5 reasons why the Steelers are winners in signing Haskins

Cost

While many wouldn’t expect it, backup quarterbacks can earn quite the pretty penny in the NFL. Last year, Marcus Mariota, Case Keenum, and Chase Daniel all earned salaries averaging between 4.35-8.8 million a season for the sole purpose of being backups. Even the lower end guys can see 1.5-2.5 million per season. For a team that will be as cap-strapped as the Steelers, it would have been nearly impossible to bring in a veteran at the position due to the cost.

Haskins has more than likely alleviated that issue. While the financials of his contract aren’t finalized yet, it would be surprising if he was making more than the minimum salary in 2021. That equates to a cap hit of 850 thousand, a steal for a backup quarterback. Haskins cheap contract is a huge selling point in him being added to the team. Better yet, if he does stick on the roster, the Steelers should have control over him at a reasonable price for the next two seasons. Next year, he should still be a RFA, meaning the team will have control over the contract situation with him

That means that if he shows some progress, the team can keep him on the roster at a reasonable rate for the next two seasons. For a team that will be looking for a new franchise quarterback, having Haskins under control for a few seasons reasonably is great. Even if he doesn’t become the franchise quarterback for the Steelers, he could easily be a backup or a transitional option for the team.