Mike Hilton ‘didn’t feel valued’ by Steelers, used slight to inspire Bengals to win

Mike Hilton has taken part in eight games between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals. He’s walked off the field a winner after seven of them.

Sunday’s win, though, had a different feel because it was Hilton’s first in this AFC North rivalry while he was a member of the Bengals. He let fans know about it with a wave and bow to the Heinz Field crowd as time expired that was emphasized when he tweeted a smug emoji and wave in reference to it.

???????????? https://t.co/7uUedyF60C

— Mike Hilton (@MikeHilton_28) September 26, 2021

Then, Monday, Hilton told Cincinnati-area reporters he appreciated that Bengals coach Zac Taylor chose him to represent the team for the coin toss and Hilton felt nothing but “love and respect” from former teammates when he exchanged greetings with several postgame.

“We just felt like from beginning to end, we dominated,” Hilton said, according to The Athletic.

Teammate Tyler Boyd said Hilton spoke to the team twice in the days leading up to Sunday’s game because he “didn’t feel valued” by the Steelers. Hilton was let go as an unrestricted free agent before signing a four-year, $24 million contract with the Steelers’ AFC North rivals.

Tyler Boyd says he was happy to see Mike Hilton get the win Sunday against the former team that disrespected his talents out the door. Hilton addressed the #Bengals twice before Sunday's game. pic.twitter.com/pfFoUjiKah

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) September 27, 2021

“He was their leading turnover guy from a year ago, and for them not to invest in a guy like him is kind of insulting to a person because you know how good you are,” Boyd said, per the verified Twitter account of Bengals reporter Mike Petraglia. “And you know you mean a lot to a team and an organization and they turn around and stab you in the back.”

Boyd said Hilton “didn’t use those exact words, but we understood the message.”

Hilton went undrafted in 2016 and was cut twice and sat unemployed for three months before the Steelers signed him to their practice squad in December of that season. He was a revelation at the next year’s training camp, winning the slot/nickel job over veteran William Gay and former second-round pick Senquez Golson.

Hilton held that role for four seasons with the Steelers but was paid league-minimum salary from 2017-19 until the Steelers presented him with a second-round tender as a restricted free agent last season. Hilton earned $3.29 million in 2020 from the Steelers, but they made little more than token effort to re-sign him once he hit unrestricted free agency. The Steelers signed another one of their free-agent cornerbacks, Cameron Sutton, instead.

Hilton in 2019 did not immediately sign his exclusive-rights free agent tender the Steelers presented him, a passive sign of dissatisfaction with its terms. ERFA’s are typically undrafted players who have no bargaining leverage over the first three accrued seasons of their careers. Hilton ultimately signed the tender, and he never missed any on-field activities.

Hilton played about 60% of the Steelers’ defensive snaps during the 59 games he played for them (out of 64) from 2017-20. Despite a diminutive size of 5-foot-9, 184 pounds, Hilton was arguably the Steelers’ best tackling cornerback. He was also recognized across the league as a deft blitzer.

In Hilton’s stead, the Steelers have cycled through myriad nickel cornerbacks and have used Tre Norwood, Cameron Sutton, Arthur Maulet and Minkah Fitzpatrick in the slot through three weeks of the regular season.

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