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The Pittsburgh Steelers and cornerback Mike Hilton were on thin ice this offseason. Hilton, who is an Exclusive Rights Free Agent (ERFA), wanted a new contract, and had to make a decision on whether he would report to training camp with a new deal, sign his offered tender, or hold out.
Hilton held to his promise of not holding out, reported to training camp and signed his one-year ERFA tender.
This from the Steelers’ official website:
CB Mike Hilton has signed his one-year exclusive rights tender.
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) July 25, 2019
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The move means Hilton will make $645,000 in 2019, and following this year he will become a Restricted Free Agent (RFA). As an RFA, Hilton will still have his rights held by the Steelers, but the team would be able to put a round tender on him to determine his pay, or what another team would have to sacrifice to sign him.
After giving Mike Tomlin a new one-year extension earlier Thursday, the Steelers are slowly crossing items off their to-do list. Hilton now being under contract doesn’t just mean he is able to practice with the team, it means the Steelers can focus their attention on other contracts before the start of the regular season.
Stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes as the black-and-gold get started with Training Camp 2019!