Steelers' Omar Khan Shows His Genius With Latest Contract Details

The Pittsburgh Steelers were busy on the first day of the legal tampering period as the franchise agreed to terms with several free agents on the market. They started things off by agreeing to terms with cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. After that, the organization made a splash by trading for and extending wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. The trade was extremely beneficial for Pittsburgh as the Indianapolis Colts were just trying to dump his salary. Pittsburgh also added Jamel Dean and Rico Dowdle, and both of those contracts are very team-friendly.

The Steelers are definitely not done bringing in players as there are other holes on the roster that need to be upgraded and addressed, but General Manager Omar Khan has gotten off to a great start. Bringing in talent is always good, but fans will also judge these moves based on the contracts that players are given or what is given up in a certain trade. It was made pretty clear that Khan won the trade for Pittman, but he also gave out some great contracts to both Dean and Dowdle.

This sounds like a contract that the Steelers will be able to get out of if it's necessary at some point, especially during the 2027 offseason. If things go drastically wrong during Dean's first year with the organization, Pittsburgh can release him before the third day of the new league year during the 2027 offseason and save $4 million. 

Dean's cap hit for the 2026 season is just $5.5 million, but that number jumps up in 2027 and 2028. His cap hit is $16 million in 2027 and $15 million in 2028, but Pittsburgh can get out of the deal in either year. In 2027, Dean carries a dead cap charge of $8 million, so he could be released to save the organization $8 million against the cap if the franchise is also willing to pay the dead cap charge. Releasing him in 2028 would be much easier as the majority of his cap hit comes from his base salary. The Steelers will be able to save $11.25 million against the cap for just a $4 million cap charge.

Obviously, organizations want players to play at a high level throughout the entirety of their contract, but that just isn't a reality in some situations. Dean is 29 years old, and he could be a stud for all three seasons, but the Steelers and Khan have built in some sort of contingency plan with his deal. The franchise won't be hurting too bad if the signing does not work out. Making sure that is the case is part of Khan's job as he is mitigating financial risk.

Steelers Got A Steal With Rico Dowdle's Contract

Pittsburgh signed Dowdle on Monday evening, which was not too much of a surprise. He had played under Mike McCarthy with the Dallas Cowboys, and Pittsburgh needed a veteran running back that could potentially replace Kenneth Gainwell. Dowdle should be able to be productive in Pittsburgh, and he signed a two-year deal with the franchise.

Dowdle rushed for over 1,000 yards with the Carolina Panthers in 2025, and he also had nearly 300 yards receiving. He scored seven total touchdowns on the year, and it is a bit surprising that the Steelers were able to sign him at such a low number. Gainwell went for more when he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a two-year deal.

What do you think of these contracts from Khan? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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