Restructure Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt
While none of the options on this list are a sure thing, restructuring Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt would be a simple way to clear just over 11 million dollars from the salary cap. Restructuring deals has become a staple of the Steelers, as it clears up cap space this year by kicking some of that hit down the road. Considering both players are coming off excellent years though, there shouldn’t be much risk with a move like this.
Restructuring Tuitt would give him a large-cap hit next year but given that he will be entering the final year of his current deal then, the team can get him a new deal that will lower that overall hit. As for Heyward, the veteran is a little older, and kicking the cap hit down the road could be an issue later on. That said, Heyward has shown no signs of slowing down, making him a safe player to invest in.
This move is the most obvious for the Steelers as it doesn’t involve either player being cut to get cap relief. As well, restructuring both would create the second-highest cap gain for the team behind Roethlisberger. This seems like a no brainer, and a move that should happen shortly after the new league year begins. The real question will be what else they have to do in order to get cap compliant.
The Steelers will be forced to make quite a few tough decisions this offseason. While the above are some of the easier ways to clear out a lot of cap space, it doesn’t mean the team will be able to part with all of this talent. At this point, the team needs to be hoping for a middle of the pack salary cap if they want to avoid some franchise-altering decisions on this roster.