Free Agent Kelvin Beachum On Passing Up Deal Last Off-Season: 'No Regrets At All'
PITTSBURGH (93-7 The FAN) - Left tackle Kelvin Beachum decided to bet on himself last off-season when he turned down a contract extension from the Steelers despite having just one year left on his previous deal.
That decision came back to hurt Beachum as he suffered a season-ending knee injury and now is headed into free agency.
Beachum joined the Starkey and Mueller show to talk about this decision and how he feels about it now.
"No regrets at all," Beachum said. "At the same time, I have to make sure that I take care of my family and my legacy."
Given that he doesn't have a deal right now, Beachum describes what sort of contract he'll be looking for next year and if he'd be willing to sign a one-year deal to try and cash in after the next season.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," he says. "My only focus right now is taking care of my body and taking care of my family."
When asked if he has received any sort of vibe from the Steelers about them wanting him back or letting him go, Beachum said that's up to them.
"You'll have to ask Kevin Colbert and Coach Tomlin. I think everybody wants to be back, but I mean, it just depends on, you know, how the numbers fit, how things will fit in their eyes and we'll roll from there," he said.
Alejandro Villanueva did a good job filling in for Beachum by most measures, and Beachum tells us what he thought about Villanueva and how the two of them still worked together.
"At the end of the day, we're a team. We win as a team, we lose as a team," Beachum said. "Whether I'm playing or not, whether I'm hurt or not, I was there to be able to help when I could if I was traveling, being able to give him pointers, being able to tell him 'Al, you might need to change this up."
