The Pittsburgh Steelers have a number of decisions to make this summer, not the least of which is what to do at quarterback. The team has suggested it’s interested in bringing back one of their starters from 2024 – either Justin Fields or Russell Wilson – but it’s “unlikely” that they’ll return both.
There are also questions on defense, which was probably the best unit on the field last season. Keeping the defensive roster together as much as possible should be a priority of general manager Omar Khan. But with the asking price of at least one star defender in Pittsburgh last season, that proposal may be out of the question. Donte Jackson had a stellar season – at least through the first half of the season. But like the rest of the defense, that changed in the second half.
Jackson was a big part of the defense’s success early on but faded fast late in the year. The question is, was he part of the problem late, or just a casualty of an entire unit underperforming? The cornerback played for Pittsburgh last season on a one-year, $6 million deal with a $4.75 million signing bonus. That’s a steal for the productivity Jackson gave, even if for a portion of the season.
The cornerback played for Pittsburgh last season on a one-year, $6 million deal with a $4.75 million signing bonus. That’s a steal for the productivity Jackson gave, even if for a portion of the season. But a new deal could price Pittsburgh out of the market Spotrac.com suggests that Jackson’s next deal could be in the neighborhood of $12 million per season. That could easily be too much for the team depending on what they also need to do offensively.
Spotrac also shows the Steelers to have $43 million in available cap space for 2025, but would they want to spend $12 million on a 30-year-old corner?
