The Pittsburgh Steelers salary cap situation has slightly improved since the end of the season. While the retirements of Maurkice Pouncey and Vance McDonald have left big needs at center and tight end, the Steelers saved a whopping $13.2 million in cap space with their departures. This coupled with the $4.9M in cap space being rolled over to the 2021 season puts the Steelers in a very workable spot with free agency just a month away. The Steelers aren't out of hot water yet as there is still plenty of work to be done. While it is rumored the salary cap will settle somewhere between $180-$185M, Spotrac puts the Steelers somewhere between $14-$19M over the cap depending where the final number ends up. The Steelers could find themselves nearly even after the eventual conclusion to the Ben Roethislisberger saga. While Roethlisberger has said he wants to play and money doesn't matter, the Steelers still need to make a deal that works for them. If Roethlisberger were to retire or be cut, the Steelers would save $19M putting them right at the cap, while an extension/restructure would depend on the contract agreed upon. Even after Roethlisberger is taken care of, there will still be room to be made to sign some free agents like Zach Banner, Cam Sutton, Mike Hilton, and others. Veteran players like David DeCastro, Stephon Tuitt, and Steven Nelson could be individuals the Steelers come to the help ease their cap burden further. I would expect Roethlisberger and the Steelers to come to a decision in the next week as they were supposed to meet this week. Contract restructures and agreements won't get done until the final salary cap number is given by the NFL.
Who are some cap casualties you can see happening #SteelerNation? Drop a comment below!
