Steelers living out purgatory promised by salary-cap crunch

[ASFN Admin]

The Pittsburgh Steelers took a flyer on Mike Hilton five years ago, and the undersized cornerback repaid their faith by becoming one of the most versatile defensive backs in the NFL, a relentless 5-foot-9 tornado who maximized every last ounce of his talent. When Hilton hit the open market last spring, the Steelers — grappling with a one-time-only unexpected dip in the salary cap because of the COVID-19 pandemic — had no recourse when Cincinnati offered Hilton a four-year, $24 million contract. It was the same with guard Matt Feiler and left tackle Alejandro Villanueva, who both walked in free agency for $7 million-a-year deals elsewhere for Los Angeles and Baltimore.

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