The Steelers have freed up some cap space entering the summer.
According to a report from PennLive’s Nick Farabaugh, Pittsburgh has restructured tight end Pat Freiermuth’s contract by converting some of his salary into a signing bonus.
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“He’s basically getting paid nearly $6M in a lump sum,” Farabaugh wrote in a reply on X. “It just pushed his cap hit up in future years to give short-term relief.”
NFL signing bonuses are prorated through future years of the contract, meaning that Freiermuth’s $11.2 million cap hit in 2026 decreased by a few million, although his future cap hits — 12.1 million and 10.5 million in 2027 and 2028, respectively — went up slightly.
After signing quarterback Aaron Rodgers to a one-year deal with a $22.5 million cap hit in 2026, the Steelers had the second-least cap space in the NFL per Spotrac at just $3.12 million.
Restructuring Freiermuth likely isn’t foreshadowing a big move from the Pittsburgh front office, but rather giving the team a bit more cap wiggle room heading into the summer.
