The Pittsburgh Steelers knew they would struggle to keep several of their agents free; however, there was always hope that the team would be able to find a way to retain several key members of the team.
After arresting Cam Sutton for a two-year deal on Day 1 of the NFL’s legal adulteration period, the hope was that the team would be able to retain a veteran player like Tyson Alualu. On day 2 of the adulteration period, Alualu would be returning to where his NFL career started with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
To make matters worse, when the news of Alualu’s contract was released, it certainly made it look like the Steelers could have tried to keep it up if they felt there was still value there. As Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reported, Alualu signed a two-year, $ 6 million dollar contract with Jaguars.
It’s a two-year, $ 6 million deal for DT Tyson Alualu with #Jaguars, by source.
– Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 16, 2021
Alualu was successful in his four years in Pittsburgh, where he totaled 7.0 sacks and 140 tackles. Specifically in 2020, once he took charge of the nose tackle, Alualu ended the season ranked ninth best defensive striker in the entire NFL according to Pro Football Focus.
The Steelers will now be forced to try to take Alualu’s place through the NFL’s 2021 Draft or through a free agency. Another option would be to only promote internally, in which case the attention would turn to Isaiah Buggs and / or Carlos Davis to get ahead and try to fill the vacancy in NT / DE.
Stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes on black and gold as they prepare for the rest of the free agency, the start of the new league year and the 2021 NFL Draft.