If you wondered if the Pittsburgh Steelers would be buyers in the linebacker market at the start of free agency, wonder no more. According to NFL reporter Jane Slater, the Dallas Cowboys re-signed linebacker Leighton Vander Esch to a two-year, $11 million contract but she notes that the Pittsburgh Steelers were in play for Vander Esch’s services.
The Steelers are in a serious predicament at inside linebacker. Devin Bush and Robert Spillane are both unrestricted free agents. Bush is on his way out after a disappointing start to his career and while Pittsburgh should want Spillane back, they don’t seem to feel the same way.
Pittsburgh also has Myles Jack who is under contract, but has an $11.25 million cap hit in 2023. He led the Steelers in tackles in 2022 but underperformed based on the reputation he brought to the team. Looking at Vander Esch could have been in an attempt to replace Bush or Spillane or it could have been to give the Steelers who they needed to allow them to cut Jack.
Either way, knowing they were in on Vander Esch means keeping an eye out for the Steelers to stay in on some of the other free-agent linebackers still left on the market.
Houston Texans made a last minute push and the Steelers were also in play
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) March 14, 2023
