Steelers Set To Take Advantage Of Key Cap Casualties League-Wide During 2026 Offseason

The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to have some tough roster decisions to make throughout the rest of the 2026 offseason, as will the 31 other teams across the league. Organizations are trying to take advantage of the cap space they do have while also creating more, and that comes from getting out of some bad contracts that are on the books. For example, cutting a player who would save money against the cap for the next season that also underperformed in the season prior would fit this mold. It is called a "cap casualty," and nearly every team has one throughout each offseason.

Pittsburgh's cap casualty during the 2026 offseason is almost certainly going to be tight end Jonnu Smith. The franchise can save approximately $7 million by cutting the tight end while also opening up some snaps for Pat Freiermuth. Moving on from Smith is seemingly the necessary move for the Steelers to make, and the organization should also look around the league at some of the other players that could get released. The team is going to have some gaps to fill in the secondary, along the defensive line, at left guard, and the offense could use some more weapons. The Athletic projected one cap casualty from each team on Monday morning, and the following list is full of players that the Steelers could use.

A'Shawn Robinson

The Steelers did a good job contributing to the defensive line through the 2025 NFL Draft, and the organization will probably look to do that again in 2026, but adding some players through free agency to make an immediate impact will be important. A'Shawn Robinson fits that mold. 

His contract puts General Manager Dan Morgan and the Carolina Panthers in a tough spot, and according to Joseph Person of The Athletic, Robinson is a strong cut candidate.

"If the Panthers move on from Robinson, it will be because of money, not a lack of production," Person wrote. "He had 5.5 sacks his first season in Carolina, and last year ranked among the top 10 defensive linemen in the league in run stops. But the Panthers aren’t flush with cap space and signed two defensive tackles last year, giving Tershawn Wharton a three-year, $45 million contract. Cutting Robinson in the final year of his deal would create $10.5 million in cap room, with $2.1 million in dead money. They could ask him to take a pay cut instead."

The Panthers already have too much money invested into the interior of the defensive line, which makes Robinson the odd man out. If the two sides can't work out a pay cut, he could hit the open market. Pittsburgh should consider adding him on a short-term deal.

Ben Powers

One of the bigger holes Pittsburgh will need to address is at left guard. Adding a left guard will probably happen through free agency, and the organization should at least bring in someone to compete with Spencer Anderson for the starting job. It seems unlikely the Steelers will bring back Isaac Seumalo, who has been the starting left guard for the franchise for the last three years.

Ben Powers has been a pretty good left guard for the Denver Broncos, but he suffered a pretty serious bicep injury during the 2025 season. He missed a large chunk of games, and it allowed the franchise to evaluate other players at the position. His large cap hit might not seem worth it anymore, and he could be released. He is a good, veteran option for Pittsburgh to consider to replace Seumalo.

Steelers Could Reunite With James Conner

Pittsburgh adding a running back from the free agent market is not out of the question. Kenneth Gainwell might choose to go elsewhere after testing his market, which could lead the franchise to wanting to bring in another veteran. James Conner could be that guy. He is nearing the end of his career and might welcome a hometown discount to return to Pittsburgh, and his cap hit with the Arizona Cardinals might be too much to overlook. He is coming off an injury, and his time with the franchise could be coming to a close.

Other names to potentially consider include Kyler Murray, Ezra Cleveland, and L'Jarius Sneed.

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