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Offensive lineman Alejandro Villanueva is locked in a difficult contract situation with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The exclusive-rights free agent faces two more years of contractual control from the Steelers, but he hasn’t signed his tender in hopes of landing a long-term extension.
With the Steelers guaranteed two more years of his services at a controlled cost, Villanueva has very little leverage to land a deal, making this an unusual standoff. However, he’s got one vocal teammate in his corner.
Marcus Gilbert, who starts opposite Villanueva at right tackle, was adamant about Villanueva getting some long-term security, according to a story from Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Friday.
“He’s very deserving of it,” Gilbert said of Villanueva. “He’s one of those guys who comes to work and doesn’t say much. The guys love him. He brings that energy. With his potential, his ceiling is even higher. I hope we get it done so he has some type of assurance, so he doesn’t have to go into a season worrying about a contract.
“That playing in your head, it kind of affects you. You never know what can happen.”
Unlike most players in Villanueva’s position, he’ll turn 29 this offseason, and waiting two years to see the sort of payday that can set his family up for life is a dangerous gamble. The former Army wide receiver went undrafted, and in 2010 and surfaced in the NFL on the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squad as a defensive end.
When he was released by the Eagles, the Steelers signed him and put him on the practice squad, converting him to offensive tackle. When Kelvin Beachum went down with a torn left ACL in 2015, Villanueva stepped in and has since developed into a dependable blindside protector.
The Steelers seem willing to give Villanueva some additional security, but the hang-up right now appears to be related to the numbers. Even average left tackles are making $10 million a year, and Villanueva has shown the potential to be a significantly above-average player.
However, with other players, including Le’Veon Bell, Ryan Shazier and Stephon Tuitt, in the market for long-term deals in the next calendar year, the Steelers are hoping to come to some sort of compromise for giving up the two years of cheap control they have remaining over Villanueva.
Both sides remain amicable, but the longer the process drags out the bigger an issue it becomes. So you can bet that Gilbert isn’t the only person in Pittsburgh hoping that something gets done soon.
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