Contracts Steelers Must Consider Cutting in 2023 Offseason

While the Pittsburgh Steelers didn't make the playoffs in 2022, they managed to have yet another non-losing season—something that's been a constant under head coach Mike Tomlin.

Of course, being over .500 isn't the goal for Pittsburgh. The Steelers want to get back to the playoffs, and they'll have some work to do this offseason in order to make that happen. Pittsburgh needs to bolster its 26th-ranked scoring offense and impending free agents like linebacker Robert Spillane, cornerback Cameron Sutton and fullback Derek Watt to consider.

With a projected cap deficit of $3.4 million, Pittsburgh will also need to clear a little cap space.

General manager Omar Khan might be able to extend a few players and restructure some deals, but he'll also have to at least consider cutting a few players outright. With this in mind, let's examine three players the Steelers must consider cutting this offseason.

DL Montravius Adams

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PITTSBURGH, PA - NOVEMBER 13: Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Montravius Adams (57) is announced during the national football league game between the New Orleans Saints and the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 13, 2022 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

We'll start with a contract that could be very difficult for the Steelers to cut. Defensive lineman Montravius Adams joined the Steelers practice squad in 2021, was elevated that year and has made 13 starts for the Steelers since.

Pittsburgh has helped resurrect the career of the 27-year-old, and Adams is grateful.

"What he did for me mentally was great. Like, can't even be explained. He's one of them dudes you'll run through a wall for, most definitely," Adams said of Tomlin, per ESPN's Brooke Pryor.

Adams started the final seven games of 2022 and was a valuable rotational player on Pittsburgh's interior. However, he was still just a part-time player who was on the field for only 26 percent of the defensive snaps.

In 2023, Adams is set to carry a cap hit of $3.2 million. The Steelers could save $2.5 million by letting him go. That's not an insignificant sum, and the Steelers will have to determine whether Adams can carry a larger role or is expendable.

QB Mitch Trubisky

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CHARLOTTE, NC - DECEMBER 18: Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky (10) during an NFL football game between the Pittsburg Steelers and the Carolina Panthers on December 18, 2022 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. (Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

This decision should be a lot easier. The Steelers brought in quarterback Mitch Trubisky to serve as a bridge to 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett. Trubisky has done that, and while he was also asked to fill in while Pickett was sidelined by a concussion in December, he should now be expendable.

Trubisky is set to carry a cap hit of $10.6 million in 2023. Pittsburgh could erase $8 million of that by letting Trubisky walk.

And while it never hurts to have an experienced backup QB on the roster, Trubisky isn't worth the price. He went just 2-3 as a starter in 2022 and posted an underwhelming 81.1 passer rating.

If the Steelers want to have a seasoned insurance policy behind Pickett, they'd be better off re-singing longtime backup Mason Rudolph. Rudolph is well-versed in Pittsburgh's schemes and can likely be signed for less than the Steelers will save by cutting Trubisky.

Rudolph played on a modest one-year, $5.1 million deal in 2022.

CB William Jackson

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ARLINGTON, TX - OCTOBER 02: William Jackson III #3 of the Washington Commanders defends against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on October 2, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

This should be another easy decision for the Steelers. Pittsburgh acquired cornerback William Jackson in a midseason trade with the Washington Commanders. He came to Pittsburgh along with a conditional 2025 seventh-round pick in exchange for a conditional 2025 sixth-rounder.

However, Jackson then landed on injured reserve with a back ailment and never suited up for the Steelers.

It could make some sense for Pittsburgh to see what it has in Jackson in 2023. The 30-year-old was a reliable starter as recently as 2020 with the Cincinnati Bengals—he allowed an opposing passer rating of 88.2 that season.

Continuing to kick the tires on Jackson at his current price point, though, isn't logical. He's due to carry a cap hit of $12.2 million with none of that guaranteed. His release alone would put Pittsburgh nearly $9 million under the cap.

The Steelers took a flier on Jackson, it didn't work out, and it's time to at least consider moving on.

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*Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference. Cap, contract and market information via Spotrac.