3 Steelers free agent targets that don’t involve replacing Ben Roethlisberger
By John Buhler
The Pittsburgh Steelers can try to replace Ben Roethlisberger in free agency, but the franchise has other issues to fix as well this offseason.
Though the Pittsburgh Steelers can look for Ben Roethlisberger’s successor in free agency, they are better served at using their ample cap space on other pressing needs.
Pittsburgh has roughly $29.6 million in available cap space to work with this offseason. This number has them 10th in the NFL. That number could be even higher if they make a few cuts this spring. While there are quarterbacks to be had, the Steelers would be smarter to either draft Big Ben’s successor or trade for him rather than overpaying for a quarterback in NFL free agency.
Here are three non-quarterbacks the Steelers could look to pursue in free agency in a few weeks.
Pittsburgh Steelers: 3 free agent targets that do not replace Ben Roethlisberger
Scouting Report. WR. Mike Williams. Pick Analysis. Los Angeles Chargers. 3. player. 13
If JuJu Smith-Schuster walks, then Mike Williams could fill the wide receiver void
Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster is among the biggest names internally who could walk. He returned to Pittsburgh last year after nearly leaving in 2021 NFL free agency. Smith-Schuster’s latest year in Pittsburgh was hampered by injury and is another one removed from his sensational sophomore season out of USC. If he walks, how about Mike Williams of the Los Angeles Chargers?
The idea behind adding Williams would be that he would fit into the role that Smith-Schuster would be vacating. He could play alongside Chase Claypool and Pat Freiermuth in a revamped receiving corps. Or course, he would be leaving Justin Herbert for quarterbacking uncertainty in Pittsburgh. Until the Steelers replace Big Ben, that will be an issue for all free agent wideouts.
In theory, Williams might be able to give the Steelers comparable, if not more, productivity over Smith-Schuster without the necessary costs or the headaches that come with him. Pittsburgh has the space to pay a slight premium for Williams, but that would defeat the purpose of signing him over Smith-Schuster in the first place. This signing may work, but other moves must be made first.
No matter if Williams comes over to replace Smith-Schuster, next year’s offense will be different.