Good news. Casey Hampton, the anchor of so many great Steeler defenses, was signed to a three-year contract earlier this morning.
The deal is worth over $21 million over a three year stretch. Hampton, 33, played all nine seasons of his career with the Steelers.
Reaction: I’m never in favor of handing out lucrative deals to 33 year olds, but this was really the Steelers only option here. If they let Hampton walk, there would be nobody on the roster even capable of doing a Big Snack impression over the course of an entire season. If they franchise him, Hampton is pissed off for the season and probably leaves at the first chance he can get. I doubt the Steelers are able to groom a replacement over the course of just one season too.
The Steelers are certainly in “win now” mode and there aren’t many nose tackles better than Hampton. Sooner or later, they’ll have to draft and start grooming a replacement, but this move makes sense for the next couple seasons.
