So much for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ goal of signing a quarterback on the opening day of the NFL’s legal tampering period before addressing other positions on the roster.
On a busy day Monday, the Steelers agreed to a deal with a cornerback who isn’t yet a free agent, tendered their restricted free-agent running back a contract, agreed to terms with another Baltimore Ravens linebacker and cut a high-priced defensive lineman while watching their preferred option at quarterback sign elsewhere.
They also lost left tackle Dan Moore Jr., running back Najee Harris, guard James Daniels and linebacker Elandon Roberts to other teams.
A day after agreeing to a trade for star wide receiver DK Metcalf, the Steelers remain unsure about who will be throwing him passes this season. Justin Fields left the Steelers after one season when he agreed to a two-year, $40 million contract with the New York Jets that includes $30 million in guaranteed salary.
With top free agent Sam Darnold signing a three-year deal with Seattle, the Steelers’ options seem reduced to pursuing 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers or bringing back Russell Wilson, who presided over a season-ending five-game losing streak last season.
In January, team president Art Rooney II said the Steelers were going to pursue Wilson or Fields, their two starters from the 11-6 season in 2024 that included a first-round playoff loss at Baltimore. General manager Omar Khan echoed those sentiments in February, saying the “ideal scenario” was for the Steelers to have a quarterback under contract when free agency began.
The legal tampering period began at noon Monday without the Steelers fulfilling that objective. They did, however, accomplish the following:
• Running back Jaylen Warren was given a second-round tender as a restricted free agent. He gets a $5.35 million salary from the Steelers if he signs it. Warren remains free to speak with other teams, but the Steelers have a right to match any offer and will receive a second-round pick as compensation if they decline to match it.
• Darius Slay, a six-time Pro Bowl pick and an All-Pro in 2017, agreed to terms on a contract to replace Donte Jackson at the cornerback spot opposite third-year pro Joey Porter Jr. Slay, though, isn’t technically a free agent and the contract won’t become official until the Philadelphia Eagles make his release official. The Eagles informed Slay a week ago that he will be released. Jackson, meantime, signed a two-year, $13 million contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, ending his one-year association with the Steelers.
• Malik Harrison became the second Ravens linebacker lured in free agency in as many seasons. A year ago, the Steelers added Patrick Queen to a three-year, $41 million deal. Harrison, 27, reportedly will get $10 million over the next two seasons. He is known as a two-down linebacker, and his addition signified the end of Roberts’ tenure with the Steelers. He played 38% of the Ravens’ defensive snaps last season and was a special teams contributor.
• Veteran defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi, who was entering the last year of his contract, was released, a move that saves $7 million against the Steelers’ salary cap. Ogunjobi, 30, spent three years with the Steelers and was scheduled to receive a $3 million roster bonus Friday. He had just 1 1/2 sacks last year when he started 12 games and missed two others because of injury.
• Backup center Ryan McCollum signed a one-year contract as an exclusive rights free agent. He started two games early last season in place of injured rookie Zach Frazier.
The addition of Metcalf on Sunday night — the Steelers are giving him a five-year, $150 million contract — wasn’t enough to convince Fields to remain in Pittsburgh. The lure of $30 million guaranteed and a chance to replace Rodgers as the Jets’ starting quarterback was too much for the former No. 11 overall draft choice to pass up.
Fields, who turned 26 last week, started the first six games for the Steelers last season before ceding to Wilson. That, at first, looked like a wise decision by coach Mike Tomlin when Wilson won six of his first seven starts. But the Steelers closed the season with five consecutive losses, including a blowout playoff defeat at Baltimore.
The 36-year-old Wilson’s production sagged down the stretch, leading some fans to long for the early portion of the season when Fields went 4-2 as a starter while displaying some of the dazzling traits that had made him a coveted first-round pick of the Chicago Bears just four years ago.
During his six starts for the Steelers last season, Fields had five rushing touchdowns, one short of the team lead for all of 2024. He had a career-best completion percentage (65.8%) and passer rating (93.3) while amassing 1,106 passing yards and 289 rushing yards.
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Slay spent seven seasons with the Detroit Lions and five with the Eagles, winning a Super Bowl in 2024. He has made 167 starts in his career, including 14 last season. He was scheduled to count $13.765 million against Philadelphia’s salary cap, and he is being released so the Eagles could groom younger players at cornerback.
“I know I’m 34. I know I’m way out of my prime but still playing at an elite, elite level,” Slay said on his Big Play Slay podcast after being informed he would be released.
Slay’s contract with the Eagles will count as $22.706 million in dead money unless he is released with a post-June 1 designation. That would reduce the amount of dead money against the Eagles to $9.441 million.
Slay has 28 career interceptions, including a career-high eight with the Lions in 2017 when he was a first-team All-Pro pick for the only time in his career. He didn’t have any last season. He made the Pro Bowl as recently as 2023.
Elsewhere in free agency, Moore accepted a four-year, $82 million contract from the Tennessee Titans. The deal includes $50 million guaranteed for the Steelers’ four-year starter at left tackle. His exit was not unexpected considering the Steelers plan to move Broderick Jones to left tackle this season following his two years starting on the right side.
Harris, the former first-round pick who had his fifth-year option declined by the Steelers, agreed to a one-year deal with the Chargers that could be worth as much as $9.5 million. Harris is coming off four consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
Daniels also cashed in with a three-year, $24 million contract from the Miami Dolphins. Daniels missed most of the season, his third with the Steelers, with a torn Achilles. He appeared in just four games.
Late Monday night, Roberts agreed to a one-year, $3 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders. He started 29 games in two seasons with the Steelers and had 101 tackles in 2023.
Staff writer Chris Adamski contributed to this report.