The Steelers are set to release experienced slot CB Arthur Maulet, according to a report by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Maulet was in the second year of a two-year deal with the team that he signed after the 2021 season. Being with the team for two seasons, Maulet started 8 games, including 6 in 2022 with the team in the slot. He rotated with Cam Sutton as the run-down slot cornerback, but now, they are both gone.
In his tenure with the team, Maulet racked up one interception, 4 pass deflections, 2 forced fumbles, and 106 tackles overall. The Steelers signed Chandon Sullivan right during the NFL Draft and he is now in line to be the likely starter at slot cornerback. Sullivan played previously with the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings.
Sullivan, 26, is a five-year NFL veteran. The 5-foot-11, 189-pound cornerback first joined the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent from Georgia State in 2018, where he played for current Steelers assistant general manager Andy Weidl. In those five seasons in the NFL, Sullivan played over 2000 snaps inside at the slot.
After cutting Maulet, the Steelers are likely to save only around $1 million in cap space after the roster displacement. So, it seems that this move was not cap space motivated, but rather that the team simply wanted to go a different direction after two seasons with Maulet in the slot.
The Steelers have opened up another roster spot by doing this move now ahead of the rookie minicamp, however, it certainly seems possible that the team could add another slot cornerback. Other options include Patrick Peterson, who has expressed interest in playing there, and Tre Norwood, who is a Swiss army knife that has played all around the offense. Still, the team has no concrete player that teams should feel comfortable with yet, so this could be a place where a move is made.