The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired pass rusher Preston Smith for next to nothing at the 2024 trade deadline, and they could cut him after half a season on the team. Starting the season with the Green Bay Packers, the edge defender wasn’t a fit for the defense and hoped Pittsburgh could bring out the best in him. He played adequately with his new team, recording two sacks in eight games and finishing the season with a 63.6 PFF grade, the 64th-best mark out of 119 eligible players.
While he’s still an NFL-caliber player, he’s not worth his current contract. As of this posting, Smith carries a $13.4 million cap hit but has no guaranteed money left on his deal. This means the Steelers can cut Preston Smith and clear $13.4 million in cap space, and Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline believes that’s exactly what will happen. Saying there’s a 99% chance the team cuts him, Smith has likely played his last down in Pittsburgh.
However, this doesn’t mean he won’t land with another organization. Now entering his age-33 season, Smith is no longer a 12-sack player but could be an ideal rotational pass rusher for a team like the Baltimore Ravens or New Orleans Saints.
Steelers Likely to Cut Preston Smith, Veteran Could Land With Ravens, Saints
The Baltimore Ravens love to use a variety of pass rushers to keep the entire unit healthy and productive throughout the season. Last year, the team finished with 54 sacks, the second-most in the league, but a sizable chunk of that production came from Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh. While Oweh should have plenty of production left in his tank, Van Noy is not getting any younger. While the two-time Super Bowl champion finished with 12.5 sacks, he’s entering his age-34 season and can’t keep this up forever.
Preston Smith is no spring chicken himself, but the Steelers cut candidate could help keep everyone fresh. The team never found a proper replacement for Jadeveon Clowney last year, and Smith could fill that role in 2024. With Oweh and Van Noy starting, Smith can be the much-needed third edge rusher in this defense. The Ravens already have one of the league’s most talented rosters, but perhaps Smith can be the missing piece that finally puts this team over the hump.
Lightning In A Bottle
The New Orleans Saints are in a rough situation. Currently without a head coach and $54 million over the salary cap, General Manager Mickey Loomis will struggle to get this team to the playoffs in 2025. Years of kicking the can down the road have led to an untenable situation, and while he will restructure his way to salary cap compliance, New Orleans won’t be able to afford the game’s elite free agents. With this in mind, the Saints must buy low and hope a few low-risk, high-reward players can fill the plentiful holes on this roster.
Preston Smith is the definition of a low-risk, high-reward player, as the Steelers cut candidate used to be one of the league’s better pass rushers. While age may have caught up to him, the Saints might as well bring him in on a cheap one-year deal to see if he has anything left. With longtime star Cameron Jordan likely on the way out, Smith makes perfect sense as a cost-effective replacement for the once-great pass rusher.
Main Photo: Sam Greene – Imagn Images
