3 easiest salary cap decisions Pittsburgh Steelers can make in 2023
By Tommy Jaggi
The Pittsburgh Steelers will try to bolster their roster in 2023, and these are the three easiest salary cap decisions they could make to free up additional spending money.
The NFL recently informed teams that the 2023 salary cap will increase to a record $224.8 million in 2023, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. This is a significant boost from the $208.2 million cap ceiling last year. This decision impacts a team like the Pittsburgh Steelers who currently sit just above positive money, according to Over the Cap.
The big jump in the 2023 salary cap helps, but this by itself certainly isn’t enough for the Steelers to go out and spend big in free agency… not without other moves at least. Fortunately, there are a couple of ways Pittsburgh could free up significant money prior to the start of the 2023 free agency period. Here are the three easiest salary cap moves they could possibly make in 2023.
3. Steelers can save $8 million by cutting Mitch Trubisky
This is a move I wouldn’t even think twice about doing. Kevin Colbert signed Mitch Trubisky to a sizeable two-year contract last offseason in hopes of offering security at the position immediately following the Ben Roethlisberger era. Unfortunately, the six-year veteran and former second overall pick was benched just three-and-a-half games into the season for Kenny Pickett.
Trubisky isn’t a terrible football player by any means, but he’s certainly not worth the $10.625 million cap number attached to his name for the 2023 season. Because of the way his deal was structured, the Steelers could instantly save $8 million by cutting him.
While the Steelers would have to factor in displacement cost after signing another veteran quarterback to backup Pickett, they should be able to do so for pennies on the dollar. They may even get an upgrade in the process. Additionally, Trubisky probably isn’t going to want to stay in Pittsburgh knowing he has no shot at a future here. This is one of the easiest cap decisions this team could make in 2023.