Veteran wide receiver Levi Wallace of the Steelers accepts his impending free agency
Between the conclusion of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ playoff defeat in Buffalo and his bedtime on January 15, Levi Wallace had already shifted his focus to non-football affairs.
“I was already sending out messages yesterday and getting ready for this golf tournament that my foundation has,” Wallace stated on January 16.
“It goes without saying that you want to play on and win the Super Bowl, but that’s just not our reality. I then focus on how I can be there for my family and where I can give back to the community.
Wallace intended to go back to his hometown of Tucson, Arizona, where he was raised. In addition, the Levi Wallace Foundation’s headquarters are located there. The organization was founded three years ago, and Wallace’s mother is the president. A board of directors oversees the organization while Wallace is playing NFL cornerback in the Northeast.
We give away scholarships, but we also invest in the community,” Wallace remarked, beaming that he could talk about his charitable work instead of the Steelers season’s conclusion. “Just try to help kids who are less fortunate than most people get into college, especially if they are from Tucson, where everyone has a low income. Our goal is to provide children with as many opportunities as possible to attend college and gain experience.
Wallace’s attention will be diverted from football until the foundation’s Levi Wallace Golf For Good fundraiser on March 2 in Phoenix.
Wallace’s second career unrestricted free agent status will begin nine days later, barring a contract extension between him and the Steelers before then. Wallace, who stands 6 feet 179 pounds, recently finished a two-year, $8 million contract.
He doesn’t mind waiting for his free agency.
“You know what I mean, it’s just the business?” stated Wallace. “You sign a contract, it expires, and the issue of free agency arises.”
Wallace’s attention will be diverted from football until the foundation’s Levi Wallace Golf For Good fundraiser on March 2 in Phoenix.
Since Wallace signed a contract with Pittsburgh, a lot has changed in his position room. Starting players Cameron Sutton and Ahkello Witherspoon were gone by 2023; Patrick Peterson and Joey Porter Jr. took their place. Wallace was demoted from an every-down starter at outside cornerback to a subpackage defender by December, coinciding with Porter’s rise to prominence this past season.
However, Wallace proved his worth when, following Peterson’s move to safety to address attrition at that position, he once more established himself as an every-down outside wide receiver during a regular season-ending three-game winning streak.
Next season, Peterson will turn 34, and it’s possible that he’ll permanently switch to safety. If he does, Porter’s starting outside corner will be without a plug-in replacement for the Steelers.
Wallace, who will turn 29 in June, has started 70 of the 82 games he has played in during his six-year career, which began with the Buffalo Bills. They could do much worse than Wallace.
Though being targeted more frequently than Porter (per Pro Football Focus) probably contributed to that and does not necessarily speak well of Wallace, Wallace actually tied for the team lead in interceptions and passes defended with two and eleven, respectively.
But Porter is already the Steelers’ undisputed CB1, so they don’t need anyone to be better. What they need is a veteran to cover for 2023 rookies Darius Rush and Cory Trice, should they not be prepared to take the field.
Wallace is a free agent, so naturally, much like coach Mike Tomlin stated of Mason Rudolph, he might find a better opportunity elsewhere for 2024.
If accurate, the Steelers received a lot of value for their $8 million investment during the 2022 and 2023 campaigns, including a team-high six interceptions, 86 tackles, and 24 passes defensed in 31 games.
Wallace remarked, “The last two years with the Steelers have been really good under Coach T.” “Being in this locker room has been a blessing, and I will feel even more blessed if I play for a different team the following season.” I will feel the same blessings of being able to play professional football if I return here.
