Introducing Behind the Steel Curtain in-5 daily trivia, Tuesday edition



Think you can figure out which Steelers player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

Hey Steelers fans! We’ve got a new treat for everybody. Some of you have likely seen the daily trivia game that lives in the top right corner above the fold of the site. To date, that game has been the SB Nation in-5 trivia game. Today, that changes here.

We’ve now got a Pittsburgh Steelers version of the game. The SB Nation version has been a general NFL game with active and retired players from all 32 teams featured. Moving forward, at Behind the Steel Curtain you’ll get a daily Steelers version of this game. We’ll be rotating between current Steelers and some of our old favorites and not so well-known options. You can still play the SB Nation version. You just need to go to sbnation.com, where it lives on the front page every day.

You can play the game below and share your results in the comments or on social media. Please share any and all feedback about the game, both good and bad. You can post feedback in the comments, but we also have a Google Form. We’re past the beta stage of the game, but it’s still a work in progress.

See Behind the Steel Curtain in-5 game instructions below the game.

Previous games

Monday, February 17

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games

NFL in-5
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MMA in-5

Behind the Steel Curtain in-5 instructions

The goal of the game is to guess the correct Steelers player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!

Steelers Mock Draft Round-Up: Pittsburgh goes QB in Round 1 in latest mock draft


Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart walks during the second half of the 2025 Gator Bowl as he and the Rebels take on the Duke Blue Devils.
Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images

A look at the latest first-round projections for Pittsburgh around the NFL media landscape…

In just over two months, NFL faithful will tune into the much-anticipated 2025 Draft from Green Bay, Wisconsin.

The back-and-forth saga of predicting Pittsburgh’s first-round selection will inevitably continue until it is announced on April 24th. In the meantime, the media landscape remains split between a few key positions. The Steelers’ main needs lie at WR, DL, RB, and CB, positions that have primarily occupied projections for a month or so. With that being said, here are the latest of said projections across the NFL media.

Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss

Field Yates, ESPN

Yes, free agents Russell Wilson or Justin Fields could be back. But the Steelers’ pedestrian offense has held them back from playoff success in recent seasons, and Dart had a prolific college career. Over the past two seasons, he has 7,633 passing yards, 51 touchdown throws and 11 interceptions. He’s a capable thrower to all levels of the field and has enough mobility to operate outside the pocket and on the run. Dart also took advantage of Senior Bowl week with a strong showing in front of Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin, who was on the field at each practice.

This projection represents a big rise up the board from where Dart currently ranks outside my top 32, but quarterbacks always have a chance to climb given positional value. Keep an eye on Dart here as we get closer to April.

Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State

Jordan Plocher, PFF

No matter who is behind the center for the Steelers in 2025, the team needs help at wide receiver. Egbuka had two 1,000-yard receiving seasons at Ohio State, and while he primarily lined up in the slot, he has shown he can play outside, as well.

Kyle Dvorchak, NBC Sports

Pittsburgh can’t run it back with George Pickens and a cast of NPCs at wide receiver this season. Pickens, who is entering a contract year, went for 352 more yards than the Steelers’ WR2 and over 600 yards more than their WR3. That was despite missing three games. Egbuka’s ability to navigate the middle of the field and create easy completions is the perfect complement to Pickens’ splash play style.

Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri

Ben Rolfe, Pro Football Sports Network

The Pittsburgh Steelers need an offensive overhaul, and that goes for almost every position other than tight end. They will likely need a new quarterback, but their value is not right at this spot. The offensive line might also be the way to go here after the unit ranked 24th last season, but getting a reliable weapon for their new quarterback also has to be a priority for this team.

Luther Burden III does not fit the mold that we might expect from a dominant receiver, but he has all the tools to be an incredible weapon from Day 1 of his NFL career. He is undersized to play on the outside but is a dynamic inside threat for an NFL offense. His route tree is highly developed for a young player and can be a tremendous weapon on screens and slants with the ball in his hands.

Matthew Golden, WR, Texas

Dan Parr, NFL.com

Whoever is taking snaps at quarterback for Pittsburgh next season could use an upgraded receiving corps. Golden can be the big-play complement to George Pickens that the Steelers have sorely lacked.

Josh Edwards, CBS Sports

There has been some scuttlebutt that George Pickens has worn out his welcome in Pittsburgh and could be on the move. If that were to happen, then a predominant slot receiver is not going to help the offense as much as a player like Matthew Golden, who has the potential to stretch the field.

Joe Klatt, FOX Sports

I’ll be honest, I have no idea where the Steelers should go. They could use help at many position groups. Who knows what they’ll do at quarterback, but they need another wide receiver. Golden really made the most of his one year at Texas, making some huge plays in the CFP to help the Longhorns reach the semifinal.

Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame

Sam Russell, Bleacher Nation

Pittsburgh needs a quarterback but there isn’t anyone talented enough for them to take at No. 21. Besides that, the Steelers need to find another option in the secondary to team up with Joey Porter Jr. Benjamin Morrison is a tough and physical press corner who flashes good timing while being a solid tackler.

Which of these first-round projections for the black and gold is your favorite? How would you feel if the Steelers took a quarterback with pick No. 21?

4-round Steelers Mock Draft: Pittsburgh finds its future RB1 in Cam Skattebo


Syndication: Arizona Republic
Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A big bodied pass-catcher from Stanford would look great in black and gold

Welcome to my first Steelers mock draft of the year. I’ve got to be honest — I don’t love the idea of a mock draft before free agency. Whether it’s a stud WR like Chris Godwin, or a star DT like Milton Williams, their offseason moves will obviously significantly impact their selections.

However, I enjoy evaluating some of the talent the team’s brass will undoubtedly be examining. It’ll help both me and hopefully some of our readers learn more about these prospects.

I only did four rounds here because I’m still familiarizing myself with the projected backend of the class. Without further ado:

Round 1, Pick 21: Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon

Harmon is arguably the most disruptive run-stopper in the draft and also has the chops to pressure the quarterback. He has violent hands and a consistent motor. The Steelers have generally done a solid job stopping the run throughout the years, but Ravens star RB Derrick Henry exploited them last season.

With a chance to win the division on the road, Henry ran for 162 yards on 24 totes, giving the Ravens a leg up in the AFC North, in a 34-17 win over the black and gold. And you probably know what happened in the playoffs. Henry stiff-armed Minkah Fitzpatrick into another stratosphere on his way to a 186-yard game and 2 TDs.

Harmon faced constant double teams and still registered 5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss. Simply put, he’s a game-changer.

Round 2, Pick 52: Elic Ayomanor, WR, Stanford

If and when the Steelers add a receiver will largely depend on how they feel about last year’s third-round pick, Roman Wilson. Quite frankly, I have no idea where he fits into their future plans after missing essentially all of 2024.

Regardless, they could need another playmaker on the outside, as Wilson and Calvin Austin III

will continue to primarily line up in the slot.

Ayomanor is a polished receiver with veteran-like fluidity in his game. He’s a bully at the line of scrimmage and has great instincts, often finding vacancies by simply slowing down the game. We often see receivers playing at 100% speed each snap, but much like quarterbacks, sometimes taking a step back means taking a step forward.

Round 3, Pick 83: Dorian Strong, CB, Virginia Tech

Listen, the Steelers have three really big needs. Ideally, I’d like to see a corner drafted much earlier, but there are many holes to plug.

Strong led all collegiate cornerbacks in both yards allowed per coverage snap (0.24) and completion rate allowed (27.3%).

He’s a lengthy press-man corner with smooth hips and above-average ball skills. He needs to work on calming his approach a bit, as he struggles some on the deep ball because of his tendencies to jump the intermediate routes.

All in all, he’d be a steal at this spot.

Round 4, Pick 122: Cam Skattebo, RB, Arizona State

If you weren’t a fan of this mock so far, I wonder if this changed your mind. Skattebo just has Pittsburgh Steelers “aura.”

The Heisman finalist was a superstar at Arizona State. Last year, he ranked second in the NCAA with 1,711 rushing yards and 21 TDs.

Clearly, there will be questions surrounding his athleticism. He’s a bruiser who will get you three or four yards in his sleep, and good luck stopping him at the goal line … but is he enough of a change of pace with Jaylen Warren? Or does he have too much Najee Harris to his game, regarding lack of explosiveness?

He was born to be a Pittsburgh Steeler, but more so if this were the early 2000s. While he’d be a ton of fun, and I don’t doubt he’s going to be a good player; I’d prefer speed over power here.

But let’s have some fun, for now.

What are your thoughts on this mock and who are some of your favorite prospects in the first four rounds? Let us know in the comments section!

BTSC’s 2025 Steelers Offseason Almanac


NFL Pro Bowl Games
Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images

The season may be over, but the NFL never sleeps. Here’s your one-stop-shop for everything you need to know as the Steelers navigate the time before kickoff 2025.

The 2024 NFL season has come to a close and that means the NFL offseason is upon us. Over the last 20 years, the league has tapped into our collective love of football and found a way to hold our attention even when games aren’t being played. With so many things to keep track of — player contract negotiations, the NFL Draft cycle, free agency, blockbuster trades — it can be overwhelming.

That’s why I created this almanac as a helpful guide over the coming months. Whether you bookmark this article or keep it in one of your dozens of open tabs, which are totally part of your highly refined organization system, my goal is to make the offseason as easy for you to follow as possible.

Below you’ll find everything from a list of players whose contracts have expired for the Steelers, draft picks the Steelers possess, definitions for some key terminology you’ll need to know, and important dates to remember.

Pending Free Agents

NFL: Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers
Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

QB: Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, Kyle Allen

RB: Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren (RFA)

WR: Mike Williams, Van Jefferson, Ben Skowronek, Scotty Miller

TE: MyCole Pruitt

OT: Dan Moore Jr., Calvin Anderson

C: Ryan McCollum (Exclusive Rights Free Agent)

OG: James Daniels, Nate Herbig, Max Scharping

DL: Isaiahh Loudermilk

OLB: Jeremiah Moon (ERFA)

ILB: Elandon Roberts, Tyler Matakevich

CB: Donte Jackson, Cameron Sutton, C.J. Henderson, James Pierre

S: Damontae Kazee

Steelers Draft Picks

NFL: APR 25 2024 Draft
Photo by John Smolek/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Steelers currently have eight picks in the NFL draft, but that number can change via trade either before or during the draft. It’s also important to note that some of the pick numbers may change as compensatory picks are awarded to teams. Currently, the Steelers are not projected to receive any compensatory picks.

  • Round 1, Pick 21
  • Round 2, Pick 52
  • Round 3, Pick 83
  • Round 4, Pick 122
  • Round 5, Pick 157 (from LAR)
  • Round 7, Pick 223 (from NO)
  • Round 7, Pick 229 (from ATL)
  • Round 7, Pick 242 (from WAS)

Contract & Free Agency Glossary

AFC Wild Card Playoffs: Pittsburgh Steelers v Baltimore Ravens
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Cap Hit — How much a player counts against a team’s salary cap. This figure is determined by adding together a player’s remaining salary and signing bonuses due, divided by the amount of years remaining on their contract.

Compensatory Picks — Additional draft picks between rounds 3-7 awarded to teams by the NFL. When awarding these picks, the NFL considers a player’s playing time, salary and postseason honors to determine if they qualify as a compensatory free agent (CFA). The more CFAs that leave a team without being replaced by incoming CFAs, the more compensatory picks a team might receive, up to a maximum of four. Teams can also receive compensatory picks in the third round if they have a minority coach or executive hired into a head coaching or general manager role by a different team.

Dead Money — Money owed to a player no longer on the roster. This figure counts against the salary cap.

Exclusive Rights Free Agent — A player whose contract has expired after they’ve played fewer than three years in the league. The player is not able to negotiate a deal with other teams if their original team offers them a one-year deal at the league minimum.

Franchise/Transition Tag — Teams have the option of placing the franchise tag on an upcoming free agent. There are three types of franchise tags: exclusive, non-exclusive and transition. The amount of money each tag is worth depends on the player’s position and is calculated following the RFA deadline. Team’s are only allowed to tag a player three times and the number the player is paid increases with each use. The player’s salary increases 120% on a second use of the tag and 140% on a third use.

  1. Exclusive: This tag prevents a player from negotiating with other teams unless the team withdraws the tag. The tag’s value is equal to the average of the top-five salaries at the player’s position for the current season or a 120% salary increase, whichever is higher.
  2. Non-exclusive: The most commonly used, this tag grants the player’s original team the right to match any new offer the player receives. If they elect to let the player leave, they must receive two first-round picks from the player’s new team. The tag’s value is equal to the average of the top-five salaries at the player’s position over the previous five years or a 120% salary increase, whichever is higher.
  3. Transition: The most rarely used, this tag functions the same as the non-exclusive tag, only the original team does not receive compensation if they decline to match an offer. The tag’s value is equal to the average of the top-10 salaries at the player’s position or a 120% salary increase, whichever is higher. The Steelers last used this in 2014 on linebacker Jason Worilds.

Per ESPN, these are the projected tag totals by position:

  • QB: $41,325,000 (non-exclusive), $35,267,000 (transition)
  • RB: $11,951,000 (non-exclusive), $9,765,000 (transition)
  • WR: $25,693,000 (non-exclusive), $22,523,000 (transition)
  • TE: $14,241,000 (non-exclusive), $12,069,000 (transition)
  • OL: $25,156,000 (non-exclusive), $22,745,000 (transition)
  • DE: $24,727,000 (non-exclusive), $20,769,000 (transition)
  • DT: $23,468,000 (non-exclusive), $18,934,000 (transition)
  • LB: $27,050,000 (non-exclusive), $22,612,000 (transition)
  • CB: $20,357,000 (non-exclusive), $17,198,000 (transition)
  • S: $19,626,000 (non-exclusive), $15,598,000 (transition)
  • K/P: $6,459,000 (non-exclusive), $5,830,000 (transition)

Restricted Free Agent — A player is eligible to be an RFA if they have played three seasons when their first contract expires. Teams are allowed to extend a qualifying offer — a one-year deal that comes with either a first-round, second-round, original-round, or rights-of-first-refusal tender — that gives them a chance to match any new offer the player might negotiate with a new team.

If the player’s original team declines to match a new offer, they are awarded compensation based on the tender they gave their RFA. The round-based tenders indicate what draft pick an RFA’s new team would have to send the player’s original team. A rights-of-first-refusal tender does not provide any compensation if the player leaves but does grant the original team a chance to keep the player if they match the new offer.

Void Years — Years on a player’s contract that they will never play on. This technique has been gaining popularity in NFL circles, as it allows to manipulate a player’s cap hit by spreading out the signing bonus into years where the player’s will not receive a base salary. It’s essentially a win-win for the team and player as the player will get more money upfront in the short term with the chance at signing a new contract sooner, while the team gets to lower the player’s cap hit. One setback for the team is that when a player’s void years trigger, they do not count towards a compensatory pick should they sign with a new team.

Important Dates

NFL Combine
Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images
  • Feb. 18 — The window for teams to designate Franchise or Transition players opens
  • Feb. 24-March 3 — NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis
  • March 4 — 4 PM (EST) deadline for designating Franchise or Transition players
  • March 10 — Negotiation Period opens for NFL free agents
  • March 12 — Free Agency officially opens and teams are allowed to make trades
  • March 30-April 2 — Annual League Meeting
  • April 16 — Deadline for clubs to time, test, visit, interview, or conduct a physical examination with a draft-eligible player at its club facility.5
  • April 18 — Deadline for Restricted Free Agents (RFAs) to sign offer sheets
  • April 21 — Teams with returning head coaches may begin offseason training programs
  • April 23 — Deadline for teams to exercise Rights of First Refusal on their RFAs AND deadline for teams to test and interview draft prospects
  • April 24-26 — NFL Draft
  • May 2-5 OR May 9-12 — Rookie minicamp
  • Mid/Late July — Training Camp begins

Bill Cowher expects Steelers to entertain signing QB Aaron Rodgers


Miami Dolphins v New York Jets
Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images

Will the Steelers sign Aaron Rodgers?

The Pittsburgh Steelers enter the 2025 offseason without a legitimate starting quarterback under contract. While bringing back Justin Fields or potentially running things back with Russell Wilson are options, many would rather see Pittsburgh swing a bit further to try and land a bigger fish. Matthew Stafford is becoming a popular name, but it’s another Super Bowl winner that former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher thinks the organization will entertain – Aaron Rodgers.

Cowher went on The Dan Patrick Show and said he expects there to be conversations internally in Pittsburgh about bringing in the four-time NFL MVP.

“I think there’s going to be a sense of urgency,” Cowher said. “Taking some guys on the back end of their careers. T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward. They’re in the latter stages of their careers. So they want to win now. That’s a big part of what they want to do, but you’ve also got to have a plan moving forward and at that position. There will be dialogue there, but those will be conversations taking place in that building.”

Steelers safety DeShon Elliott made his feelings known about this possibility, saying Rodgers can “leave his a** at the retirement home” in an Instagram comment.

While the Jets didn’t have a great season in 2024, finishing 5-12, Rodgers threw 28 touchdown passes and is clearly still a starting-caliber quarterback. That said, what does a 42 year-old quarterback do for the immediate future of the Steelers? Does he give them a Super Bowl ceiling? Almost certainly not. For that reason, bringing in Rodgers over someone like Fields wouldn’t make a ton of sense.

NFL Trade proposal gives Steelers top 10 quarterback


NFC Divisional Playoffs: Los Angeles Rams v Philadelphia Eagles
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

The Steelers could land Matthew Stafford should this trade become reality

As soon as the clock hit zero in the divisional round playoff game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams, rumors and speculation began to surround the Rams and the future of their quarterback, Matthew Stafford. The Super Bowl champion quarterback indicated he still has a lot of good football left in him, but there are implications that he may have played his final game as a Ram.

Stafford’s wife, Kelly, has hinted at a potential team change both on Instagram and on her podcast. She posted a blurry photo of herself and Matthew with the caption “Future might be blurry but the present is always clear with you.” The Rams also owe Stafford a roster bonus of $4 million if he is on the roster on the third day of the new league year. So if a trade does happen, it will very likely be March 12 or March 13.

CBS Sports proposed a trade that would see the Steelers and Rams swap first-round picks in 2025 while Pittsburgh would give the Rams a 2025 second-round pick and a conditional 2026 second-round pick in exchange for Stafford.

While he is 37 years old, Stafford is still a top 10 quarterback in the NFL – borderline top 10 at the absolute worst. He had the Rams within mere plays of an appearance in the NFC Championship Game, and very likely a Super Bowl appearance. He was eighth in success rate, 11th in QBR, and showed he still has the ability to make the big throws in the big moments. Should the Steelers be able to get him, it’s an avenue that should be explored, especially if they can get it done with this exact trade. They would still have a first-round pick and have the ability to add the pieces necessary to compete.

Introducing Behind the Steel Curtain in-5 daily trivia!



Think you can figure out which Steelers player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

Hey Steelers fans! We’ve got a new treat for everybody. Some of you have likely seen the daily trivia game that lives in the top right corner above the fold of the site. To date, that game has been the SB Nation in-5 trivia game. Today, that changes here.

We’ve now got a Pittsburgh Steelers version of the game. The SB Nation version has been a general NFL game with active and retired players from all 32 teams featured. Moving forward, at Behind the Steel Curtain you’ll get a daily Steelers version of this game. We’ll be rotating between current Steelers and some of our old favorites and not so well-known options. You can still play the SB Nation version. You just need to go to sbnation.com, where it lives on the front page every day.

You can play the game below and share your results in the comments or on social media. Please share any and all feedback about the game, both good and bad. You can post feedback in the comments, but we also have a Google Form. We’re past the beta stage of the game, but it’s still a work in progress.

See Behind the Steel Curtain in-5 game instructions below the game.

Previous games

Soon to come after we get started!

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games

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Behind the Steel Curtain in-5 instructions

The goal of the game is to guess the correct Steelers player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!

Justin Fields open to Steelers return under certain circumstances


NFL: Dallas Cowboys at Pittsburgh Steelers
Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Fields wants a real chance to start.

The Pittsburgh Steelers got tremendous production from Justin Fields in 2024. In six starts to begin the year, the former first-round pick of the Bears had 10 total touchdowns to just one interception and led Pittsburgh to a 4-2 record in that span.

Mike Tomlin, though, still benched Fields for Russell Wilson, which made many questioning what Tomlin was thinking. And while Wilson had a great span of games, the end of the season losing streak had some saying it was time to put Fields back in as Wilson struggled in the final month. Fields and Wilson are both set to be free agents next month. And while the Steelers could bring back the 25 year-old, they may only be able to do so under certain circumstances. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Fields would be open to remaining in Pittsburgh if there is a path for him to be the starter.

“Both sides, Fields and the Steelers, are certainly open to a potential reunion,” Fowler said on SportsCenter. “Fields wants a realistic shot to start. He wants a clear path to be the guy for a full season, which he was not last year.”

Fields is one of the options that makes the most sense for the Steelers. His age, combined with his talent and success last year, as well as the scheme fit under Arthur Smith make him a more sensible signing compared to someone like Aaron Rodgers or Wilson.

2025 NFL Cap Space, By Team

Free agency is roughly one month away, and teams are preparing for the first major roster-building checkpoint on the offseason calendar. In several cases, of course, the lead-in to the start of the new league year will require cost-cutting measures.

Teams expect the 2025 cap ceiling to check in somewhere between $265MM and $275MM, providing a general target to aim for before the final figure is unveiled by the NFL. Using a projected cap of $272.5MM, here is a look at where all 32 teams currently stand (courtesy of Over the Cap):

  1. New England Patriots: $119.8MM
  2. Las Vegas Raiders: $92.53MM
  3. Washington Commanders: $75.21MM
  4. Arizona Cardinals: $71.33MM
  5. Los Angeles Chargers: $63.41MM
  6. Chicago Bears: $62.97MM
  7. Minnesota Vikings: $58.01MM
  8. Pittsburgh Steelers: $53.26MM
  9. Cincinnati Bengals: $46.26MM
  10. Detroit Lions: $45.69MM
  11. San Francisco 49ers: $44.26MM
  12. Tennessee Titans: $44.08MM
  13. New York Giants: $43.38MM
  14. Green Bay Packers: $42.14MM
  15. Los Angeles Rams: $38.33MM
  16. Denver Broncos: $34.78MM
  17. Jacksonville Jaguars: $32.27MM
  18. Indianapolis Colts: $28.25MM
  19. Carolina Panthers: $20.33MM
  20. Philadelphia Eagles: $18.08MM
  21. New York Jets: $16.86MM
  22. Baltimore Ravens: $5.96MM
  23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $2.24MM
  24. Houston Texans: $99K over the cap
  25. Kansas City Chiefs: $916K over
  26. Dallas Cowboys: $2.85MM over
  27. Miami Dolphins: $5.44MM over
  28. Atlanta Falcons: $11.15MM over
  29. Seattle Seahawks: $13.46MM over
  30. Buffalo Bills: $14.18MM over
  31. Cleveland Browns: $30.17MM over
  32. New Orleans Saints: $54.11MM over

These figures will of course change based on where the final cap ceiling winds up for the year, but they take into account each team’s carryover amount for 2025. Even with those savings in play, more than one quarter of the league finds itself in need of cost-shedding moves to simply achieve cap compliance by mid-March.

With the Patriots leading the way in terms of spending power, they will be a team to watch closely once free agency begins. The team’s willingness (or lack thereof) to make major free agent additions last year was a talking point, and it will be interesting to see if the regime featuring de facto general manager Eliot Wolf and new head coach Mike Vrabel takes a different approach in 2025. A serious push for Tee Higgins – by far the most sought-after wideout set to hit the market – can be expected.

Aside from Higgins, the Bengals have a number of financial priorities. Working out a monster extension for fellow receiver Ja’Marr Chase and a new deal (and accompanying raise) for edge rusher Trey Hendrickson are key goals for the franchise. Quarterback Joe Burrow is prepared to restructure his own pact to create cap space for this offseason, but the team will no doubt need to break with tradition in terms of contract structure and guarantees to keep its core intact.

The Colts’ offseason has been defined in large part by a focus on retaining in-house players during recent years. That approach has not paid off as hoped, and general manager Chris Ballard said last month he plans to oversee a shift in roster-building philosophy this year. With the finances to make at least a modest addition or two on the open market, Indianapolis could be a suitor for some of the middle-class free agent options.

Over the coming weeks, many teams will proceed with extensions and restructures to free up cap space; the Seahawks recently took the latter route with defensive lineman Leonard Williams. Teams like the Steelers (in the case of edge rusher Preston Smith) and Dolphins (with running back Raheem Mostert as well as corner Kendall Fuller and tight end Durham Smythe) have already begin cutting veterans to free up cap space. That will increasingly continue in the near future with respect to the teams currently slated to be over the cap in particular.

Saturday Night Open Thread: Offseason Edition


NFL: FEB 09 Super Bowl LIX - Eagles vs Chiefs
NEW ORLEANS, LA – FEBRUARY 09: Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Kenny Pickett (7) throws a pass during Super Bowl LIX | Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Come and join this merry band of Steelers’ faithful for some lively debate about our Steelers, good food, music, and the merits of the odd cold beverage.

Live from Delaware, it’s Saturday Night! I, NAS204PSU, am here to bring you this Saturday Night Open Thread (aka SNOT).

Well, the 2024 season is in the books, and the Philadelphia Eagles are Super Bowl champions. The entire NFL is now officially in the off-season.

This 6 pack of questions is here to get the conversation going is below, also let us know what you’re eating/drinking!

  1. Does the Eagles Super Bowl blowout victory over the Chiefs make you feel better about our week 15 loss to Eagles and/or worse about the Week 17 loss to the chiefs?
  2. If the Steelers could learn one thing from the Eagles, what should it be?
  3. The Steelers appear to be retaining Pat “Tire-Fire” Meyer as the OL coach. What are the odds of a “Matt Canada”-esque 2025 mid season firing?
  4. It’s mock draft season: which level of mock drafts do you want to see on BTSC:
    a) Multiple articles / mocks every week
    b)1 mock/week
    c)1mock /month
    d)Maybe 2-3 the whole off-season up to draft
    e)None/don’t care about mocks

5. Around the NFL, players like Myles Garrett and Deebo Samuel are making trade requests. Have you ever asked/demanded to transfer / change roles at work? How did it work out?

6. What is the more over-priced valentines gift this year: one dozen roses OR a dozen eggs?

Valentine BONUS: Tell us your favorite song about love/relationships.