Steelers Will Absolutely Be Back In Cap Trouble Initially In 2024

Omar Khan and the Pittsburgh Steelers have had a very busy offseason. They had a very active free agency period in 2023, and part of that was due to the level of cap flexibility they had in the offseason. However, it's safe to assume that the Steelers will not have that level of activity again, as the Steelers' backloaded contracts will come into play more in 2024. The Steelers still have just under $12 million in cap space to play with for the rest of 2023, but there is nothing for the Steelers to play with in 2024 yet. 

Steelers Cap Outlook For 2024

For the 2024 season, the Steelers only have just under $655,000 in cap space , which wouldn't even be enough to sign a free agent for one year. This is mostly due to the Steelers signing many players in 2023 and giving them backloaded contracts, meaning that year one's cap hit is less than the rest of the years. Many players will cost more to keep in 2024 as opposed to 2023, including their latest signing. Most numbers used in this article come from Over The Cap's website. 

Alex Highsmith received a four-year extension worth $68 million. In 2023, Highsmith's cap hit will be just above $4.4 million. In 2024, his cap hit will be $13.9 million. That 9.5 million jump is part of the reason that the Steelers are out of cap space for 2024, and that is how it is for nearly everyone else that the Steelers have signed in 2023. While the Los Angeles Rams are eating almost all of Allen Robinson's contract for 2023, they won't touch any of it for 2024, resulting in a roughly $9 million jump in cap hit. 

Of course, there are ways to get around it. The easiest option is to cut cap casualties. Robinson will be a likely cap casualty, as cutting him would save the Steelers $10 million, which would likely be enough to sign everyone that the Steelers will draft in 2024. While it's incredibly unlikely, the Steelers could also cut a team captain and one of the faces of the franchise, with Cameron Heyward saving the team $16 million if he ends up getting cut. That would be a move from desperation mode, however.

There are also restructures that the Steelers like to do. TJ Watt would be a prime restructure candidate with his $30+ million cap hit in 2024. They could free up some money for 2024 with Watt and move it to the rest of the contract. They could always restructure Heyward if they want to keep him after 2023. They could also give out extensions to guys like James Daniels or Diontae Johnson and move some of their 2024 salaries to future years to save money. 

The NFL also has its ways of helping, with the main one being the ability to raise the salary cap every year. With the league already fully recovered from the COVID season, the boost from the YouTube TV partner, as well as the $60 million fine from Dan Snyder selling the Washington Commanders and withholding information and revenue, it's safe to say that the cap will likely continue to go up. 

Khan is used to dealing with cap problems from when he was one of the assistants to Kevin Colbert. Under Colbert, the Steelers had to find ways to maneuver the cap nearly every single year, especially after Ben Roethlisberger received his contract extensions. This time, he will have to maneuver the cap as the lead man. The lack of future cap could potentially effect Khan's strategy for preseason and midseason trades. Either way, he has already done a lot for the Steelers in his first 365 days as general manager, and he will have to face another challenge in the near future. 

What do you think of the Steelers' salary cap situation in 2024? Let us know down in the comments. 

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