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Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert was on 93.7 The Fan this morning and one of the topics that he addressed was the Steelers not placing the fifth-year option on strong safety Terrell Edmunds.
According to Andrew Filipponi of 93.7 The Fan, Colbert said that declining the fifth-year option on Edmunds was all based on the salary cap and not performance. "We thought last year was his best season," Colbert said.
The Steelers have already placed the fifth-year option on free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, which was a no-brainer as he made the Pro Bowl and was named first-team All-Pro the last two seasons. Since Fitzpatrick has made two Pro Bowls in his career, he'll earn $10.621 million on the fifth-year option. Edmunds would have made $6,753,000 on the fifth-year option. So, it makes sense from the Steelers' standpoint that they wouldn't want to pay two safeties a decent amount of money.
Edmunds had the best year of his young career in 2020, but he still struggles to make impact plays and force turnovers. In his three years with the Steelers, he's produced just three interceptions.
Jarvis Jones, Artie Burns and Edmunds are the only Steelers first-round picks who have not received the fifth-year option since it was instituted in 2011.