Pittsburgh Steelers general manager, Omar Khan has a crucial off-season ahead of him. It will be the first full off-season since he took over the GM position with the retirement of Kevin Colbert. That will include his first NFL Draft, one in which the black and gold will likely have three top-40 picks. Sitting at 3-7 entering Week 12, the Steelers seem likely to have their first below-.500 season since 2003, when Bill Cowher was still head coach.
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They would have to go 6-2 in their final eight games in order to continue that impressive streak under head coach Mike Tomlin. Bleacher Report's Joe Tansey highlighted three potential veterans that could be seen as cut candidates this upcoming off-season for the Steelers. Two of them, Mitch Trubisky and Ahkello Witherspoon, make complete sense.
Trubisky signed a two-year, $14 million deal last off-season, but was always seen as a bridge quarterback. That's exactly what he has been in 2022 for the Steelers, as rookie Kenny Pickett took the job just over a month into the season. With Pickett now set to start the rest of this season and next, that makes Trubisky virtually useless. Paying $7 million for a backup isn't needed, as the team can rely on the likes of Mason Rudolph to be the primary backup. That is, if he's still around. Still, the black and gold should be able to find a cheaper backup option.
Witherspoon is another guy that makes complete sense as a candidate to be cut. While he was extended just last off-season, his performance has fallen off quite a bit. He's become quite banged up as well, dealing with a hamstring injury for a few months now. With Cam Sutton and Levi Wallace likely locked into two of the starting spots for 2023, Witherspoon could be fighting with William Jackson III for the third spot.
ARLINGTON, TX - OCTOBER 02: William Jackson III #3 of the Washington Commanders gets set against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on October 2, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Jackson was recently acquired from the Washington Commanders, but was then placed on IR shortly after with an ongoing back injury. The Steelers can move on from him pretty easily in the off-season, as he's set to be owed over $12 million in 2023. They can either opt to pay him that or cut him for a discounted amount. If he can perform well in the last month of the season though, the team would likely decide between he and Witherspoon.
Now, the last one, BR mentioned the beloved Cam Heyward as a cut candidate. After the 2022 season, the 33-year-old has two years left on his contract before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2025. In 2023 and 2024, Heyward is set to have a $22+ million cap hit. While that is certainly a lot, the Steelers can afford it. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Ben Roethlisberger, and Eric Ebron all come off the books after 2022, which opens up a bit of money. Those three have combined to take up nearly $40 million in dead cap hit this season.
Additionally, the Steelers' starting quarterback, Pickett, will be on his rookie deal for another three years. As a result, there won't be a ton of money allocated to the quarterback position. Heyward has still been elite for this Steelers defense in 2022. That makes the move unlikely and quite frankly, not very smart. Without Heyward, the defensive line would struggle immensely. DeMarvin Leal is the only young guy that seems to certainly be a part of the defense's future.
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This conversation seems more likely to happen after next season, when Heyward has just one season left on his contract. His leadership and locker room presence is simply too impactful to let go of after the 2022 season. The Steelers need guys like Heyward and with such a young squad, his presence is even more important. It should be noted that a team inquired about the stud defensive lineman ahead of the recent trade deadline.
Khan had no interest in giving him up, showing the impact of the 12-year veteran. Witherspoon and Trubisky make sense as cut candidates, but moving on from Heyward would be a mistake. He's just one year removed from making his fifth Pro Bowl and third appearance on the AP All-Pro First Team. PFF still has him as the fifth-best interior lineman this season, so he could be set for his sixth Pro Bowl appearance in 2022.
Do you think the team should consider this move? Who do you think/want the Steelers to cut after this season? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
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