3 easiest salary cap decisions Pittsburgh Steelers can make in 2023

1. Steelers could save $12.1 million by cutting William Jackson III

I’m not sure any team in the NFL has an easier salary cap decision to make than the Pittsburgh Steelers do with William Jackson III. The veteran cornerback was traded to the Steelers just before the deadline in a late-round pick-swap trade, but because he didn’t play, he didn’t cost Pittsburgh a thing.

However, that price tag is about to skyrocket to the moon if they don’t cut him before the 2023 season. Jackson has an outrageous cap number of $12.17 million for the 2023 season, and they could save every penny of that by releasing him.

The Steelers won’t have to think twice here. Jackson never played a snap for them due to a lingering back injury. Even before he was traded, Jackson struggled in Washington since 2021 and he hasn’t had a respectable season since 2020.

At 30 years old and set to have the fifth-highest salary cap number on the team in 2023, there is simply no reason the Pittsburgh Steelers should keep him around. They could instantly clear up $12 million with Jackson’s release and throw that money back into a quality free agent. This is the easiest decision this team could make in 2023.