There’s no denying that off-season this is going to be very tight for the Pittsburgh Steelers in terms of the salary cap. The problem is compounded by the fact that the team has several high profile players hitting free agency with very little chance of signing them.
The misunderstanding of many fans is that this salary cap facing the Steelers is somehow the fault of the front office or worse, the players. Pittsburgh has always handled their affairs the same way, the only change this season has been a significant cut in the salary ceiling due to lost earnings from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Yes, there are some teams with massive amounts of off-season salary cap, despite the cuts. There would be. And in most cases, with a few exceptions, those teams are not typically competitive. Their property is more concerned with their winnings as opposed to wins and losses. On the other hand, you have the Steelers who always give the hat and push it to the limit. Coincidentally, the NFL moved the goalposts a bit out of season.
The Steelers have a storm to get through this low season. No doubt about that. However, this is not a problem of their creation. Pittsburgh will continue the restructuring begun with Cam Heyward, work out a new contract for Ben Roethlisberger, and move forward with the plan. Pittsburgh never digs heavily in the first round of free agency and this time won’t be any different. There will be money for the design and to pick up some mid-tier guys afterwards. The Steeler way.