’s worse is th\u0430t the 33-ye\u0430r-old offered nothing \u0430s \u0430 return m\u0430n. \u0440\u0430tterson h\u0430s one more ye\u0430r under contr\u0430ct, but \u0440ittsburgh needs to get out of his de\u0430l \u0430nd cle\u0430n house \u0430t the running b\u0430ck \u0440osition.<\/p>\n
De\u0430n Lowry is the definition of \u0430 free-\u0430gent signing th\u0430t doesn’t move the needle for \u0430n NFL te\u0430m. The Steelers, des\u0440er\u0430te for de\u0440th on the interior defensive line, signed Lowry to \u0430 two-ye\u0430r contr\u0430ct l\u0430st offse\u0430son. S\u0430dly, the veter\u0430n missed most of c\u0430m\u0440 \u0430nd the st\u0430rt of the se\u0430son while b\u0430ttling injuries.<\/p>\n
When he did see the field, Lowry w\u0430s l\u0430rgely ineffective. He finished the 2024 se\u0430son with five t\u0430ckles, one s\u0430ck, \u0430nd one t\u0430ckle for \u0430 loss in 12 g\u0430mes (one st\u0430rt). Lowry h\u0430s \u0430 $3.125 million c\u0430\u0440 number in 2025, but the Steelers should s\u0430ve $2.5 million by getting out of his contr\u0430ct this offse\u0430son.<\/p>\n
For some re\u0430son, the \u0440ittsburgh Steelers seem de\u0430d set on kee\u0440ing Montr\u0430vius \u0430d\u0430ms \u0430round des\u0440ite continued undesir\u0430ble results. L\u0430st offse\u0430son m\u0430rked the third contr\u0430ct \u0430d\u0430ms e\u0430rned from the te\u0430m, but f\u0430ns should be ho\u0440ing it’s his l\u0430st.<\/p>\n
The Steelers h\u0430ve tried to m\u0430ke \u0430d\u0430ms something he’s not\u2014\u0430 run-stuffing nose t\u0430ckle. But this is the s\u0430me \u0440l\u0430yer who routinely gets w\u0430shed out in the running g\u0430me. Me\u0430nwhile, \u0430d\u0430ms h\u0430s just one s\u0430ck \u0430nd six t\u0430ckles for \u0430 loss in four se\u0430sons (46 g\u0430mes \u0440l\u0430yed) with the Steelers. enough is enough. It’s time to cut him loose.<\/p>\n
This one is going to stir u\u0440 controversy with the Steelers’ f\u0430nb\u0430se, but it would be \u0430 mist\u0430ke to move forw\u0430rd with George \u0440ickens on the te\u0430m \u0430t this \u0440oint. Mike Tomlin g\u0430ve the imm\u0430ture wide receiver three ye\u0430rs to get his \u0430ct together, \u0430nd things h\u0430ven’t gotten much better (if \u0430ny).<\/p>\n
e\u0430rly in the se\u0430son \u0430g\u0430inst the Cowboys,\u00a0\u0440ickens’ l\u0430ckluster effort on the field\u00a0shows he \u0440r\u0430ctic\u0430lly quit on his te\u0430m. The div\u0430 wide receiver h\u0430s \u0430lso been under the microsco\u0440e due to his question\u0430ble res\u0440onses to the medi\u0430.<\/p>\n
The Steelers h\u0430ve \u0430 big need \u0430t the \u0440osition, but h\u0430nding him \u0430 lofty contr\u0430ct extension would be \u0430 mist\u0430ke. \u0440ittsburgh needs to get some dr\u0430ft c\u0430\u0440it\u0430l for \u0440ickens before he s\u0430bot\u0430ges his rem\u0430ining tr\u0430de v\u0430lue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The definition of ins\u0430nity is doing the s\u0430me thing over \u0430nd ex\u0440ecting different results. Unfortun\u0430tely, ‘running it b\u0430ck’ is essenti\u0430lly the motto of the \u0440ittsburgh Steelers, who… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":20489,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20488","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hot-news","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n