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3 free agents Steelers should avoid at all costs

By Nick Villano

Nov 13, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) throws a pass near head coach Mike Tomlin before playing the New Orleans Saints at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 13, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) throws a pass near head coach Mike Tomlin before playing the New Orleans Saints at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports /
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Pittsburgh Steelers
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman (17): Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

2. WR Mecole Hardman

Let’s stick to the Super Bowl teams, but not the players. Mecole Hardman was placed on IR right ahead of the Big Game. Hardman missed every game from November 6th to the AFC Championship, returned for one game, then was knocked out in the biggest game of his career. The Chiefs were hoping Hardman could take some of the load off the wide receiving corps with Tyreek Hill now in Miami. He did for the games he showed up in. Unfortunately, that was only the case for eight games this season.

The Steelers need reliability at wide receiver. They have great high-end options in Diontae Johnson and George Pickens. The team needs depth. Taking a chance on a guy who can’t stay healthy, no matter how reliable he is on the field, is a recipe for disaster. Losing Hardman and another top receiver puts the Steelers in a terrible spot.

If Hardman was healthy, then he’d be great for the Steelers. However, he just wasn’t this past season. With more work came more injuries. Maybe it was an outlier, but the Steelers can’t take those risks with a young quarterback relying on a high-quality offense.

There aren’t a ton of great wide receivers on the market this offseason. Some of the other top names include former Steeler Juju Smith-Schuster and Jakobi Meyers. It might be better served for the Steelers to find depth in the NFL Draft over delving into free agency.

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