The Pittsburgh Steelers have converted $8.26M of linebacker Ryan Shazier's $8.718M base salary for 2018 into a signing bonus, according to a league source.
In doing so, Shazier will receive this money immediately, a solid gesture by the organization for a beloved player throughout Pittsburgh.
Shazier continues to rehab and recover from a spinal injury suffered last season in a game against the Bengals. While his football career remains in doubt at this point, he's made notable progress, including an inspiring moment in which he walked across the stage to announce a team draft choice during the 2018 NFL Draft last week.