PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – The disastrous game will also make the end of several Steelers careers. Nineteen players on their playoff roster will become unrestricted free agents.
The two with the biggest names and biggest stats could walk—receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and linebacker Bud Dupree.
Smith-Schuster, at 24 years-old, is an elder player in the wide receiver room. The second round pick from USC played in 58 regular-season games with 308 receptions for 3726 yards and 26 touchdowns. JuJu has a pair of 97 yard touchdown receptions, but also made splash off the field with his active community participation and social media image.
Dupree really came into his own the last two seasons before injury ended this season. After playing with the franchise tag this year, Dupree had at least a half sack in 7 games, accumulating eight sacks with a pair of forced fumbles and 15 QB hits in 11 games. Dupree had 11.5 sacks in 2019, 39.5 in his career with 65 quarterback hits. Unlikely the Steelers can match the asking price on the former first round pick and already drafted his replacement in Alex Highsmith.
While not as big of names, a couple of key Steelers defensive players are also free to go-defensive lineman Tyson Alualu, defensive backs Mike Hilton and Cameron Sutton.
A former first round pick of Jacksonville, Alualu started 10 games this year with 38 tackles, five passes defended, four tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. Alualu was invaluable after the loss of Javon Hargrave and they would really need a young player to improve greatly to fill his role.
Hilton and Sutton are similar in that they can play multiple positions and each have made big impacts.
A third round pick in 2016, Sutton forced fumbles in three consecutive games as he started six including the playoff game for Joe Haden. Sutton finished with 27 solo tackles, eight passes defended and a sack this season. He could get a starting opportunity or the Steelers could decide to release Joe Haden to keep Sutton.
Hilton is a playmaker. An AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his fumble recovery and interception against the Colts, along with 42 solo tackles, three interceptions, a forced fumble, two recoveries and three sacks. This as Hilton started only half of the dozen games he played in. Undrafted, Hilton is 5’9”, 184 pounds, has seven career picks and five fumble recoveries to go with 237 tackles.
Starting tailback James Conner had a Pro Bowl season in 2018, rushing for 973 yards in 13 games. Showing a lot of promise after a celebrated career at Pitt, Conner didn’t have one year where he was able to stay healthy for a full season. Conner played in 50 games total, started 33, rushing for 2,302 yards and 22 touchdowns. The 25-year-old also caught 124 asses for 963 yards and another four scores.
Starting offensive linemen Alejandro Villanueva, Matt Feiler and Zach Banner, all undrafted players, need a contract for next season. Banner won the starting right tackle job after signing a one year deal but was injured in the first game and missed the rest of the season. Feiler moved from tackle to start 13 games at left guard, 40 starts in his career. The 32-year-old Villanueva has started 90 career games at left tackle.
Special teams captain Jordan Dangerfield, punter Jordan Berry, reserve defensive lineman Chris Wormley, who the Steelers traded with the Ravens to get, are other names on the free agent list.
There are also a few restricted free agents to sign and it would be the normal year to sign TJ Watt to an extension. All of this and the pandemic is likely to affect the salary cap next year in a negative way and Ben Roethlisberger will count 41.25 million against the cap in 2021.