The Steelers have discussed offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert‘s contract with agent Drew Rosenhaus, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. However, those talks are “exploratory” in nature given that Gilbert is currently signed through the 2019 season, per Fowler.
Gilbert, 29, agreed to a five-year, $30MM extension prior to the 2014 campaign — he’s already reworked that deal twice, including just before the 2016 season, when he agreed to convert a portion of his base salary into a signing bonus in order to create cap space for the Steelers. At present, Gilbert has cap charges north of $6.5MM in each of the next three years, including ~$7.3MM for the upcoming season.
“Of course, as a player you like to say you don’t look at the [contractual] numbers — saying that is complete BS,” Gilbert tells Fowler. “But at the same time, you have to go play like you’re worth it. Until they reward you, you have to continue to show that. My thing is, as long as I want to continue to be here, I have to do whatever it is on the field to get better and better every year. That’s my whole focus, just being here, being the best right tackle in the game.”
Gilbert is one of the league’s best right tackles, at least in the opinion of Pro Football Focus, which graded Gilbert as the NFL’s No. 11 tackle among 76 total qualifiers. A former second-round pick, Gilbert has started 75 games over six seasons in Pittsburgh, and last year helped the Steelers offensive line finish third in adjusted line yards and fourth in adjusted sack rate, both Football Outsiders metrics.
He’s truly improved every season of his career to the point where he is solid, reliable and less injury prone.
That entire line is second to only the Cowboys o-line.
If that…