In a recent article, I detailed the relatively small first-year cap hit of recent big-money contracts from around the league to show that signing a big-money player is feasible without immediately destroying the Steelers’ salary cap. Four-year and five-year contracts have a first-year cap hit of about 10% of the total value of the deal, while a 15% first-year hit can be expected from a three-year signing.
These big contracts can easily be fit under the current year’s cap with a few current contracts being restructured. Now, let’s take a look at how back-loaded contracts like these would affect the Steelers’ salary cap going forward in 2025 and beyond.