Another Steelers defensive free agent is leaving.
It was announced that cornerback Mike Hilton is signing with the rival Cincinnati Bengals.
The move also means Cam Heyward is losing another friend.
While it’s a blow to Steelers fans that Hilton is staying in the division, it isn’t an unexpected move.
After they resigned Cam Sutton on Monday, it pretty much spelled the end of Hilton’s time in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers would’ve loved to have kept Hilton, but Cincinnati has way more cap space than Pittsburgh.
While keeping Sutton is a good move for the Steelers, Hilton is a playmaker. A versatile and plays a nickel back position that grows in importance every year.
He’s a team played that Mike Tomlin has a great affection for.
Hilton is the latest player to leave Pittsburgh, with fellow defensive players, Bud Dupree signing with Tennessee and Tyson Alualu going back to Jacksonville.
Since signing with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi, Hilton has done nothing but prove people wrong.
Starting with his first year, the 5’9”, 184 pound Hilton has found a way to make impact plays.
Playing limited snaps as a rookie, Hilton finished with 10 tackles for loss, four sacks, eight QB hits, two interceptions and a forced fumble.
Those numbers would continue over his four years with the team-20 starts, but 237 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 7 interceptions, 30 tackles for loss, 5 fumble recoveries and 3 forced fumbles.
Hilton basically did everything but score a touchdown and he was three yards away from doing that against Indianapolis in 2020.
