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    Pittsburgh Steelers Urged to Sign $23 Million Former Defensive Player of The Year

    Matt LombardoBy Updated:1 Comment2 Mins Read
    Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers
    Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY

    The Pittsburgh Steelers have not shied away from signing accomplished veteran defenders in recent offseasons.

    Pittsburgh Steelers
    Dec 31, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin during the second half against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

    Just last summer, former All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson landed in the Steelers’ secondary, on the heels of the franchise selecting cornerback Joey Porter Jr. in the second round of the draft, and Marcus Golden put a Pittsburgh helmet before developing into a quality rotational pass-rusher.

    As NFL training camps and the 2024 season near, another veteran could be about to make his way to the Iron City.

    Is Stephon Gilmore a Perfect Fit for Pittsburgh Steelers?

    Stephon Gilmore
    Dec 10, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) fumbles the ball after being tackled by Dallas Cowboys cornerback Stephon Gilmore (21) in the second half at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

    As the Steelers aim to continue bolstering the defense, and adding veteran stability to a secondary tasked with defending the likes of Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, and Patrick Mahomes, among others, in the AFC Gauntlet, Stephon Gilmore could be an ideal free agent signing before the season kicks off.

    Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine put together a list of the best fits for the best remaining NFL free agents, including the Steelers signing Gilmore.

    “The Pittsburgh Steelers could use a veteran to go with Joey Porter Jr,” Ballentine writes for B/R. “And Donte Jackson. They took a shot on Patrick Peterson last season, so they’ve moved on a veteran before.”

    Gilmore would make a lot of sense from a leadership standpoint, and is also coming off a solid season with the Dallas Cowboys.

    Last season, Gilmore posted a career-high 68 total tackles with two interceptions while finishing the 2023 campaign with a strong 72.3 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus while holding opposing quarterbacks to a meager 83.3 passer rating when targeting him.

    Given the quarterback and receiver gauntlet the Steelers must navigate in hopes of making a deep postseason run, Gilmore could be an ideal counterpunch in the secondary.

    Stephon Gilmore

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    Avatar of Matt Lombardo

    Matt Lombardo is a seasoned NFL reporter, with over 12 years of experience covering the league. In addition to his work at Gridiron Heroics, Lombardo covers the NFL for Heavy.com, is an on air sports contributor for FOX29 Philadelphia, and writes an NFL Substack "Between The Hashmarks." Lombardo is the former Senior NFL Insider of FanBuzz, and prior to taking that role was a national NFL reporter at FanSided where he hosted a weekly podcast "The Matt Lombardo Show." A former beat reporter for NJ Advance Media (Parent company of NJ.com and the Newark Star Ledger), Lombardo covered the Philadelphia Eagles from 2011 through the 2017 season before moving to cover the New York Giants for the Star Ledger for two seasons from 2018 through 2020. During his career to date, Lombardo has covered five Super Bowls, four NFL Drafts, multiple NFL Combines, and has had his work frequently featured in publications such as Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, and more. In addition to his journalism work, Lombardo is a strong on air presence and is a former sports talk radio host on 97.5 FM The Fanatic, Philadelphia's first FM Sports Station and the radio home of the Philadelphia 76ers and Philadelphia Flyers.

    1 Comment

    1. Avatar of Walter Bartley
      Walter Bartley on

      Who is doing the urging. Cause we just traded for a cornerback and just sign one back and we aint paying no 23 million on no one Azzz cornerback OK🙄🙄🙄

      Reply

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