The Pittsburgh Steelers are rolling along through the 2024 league year. While reports come in about deals, it can sometimes take a while to know the exact financials within the contract. Relying heavily on reliable salary cap websites such as overthecap.com (OTC) or spotrac.com, when they are able to report a player’s contract numbers over the specific years I then update the salary cap situation with a more precise number.

Remember, to determine how much each player changes the Steelers’ salary cap space, their cap number must be adjusted due to roster displacement. As a reminder, roster displacement is taking into account only the top 51 contracts for a team count towards the salary cap during the offseason. As a larger contract comes on the books, it bumps a smaller contract out of the top 51. Therefore, it’s only the difference in those contracts that increases the salary cap number.

Since the last cap update, OTC has reported four salaries for new players on the Steelers. First, the Steelers signed their 2024 first-round draft pick of Troy Fautano to his four-year deal. The deal is fully guaranteed with a $7,769,304 signing bonus split up over the four years of the contract. With a prorated bonus of $1,942,326, which is added to his $975 K base salary, it gives him a cap number in 2024 of $2,737,326.  Displacing the final $985 K salary out of the top 51, Fautanu reduces the Steelers salary cap space by just over $1.75 million.

The other three players who were added to the Steelers offseason roster since the last salary cap update do not fall in the top 51 contracts. Most notably is the return of cornerback Cam Sutton who qualifies for a veteran salary benefit contract where he will make a $1.125 million base salary but only count $985 K against the salary cap. With no bonus as a part of his contract, it does not land in the top 51 salaries. These are also the identical numbers for defensive back Grayland Arnold.

The fourth player, wide receiver Jaray Jenkins, is in his first year in the NFL and signed for a base salary of $795 K.

Here is the approximate breakdown of the Steelers salary cap space after some of the most recent deals by my own calculations. The numbers below are strictly the salary cap hit for each player in 2024.

Steelers salary cap space heading into free agency: Approximately $24.7 million

Breiden Fehoko: Reported $1.055 million; After displacement: -$0.26 million
Cameron Johnston: Reported $2.083333 million; After displacement: -$1.288333 million
Patrick Queen: Reported $6.113333 million; After displacement: -$5.297224 million
Diontae Johnson: Saves $10 million; No displacement: +$10 million
Donte Jackson: Currently $10.5225; No displacement: -$10.5225 million
Russell Wilson: Reported $1.21 million; After displacement: -$0.295 million
Miles Killebrew: Reported $2.255 million; After displacement: -$1.34 million
Christian Kuntz: Reported $1.163333 million; After displacement: -$0.248333 million
DeShon Elliott: Reported $2.25 million; After displacement: -$1.335 million
Montravius Adams: Reported $2.125 million; After displacement: -$1.21 million
Kenny Pickett: Netted gain of $0.131099 million; No displacement: +$0.131099 million
Van Jefferson: Reported $1.1525 million; After displacement: -$0.2375 million
Justin Fields: Cap hit of $3.233448 million; No displacement: -$3.233448 million
Donte Jackson: New deal saving $4.5225 million; No displacement: +$4.5225
Quez Watkins: Reported $1.1525 million; After displacement: -$0.2375 million
Kyle Allen: Reported $1.1525 million; After displacement: -$0.2375 million
Dean Lowry: Reported $1.875 million; After displacement: -$0.96 million
Cordarrelle Patterson: Reported $2.25 million; After displacement: -$1.335 million
MyCole Pruitt: Reported $1.035 million; After displacement: -$0.100554 million
Matthew Wright: Reported $1.055 million; After displacement: -$0.07 million
Alex Highsmith: Restructure saving a reported $7.206 million; No displacement: +$7.206 million
Ryan Watts: Reported $840,671; No in top 51: -$0
Logan Lee: Reported $850,018; No in top 51: -$0
Mason McCormick: Reported $986,224; After displacement: -$0.001224 million
Payton Wilson: Reported $1.017511 million; After displacement: -$0.032511 million
Roman Wilson: Reported $1.044576 million; After displacement: -$0.059576 million
Scotty Miller: Reported $1.1525 million; After displacement: -$0.1675 million
Anthony Averett: Reported $985,000; No in top 51: -$0
La’Mical Perine: Reported $1.055 million; After displacement: -$0.07 million
Jonathan Ward: Reported $985,000; No in top 51: -$0
Izaiah Gathings: Reported $750,000; No in top 51: -$0
Troy Fautanu: Reported $2.737326 million; After displacement: -$1.752326 million
Cam Sutton: Reported $985,000; No in top 51: -$0
Grayland Arnold: Reported $985,000; No in top 51: -$0
Jaray Jenkins: Reported $750,000; No in top 51: -$0

Approximate salary cap space: Approximately $16.26 million

So how does my salary cap number compare to those reported by the major salary cap websites?

According to overthecap.com (OTC), the Steelers are $16,262,216 under the salary cap. Having all the same contracts, we have the exact same number.

Another credible salary cap website is spotrac.com, which has the Steelers at $15,806,179. Spotrac does not have the Arnold or Jenkins contracts added and has a slightly different number for Alex Highsmith’s restructure. Other differences are they do not have the offseason workouts counting against the salary cap. Additionally, Spotrac counts the potential dead money hit for players not in the top 51.

Another place where I confirm salary cap information is the NFLPA public salary cap report. It does not offer a breakdown but simply an amount. Their current cap space for the Steelers is $16,997,174. In their calculations, they do not yet have the offseason workouts and they count the potential dead money from players outside of the top 51. Taking into account those two discrepancies, we have the same number.

While the Steelers are going to need cap space for a number of things this offseason, it doesn’t have to be at this time. The Steelers will need as much as an additional $13.4 million, with $13 million not needed until September. The Steelers are estimated to still need just under $390 K to sign their last draft pick after displacement based on OTC’s estimates. Expenses in September include when they need to account for all 53 players on the roster (about $1.75 million), sign their practice squad (between $4 million and $4.5 million), and have some carryover in order to do business throughout the year (about $7 million). But even taking these things into effect now, which they do not need to do as there are other moves which could be made to save some cap space, the Steelers have plenty of room in order to still be active in acquiring players.

Does something not make sense? Curious about any of the specifics? Leave your questions in the comments below and I will check in and do my best to answer them.