Starters Matt Feiler, Mike Hilton sign RFA tenders with Steelers

A pair of starters who were tendered restricted free agent contacts by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the spring signed their deals Thursday.

Offensive lineman Matt Feiler and nickel defensive back Mike Hilton each signed for $3.259 million, locking themselves up for 2020 before each is scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency next year.

Hilton’s deal was confirmed by his agent, Drew Rosenhaus. Feiler’s was reported by ESPN.

Each had until Monday to sign it or the Steelers had the right under the collective bargaining agreement to pull the offer and instead retain his 2020 rights by offering him a contract at 110% of his previous season’s salary.

Feiler and Hilton each made $645,000 in 2019 as exclusive rights free agents. Both went undrafted, limiting their earning potential until their fourth accrued NFL seasons – 2020 in each of their cases.

Rosenhaus confirmed an ESPN report that Hilton “still is hoping to get a (multiyear) contract extension done with the team before the season.”

Mike Hilton made it clear last season he wanted a multiyear contract. The #Steelers cornerback did not get one, but after another solid season, he finds himself in a similar spot. https://t.co/nVdaWrjIEF

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) January 7, 2020

Hilton has served as the Steelers’ top nickel defensive back for each of the past three seasons, though his grip on the spot at times has been perilous. Considered one of the NFL’s top tacklers among those listed at cornerback, the 5-9, 184-pound Hilton has missed only one game since first making the 53-man roster at the break of the 2017 training camp.

Hilton appeared in 62.5% of the Steelers’ defensive snaps last season. The modern NFL utilizes packages with three cornerbacks on roughly two-third of plays. Cameron Sutton, at times, was used in the slot in place of Hilton. But the Steelers have no other obvious replacement for him.

Last year at this time, Hilton was not signing his exclusive rights tender. It was largely ceremonial because ERFA’s have little leverage in negotiations. But Hilton and Rosenhaus made it be known they believed Hilton was worth more.

#Steelers OL Matt Feiler takes road less traveled to NFL careerhttps://t.co/3AgKDfX9cn

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) July 17, 2019

Feiler, who has started 25 of the Steelers’ past 26 games, made $645,000 in 2019. He will turn 28 next month prior to the start of what is scheduled to be his seventh training camp. The first three of those ended with him being cut and placed on a practice squad.

The 6-foot-6, 330-pound alumnus of Division II Bloomsburg made the Steelers’ 53-man roster in 2017 and became their starter at right tackle early the following season. All but one of his 27 starts the past two seasons have been at right tackle; Feiler was at left guard for the Week 10 game against the Los Angeles Rams last season.

Though he is a two-year incumbent at right tackle, the Steelers’ longtime starting left guard, Ramon Foster, retired. The Steelers signed Stefan Wisniewski and drafted Kevin Dotson as possible Foster replacements, but another option is moving Feiler to his old spot and letting Chuks Okorafor and Zach Banner compete for the starting right tackle job.

Feiler has shown capable at both line spots. Last season, he was rated as the NFL’s 15^th highest-rated tackle per the subjective analysis of Pro Football Focus. Per PFF, only six of the 21 tackles who played as many snaps as he did last season allowed fewer than the four sacks he allowed.

Hey, Steelers Nation, get the latest news about the Pittsburgh Steelers here.