Steelers could be in salary cap heaven for the first time in forever in 2022

The Steelers have had one of the worst salary cap situations for years now, but here’s how that’s all going to change in 2022. 

If you have been following the Steelers for a long time, you know their order of doing business. They have always lived by the philosophy of re-signing their own players and spending little in free agency. Pittsburgh likes to spend close to the salary cap ceiling every year to maintain a competitive roster.

Unfortunately, this can often get them in a bind. Under Kevin Colbert, the Steelers are notorious for backloading the contracts of their players and push dead money into the future in order to keep a roster together that can compete year in and year out. This finally caught up to Pittsburgh in 2021.

Because of the pandemic, the salary cap ceiling took a significant hit this year. According to Over the Cap, that number dropped down to $182.5 million. It was a nightmare for the Steelers to get cap compliant this offseason, and they lost a handful of very good football players in free agency as a result. However, there is good news.

While Pittsburgh’s Super Bowl window with Ben Roethlisberger may be coming to an end, the Steelers can at least look forward to having some real spending money, and for the first time in forever, this team is poised to be in salary cap heaven.

Steelers will be in terrific financial shape in 2022

To begin the 2021 offseason, Pittsburgh was well over the projected cap ceiling. As a result, they were forced to restructure a number of contacts and offer voidable years in an effort to become cap compliant. While the Steelers will be forced to eat some dead money in the future, the good news is that unusable money should be just a drop in the bucket compared to the 2022 salary cap outlook.

As of now, Pittsburgh is projected to have the second-most cap space in the league next year with over $86.4 million in spending money, according to Over the Cap. This trails only the Indianapolis Colts by just $110 thousand. Though the team has a number of expiring contracts next year, this money could certainly go a long way in beginning a rebuild.

It’s very likely that this is the last season for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, and it’s very possible the Steelers could pursue a quarterback in the NFL Draft in 2022. Because of this, it’s good to know that Pittsburgh will have a surplus of money to start building a team for the future.

T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick are going to get paid soon. As two young, All-Pro defenders, their new contracts will eat up a good portion of the team’s available cap space soon, and Minkah’s deal could still be another year away. After this, however, Pittsburgh will be free to spend their money as they choose.

Next year, there are going to be a number of quality players who could be hitting the free-agent market. The Steelers could potentially go out and sign an offensive tackle like Cam Robinson, Taylor Moton, or Ryan Ramczyk, or they could choose to beef up their defense with a linebacker like Leighton Vander Esch or Rashaan Evans, or a cornerback like J.C. Jackson or Marshon Lattimore.

Of course, Pittsburgh could go the traditional route and just choose to lock up a handful of players to long-term extensions before they hit the market. Players like JuJu Smith-Schuster, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Terrell Edmunds are candidates for this.

While it’s unfortunate that Pittsburgh’s time as a legitimate contender could be coming to an end soon, at least we can look forward to them having loads of cap space to work with in 2022. With some smart spending, perhaps they can be back on top again soon.