New Name Now Becomes Steelers Worst Free Agent Signing

Pittsburgh Steelers Team President Art Rooney II has made his stance very clear on rebuild years. He simply does not believe in them. It is fair to say that General Manager Omar Khan operates under the same philosophy, prioritizing immediate competitiveness over long-term rebuilds. 

This approach often drives the Steelers to make bold moves in free agency, hoping to find experienced players who can contribute right away. One signing that former head coach Mike Tomlin was particularly excited about was cornerback Darius Slay.

Slay arrived in Pittsburgh at the age of 34 after being released by the Philadelphia Eagles, signing a one-year deal worth $10 million. The expectation was that he would solidify the Steelers’ secondary, lining up opposite Joey Porter Jr. and providing veteran leadership. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned. 

Slay struggled to adapt to the Steelers’ defensive scheme, and his performance on the field fell far short of expectations. By December of the 2025 NFL season, Pittsburgh made the decision to release him. This move was widely criticized and considered one of the worst free agent signings of the year.

The fallout from the signing left many fans and analysts questioning the decision-making process. While it was understood that Slay, at his age, would not be a long-term solution or an All-Pro in Pittsburgh, few anticipated the signing would backfire so dramatically. His inability to mesh with the team’s defensive approach, coupled with underwhelming on-field production, made the release inevitable by Week 13. 

Steeler Nation has since debated whether this could go down as one of the worst free agent acquisitions in franchise history. The signing has become a cautionary tale of high expectations clashing with harsh realities.

When Steelers fans think about free agent acquisitions that did not pan out, they cannot help but think of wide receiver Donte Moncrief. The Steelers signed him with hopes he could help replace some of the production lost from Antonio Brown. That plan did not even come close to working, as many fans still recall.

Moncrief signed a two-year, $9 million contract in March 2019, which included $3.5 million guaranteed. He was released in November 2019 after catching only four passes in seven games. Since Moncrief caught just four passes for 18 yards, the team essentially paid him roughly $1.25 million per reception.

It was a brutal signing that simply did not work out. However, there was a silver lining: the release ultimately led to the Steelers receiving a third-round compensatory pick in 2020, which they used to select Alex Highsmith. In the end, the Moncrief signing is remembered as a costly failure that inadvertently helped the team build for the future.

Steelers' Forgotten Free Agent Failure

Another name that comes to mind for Steelers fans is Morgan Burnett, who was signed in March 2018 to a three-year, $14.5 million contract. Pittsburgh thought they were getting the safety help they desperately needed. Unfortunately, Burnett, who was one of the best safeties on the market at the time, did not quite pan out.

Burnett did not like the way the team was using him, and he failed to truly produce on the field. He also missed significant time due to hamstring and groin injuries. Burnett requested his release in January 2019, and Pittsburgh granted it in April 2019, taking a salary cap hit of $2.8 million to move on from him. Now Steelers fans can debate where Slay falls on this list of recent free agent disappointments.

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