The Steelers have a call to make on cornerback Artie Burns’ contract option for the 2020 season and it looks like they’re going to let him head into the 2019 season without any ties to next year.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports that the team is expected to pass on exercising the fifth-year option on Burns’ contract.
It’s not a great surprise that the Steelers are moving in that direction. Burns lost his starting job last season and the team would be on the hook for a contract worth just under $10 million if they exercised the option.
Burns remains on the roster and could play his way into a new deal with Pittsburgh over the coming months, but the arrival of third-round pick Justin Layne puts another player in his way when it comes to earning playing time in 2019.