Black Friday is synonymous with unbelievable shopping deals and vicious crowds hunting for the perfect deal. While Thanksgiving gets the natural hype for the copious amounts of food, Black Friday presents the drama of desperate shoppers hunting for a steal. Thankfully, the Pittsburgh Steelers already have some bargains on their team.
While the season hasn’t gone the way that many fans hoped it would, some core players are exceeding expectations at a fraction of the price. The Steelers don’t need to go Black Friday shopping, as they already have some fine bargains on the team.
Please note that for this list, rookie deals are being excluded. It would be far too easy to list the copious young contributors who are playing on naturally cheap rookie deals. Instead, these have to be guys on their second contract to qualify.
With that said, here are the four best bargain players on the Steelers roster.
The Pittsburgh Steelers already have these four players on discount deals on Black Friday
Steelers Black Friday Steal: James Pierre
2025 Cap Hit: $1.17 Million
For the longest time, James Pierre was the butt of a lot of Steelers jokes. While he garnered a lot of hype as an undrafted rookie, his play on defense never developed. A core special teams player, it seemed like that was his NFL future when Pittsburgh brought him back on a veteran minimum deal.
Forced into action due to numerous injuries, Pierre has stood out. While Joey Porter has been the best cornerback in the room, you could argue that Pierre is second-best. Jalen Ramsey struggled as an outside cornerback but has looked great as a safety. Darius Slay, meanwhile, has been a major disappointment.
While Pierre is playing on a dirt-cheap contract this year, all of that will change next season. He should garner a healthy pay increase as both a core special teams player and an ascending defender. He is certainly a great bargain on this team right now.
Steelers Black Friday Steal: Chris Boswell
2025 Cap Hit: $4.72 Million
Chris Boswell should be the highest-paid kicker in the NFL. However, the Steelers don’t extend contracts until there is only one year left on a deal. Thus, Boswell still gets to be a great value for this team despite an already healthy contract.
Boswell has been one of the best to do it in recent years, serving as a clutch kicker that gives the team confidence that they will earn points whenever they are in his range. Until he resets the kicker market, Boswell will remain a steal on this team.
Steelers Black Friday Steal: Kenneth Gainwell
2025 Cap Hit: $1.79 Million
A rare one-year deal for more than the minimum for the Steelers, Kenneth Gainwell has been a chess piece for this struggling offense. While he can’t handle a full workload, he is a savvy complement and rotational piece.
He shines as a receiver, serving as both a security blanket and a yards-after-catch threat. While his rushes are hot and cold, he has the speed to break off a big run at a moment's notice.
He has done far more than just supplement the starter. He has developed a key role unique to him. All of this for under two million dollars is an outstanding bargain.
Steelers Black Friday Steal: Jaylen Warren
2025 Cap Hit: $3.083 Million
There is currently no better bargain on the Steelers than Jaylen Warren. The former undrafted free agent went from afterthought to contributor, to co-starter, and now to full-time lead back in just four seasons.
His deal came as a bit of a surprise this offseason. Not because the team didn’t want him, but because he signed so cheaply over multiple years. The Steelers are already benefiting from this deal immensely.
Warren has been the most consistent and talented player on offense this year. All of that for a minuscule cap hit on an extremely cheap deal is worth celebrating. No matter what you buy today, it will pale in comparison to the deal the Steelers got with Warren.