The Pittsburgh Steelers made a surprise addition at the NFL trade deadline last year when the team acquired edge rusher Preston Smith in a trade with the Green Bay Packers.
The move was surprising because it wasn’t on anyone’s radar. The Steelers did have a need, though, as the team dealt with injuries in the position group last season.
Smith saw his Steelers tenure get off to a good start after he tallied one sack in his debut in Week 10, but things went downhill from there and Smith didn’t produce much after that. He was also a healthy scratch in two of the team’s final three contests, including the playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
In what was an expected move, the Steelers cut Smith this offseason, which saved Pittsburgh over $13 million in cap space. It remains to be seen if the Steelers will look to replace him, but they certainly have the funds to do so.
With that in mind, FOX Sports’ Henry McKenna projects the Steelers to sign New York Jets pending free agent, Haason Reddick.
“Last year, the Jets traded for Reddick in hopes he’d be a game-changer on defense,” he wrote. “And then contract negotiations spoiled basically everything. Because of that bizarre year in New York, he’s probably going to come at a discount, relative to his potential. I suspect Mike Tomlin would appeal to Reddick. And I suspect Pittsburgh would spend a healthy sum on a guy of Reddick’s caliber.”
Once considered one of the better edge rushers in the NFL after tallying double-digit sacks in four consecutive years and earning two Pro Bowl nods in that span, Reddick saw a major dip in production in 2024, with the veteran totaling just one sack in 10 games.
But context is important here. Reddick held out for a new contract, which led to him missing the offseason and the first seven games of the campaign. That could explain why he wasn’t his normal effective self in his lone season in New York.
Chances are, the Jets are done with Reddick after what transpired last year. And, because of that down year, he could come at a discount — and that’s exactly what Spotrac projects, with the outlet estimating that Reddick will get a one-year, $11 million deal, which is $4 million less than the annual average of his last contract.
If the Steelers feel they need more help on the edge, it would be a worthwhile venture to take a chance on Reddick at that amount. If he returns even close to form, Pittsburgh would have one of the most formidable edge rush groups in football.
While the Steelers would have an embarrassment of riches with Reddick in the mix, we envision the team taking a less expensive approach if it wants to add another pass-rusher. After all, there are much bigger needs to address.
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