It has been a busy couple of days for Steelers news, and looks like the news will get even busier in Pittsburgh with $4 million extra to play with in free agency.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter just broke the news via Twitter that wide receiver Antonio Brown and the Pittsburgh Steelers have come to terms on restructuring his current contract--
Steelers WR Antonio Brown restructured his contract and freed up $4 million worth of cap space for Pittsburgh, per league source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 7, 2014
For the financial breakdown of how this help the Pittsburgh Steelers' salary cap ledger, we turn to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette--
#Steelers turned $5.2M of Brown's $6M 2014 salary into a signing bonus, spread over contract that runs through 2017 — Ed Bouchette (@EdBouchette) March 8, 2014
Antonio Brown also restructured his contract prior to last season, and was scheduled to cost the Pittsburgh Steelers $8.47 million against their salary cap for 2014.
By converting his base salary to $800,000 for this season, along with spreading out his bonus money over the final four years of his contract, the Steelers reduced his salary cap hit to just $4.57 million for the upcoming season.
The restructuring of Antonio Brown's deal comes on the heels of similar deals worked out with safety Troy Polamalu and tight end Heath Miller--along with the releases of tackle Levi Brown and linebacker Larry Foote.
Don't be surprised, Steelers news fans, if the cuts and the restructuring continue as the beginning of free agency approaches on Tuesday.
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