Mike Tomlin and his coaching staff are focused entirely on the start of their 2023 regular season. The front office doesn't have that luxury. General Manager Omar Khan and his staff are already working on ways to tweak the roster for the future.
Part of that calculus will include shedding overpriced veterans next offseason. The three players on this list will play meaningful roles for the Steelers this season, but will be departing Pittsburgh at the conclusion of the current campaign. The list starts with a defensive lineman who has never lived up to his potential.
3. Montravius Adams
Montravius Adams looks the part of an impact NFL defensive lineman but his production has never been anything special. The best the Steelers can hope for from the 28-year-old defensive tackle is that he produces as an adequate backup in 2023.
That production level won't justify the over $3 million Adams is slated to make this season. The good news for the Steelers is that Adams will hit free agency heading into next season with no dead money left on his contract. It should be easy to replace him with a low-level draft pick.
Saving a few million dollars on a backup won't drastically increase PIttsburgh's buying power next offseason but it's the sort of low-level move that helps a good team maintain flexibility over time. The only way Adams is going to return is on a veteran minimum deal next year. He'll look for more money elsewhere and the Steelers won't sweat his departure.
2. Kwon Alexander
Kwon Alexander was a solid starter in Tampa Bay for the first part of his career, but his performance has dipped precipitously since leaving the Buccaneers. The Steelers picked him up this offseason for a modest one-year deal worth just over $1 million.
The former LSU standout is hoping he can play well in PIttsburgh then reenter free agency to receive a solid multi-year contract next offseason. In the event he does play that well, he'll price himself out of a return in Pittsburgh. The franchise is not in position to overpay a middle linebacker who lacks star potential.
The other alternative is that Alexander will replicate his poor performance from the 2022 season. He posted a weak PFF grade of 63 with just 47 total tackles. If he doesn't play much better than that in Pittsburgh he may not maintain his roster spot for the full regular season. That might force Alexander into an earlier retirement than he originally planned.
Alexander has a real chance to resuscitate his career as a middle linebacker in PIttsburgh's flexible 3-4 defense. His one-year deal works for both he and the Steelers but there's very little chance this will turn into a long-term relationship. He's a short-term solution for MIke Tomlin's defense.
1. Levi Wallace
The Steelers' secondary was nothing short of a disaster last season. Levi Wallace's arrival from Buffalo in free agency didn't do anything to solve that issue for Pittsburgh during the 2022 season.
Notching four interceptions wasn't enough to raise Wallace's PFF average over 62.8. That illustrates just how poor he was in coverage. The Steelers need a strong bounce-back campaign from the 28-year-old corner if their defense is going to take a step forward.
Wallace's salary of just over $5.4 million only complicates his future with the franchise. That's a reasonable deal for a solid starter, but Wallace hasn't played up to that level in black and gold. Even if he raises his play to that level in 2023, it's unlikely that the Steelers are going to invest a multi-year contract in Wallace as he nears the age of 30.
If Wallace's play continues to decline that he'll be lucky to catch on with another franchise via anything other than a one-year, incentive laden deal. He profiles much more as a depth piece than an impact starter at this stage of his career. The Steelers can and must do better if they want to meaningfully improve their secondary in the future.