The Pittsburgh Steelers announced earlier today that they have signed Maurkice Pouncey to a five-year, $44 million extension. The extension will not only allow the Steelers to keep Pouncey in the fold for the next six seasons, it will make Pouncey the richest player at his position in the NFL.
In fact, no center has ever received such a lucrative contract in NFL history.
To put it in perspective, Pouncey’s deal not only pays him more than the Cleveland Browns Alex Mack, his $13 million signing bonus was more than the San Francisco 49ers Colin Kaepernick received in his recent contract extension.
Yes, you read that correctly. The Steelers just gave a center a larger signing bonus than a quarterback that many people consider to be one of the top young QB’s in the NFL.
On the surface, one might conclude that the Steelers made a savvy move that will lock up a player many regard to be one of the best interior linemen in the NFL. Others might question whether or not this deal is money wisely spent.
Place me in the camp that has some questions.
Though many will argue that Pouncey’s injury history is overblown, and that missing the entire 2013 campaign with a torn ACL was an anomaly, paint me as one of the people out there with some worries.
Sure, Pouncey had only missed three regular season games in his first three seasons, but that to me only tells part of the story. The reality is injuries seem to follow Pouncey very early in his career. Though they don’t seem to be the nagging ones that often come to players who are out of shape, like chronic hamstring or groin issues, Pouncey does seem to deal with more injuries than you would like.
Is it just a sequence of bad luck, or should Pouncey’s track record of being banged up and dealing with tricky ankles more than anyone would like, especially at nearly $9 million per season, be reason for concern?
At 25, you would like to think a player that you have committed a significant cap number to can stay on the field and show the ability to be more durable.
Did the Steelers learn anything from the LaMarr Woodley contract? Woodley, who did not have the same reputation for injury as Pouncey, signed a massive deal with the Steelers at the same age, and it left the franchise in a serious bind financially, all while Woodley spent much of the past three seasons in a grey sweatsuit on the sidelines.
Is it fair to judge the Pouncey extension solely on the probability of injury, or on the disappointments of the Woodley extension after the fact? Of course not, but it’s certainly something that has to be considered.
Another consideration is even though Pouncey received a lot of accolades in his first three seasons, I have to wonder out loud, has he really been that great?
There have been some not so subtle whispers that Pouncey has lived off of reputation as much as his actual production on the field. After an outstanding rookie campaign, Pouncey’s play has suffered the following two seasons. Yes, he made consecutive Pro Bowls in those two years, but was it because of production or reputation?
I for one, felt that Pouncey’s replacement, Fernando Valasco, actually outplayed Pouncey before his Achilles tear in Week 13 against the Ravens. With that in mind, Valasco is a unsigned free agent, while Pouncey is getting paid a ton of money. Cause for alarm for the Steelers long term?
It could be cause for alarm is Pouncey is unable to stay healthy and productive. Money used to sign Pouncey will make signing players like Cortez Allen and Jason Worilds all the more difficult. With little depth at CB and OLB, this could be a significant issue after this season.
One final issue is though Pouncey has never been accused of committing a crime, his close association to former teammate and roommate, accused murderer Aaron Hernandez, makes yours truly a little worried. Who can forget that unfortunate picture of the Pouncey brothers in their “Free Hernandez” hats?
Can it be forgotten that former Steeler Chris Rainey, cut by the Steelers after a long track record of unacceptable behavior, was a childhood friend of Pouncey, and it was Pouncey who reportedly gave the Steelers a ringing endorsement of Rainey before he was drafted?
Putting all these factors together, and both Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin better be sure the rewards of these long-term extension or worth the potential risks.
If not, both men might have some serious questions to answer.
