2. Letting Alejandro Villanueva go to Baltimore
The Steelers front office made a clear decision that Villanueva wasn’t worth the two-year, $14 million deal he eventually got from the rival Ravens during the offseason. That’s a cost-savings move that could really come back to haunt Pittsburgh in 2021.
The simple reality is that Villanueva performed as an above-average starter at left tackle for Pittsburgh in 2020. His final season PFF grade of 74.6 wasn’t elite, but it comfortably profiled him as one of the better blindside protectors in the NFL.
It seems that the Steelers front office was concerned about Villanueva’s ability to maintain that level of production as he entered his age-33 season. The Ravens actually plan to move him to the right side to lower the demands on Villanueva as he ages. That wasn’t a realistic option for Pittsburgh.
It still goes down as a foolish call by the Steelers front office. Protecting Roethlisberger should be a massive priority for Pittsburgh in what is likely to be the quarterback’s last season as a starter. The team should have found a way to keep Villanueva instead of letting him strengthen a division rival.