Updated Steelers cap space ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers try to make the most of their cap space each offseason. Unlike many NFL franchises, they are not afraid to spend to the extent of their salary cap space, and owner and team president Art Rooney II cares more about winning than pocketing his money.

This doesn't always mean that the Steelers are big spenders in free agency, but they are as good as any team in the league when it comes to retaining their own players on contract extensions.

While most of the work in free agency has already been done, many teams keep ample salary cap space open to see which holes need to be filled when the NFL Draft concludes. Here's how much salary cap space the Steelers have remaining as we get set to enter the 2024 NFL Draft.

How much salary cap space do the Steelers have ahead of the draft?

According to the latest salary cap figures from Over the Cap, the Pittsburgh Steelers have just over $11.1 million in salary cap space as the 2024 NFL Draft approaches. This currently ranks 19th in the NFL. The Patriots sit atop the league with over $53.2 million in cap space, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are just $488k from being in the salary cap hole.

Historically, the Steelers like to carry $5-8 million in cap space entering the season. This acts as a cushion in case injuries occur and they need to go out and sign players. We saw them dip into this cushion last year when both Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander went down with season-ending injuries. They also used some of this money to beef up their secondary.

The Steelers will need to use approximately half of their $11.1 million to sign their rookie draft class. The rest of their money will act as a cushion heading into the season.

Will the Steelers be able to sign free agents after the draft?

While the Pittsburgh Steelers can still sign free agents following the NFL Draft, they won't have much salary cap space to work with as they look to get all of the players from their 2024 rookie class signed.

Omar Khan can sign undrafted free agents and cheap veterans who are still on the market. However, if the Steelers want to make a big free-agent move, they will need to clear up additional salary cap space. This could come in the form of an extension or restructure to a player like Cameron Heyward or Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Right now, the Pittsburgh Steelers have enough salary cap space to get by, but most of what they currently have will go toward their rookie class and act as a cap cushion entering the season. Additional moves will need to be made if they want to free up more cap space following the NFL Draft.