The Pittsburgh Steelers lost their third free agent of the early portions of the offseason yesterday when inside linebacker L.J. Fort agreed to a three-year contract to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles that, if fully realized, would pay him a total of $10 million.
That is a substantial windfall for a player in his circumstances, who since being a college free agent in 2012 has earned less than $3 million. That is only one of the reasons that it’s hard to blame him for taking the deal and leaving Pittsburgh, which has been his home since 2015.