Almost everywhere you look on Steelers Twitter, you will find a fan tweeting about how they want Tyrann Mathieu. Many fans want him and that’s understandable. Heck, even I would love for the Steelers to sign him. In a division with the best WR trio, a top-five quarterback, and a ton of offensive star power, you need all the star power you can get on defense. Unfortunately for the people aboard the Mathieu to the Steelers train, Colbert stated on Monday that they prefer to sign 'players coming off their first contract', and this would be his fourth contract. On the other hand Mathieu confirmed on Monday that Mike Tomlin has called Mathieu in an attempt to recruit him. So take Colberts comments with a grain of salt.
As much as it sucks to hear, passing on Mathieu may be what’s best for this team in the long run .Here are a few reasons why I believe signing Mathieu may be the wrong thing to do:
Age
Tyrann Mathieu is 29 years old and will be 30 this off-season. It doesn't make sense for a team like the Steelers, who aren’t yet prepared to win the Super Bowl, to go after older veterans like Mathieu. His finest days are behind him, and the Steelers would be foolish to sign him for the money he commands.
Contract Demands
Another reason the Steelers should seek elsewhere to replace the strong safety position is because of the type of money Mathieu commands. According to reports, he wants a multi-year contract for roughly $15 million each year. You may argue that the Steelers have enough cap space and so on, but keep in mind that they still have to sign their 2022 draft class, and they prefer to start the season with a healthy amount of cap space. Also, with Minkah Fitzpatrick's contract about to expire soon, it wouldn't make sense for the Steelers to spend a lot of money on a safety whose best days are behind him.
Solid Options Still Available
You may not like this reason, but it’s an important one nonetheless. If the Steelers don’t sign Mathieu, it's not the end of the world. They can still get a solid option at a much more reasonable price. Terrell Edmunds is the first person who springs to mind. He's a younger guy who just finished his rookie deal and has a lot of ties to the Steelers organization. This totally coincides with Colbert's statement on what they look for in free agents. They can also sign other options such as Demontae Kazee, who the Steelers were rumored to be interested in, or Landon Collins, a veteran safety with a high pedigree. These would all be solid options that would come at a much more reasonable price.
Do you think the Steelers should sign Tyrann Mathieu? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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