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Following the tenders placed on placekicker Chris Boswell and outside linebacker Anthony Chickillo, the Pittsburgh Steelers still had a few Restricted Free Agents (RFAs) who they would have to make a decision regarding their future.
Do they place a tender on the player, to give them some type of compensation if they don’t want to match an offer from another team? That is the debate.
Here is a list of the Steelers other RFAs:
Eli Rogers
Yeah, that is it, and the Steelers have reportedly already made their decision on Rogers — and it didn’t end with him receiving any type of tender, per Ben Anderson of SteelCityBlitz.com.
#Steelers tender RFAs K Chris Boswell (2nd round tender) & OLB Anthony Chickillo (original round tender), but do not tender WR Eli Rogers.
— Ben Anderson (@BenAnderson58) March 13, 2018
There is no forgone conclusion that Rogers won't be back, just that his ACL apparently isn't worth a $1.9M gamble.
As Anderson points out, the main reason the Steelers didn’t put a tender on the former Louisville product has everything to do with his injured knee. Rogers tore his ACL in the playoff game loss to the Jaguars, and while he vows to be ready for training camp, that is anything but a guarantee.
If another team doesn’t want to add Rogers to their roster, the Steelers will retain the slot receiver in a contract year before he is set to hit the market as an Unrestricted Free Agent in 2019.
Rogers’ injury is another reason why the Steelers should be thinking about a receiver in free agency and/or the NFL Draft to help solidify the position not only for the 2018 season, but beyond when players like Rogers and Martavis Bryant likely leave via free agency.
Stay tuned to BTSC for the latest on the Steelers’ decisions made via free agency.