Mike Hilton is apparently tired of Steelers fans ripping him for taking the best job available in free agency.
On Monday, the veteran safety posted a message about people criticizing him in his mentions, yet still following him. Hilton, like most rational humans, says he can’t figure out the logic.
The Bengals signed Hilton to a four-year deal worth $24 million, including $6 million guaranteed. There’s no way the Steelers would’ve been able to offer him anything in that range, given their cap troubles. Hilton went with the best offer. He’ll earn nearly twice as much this year as he did for his entire five years with the Steelers.
At 27 years old, this is probably the best opportunity for Hilton to cash in. Remember, the average NFL career only spans 3.3 years. Hilton has already outlived his mathematical shelf-life.
We can quibble about whether the Steelers were right to let Hilton walk, along with other members of the defense, such as Vince Williams and Steven Nelson. Most notably, Bud Dupree left, but his departure was a foregone conclusion.
But the reality is, the Steelers never seemed that intent on keeping Hilton. They could’ve signed him to a long-term deal last summer. Instead, they brought him back on his second round tender. “(Hilton) is still hoping to get a contract extension done with the team before the season,” reported ESPN’s Adam Schefter at the time.
Obviously, those wishes never came to fruition. The Steelers made a business decision, and Hilton followed suit. Criticizing him is downright foolish.