Category: NFL Football

Was this all one big joke?

Pittsburgh Steelers safety DeShon Elliott made waves when he proclaimed his displeasure with the idea of the Steelers adding Aaron Rodgers to be their next quarterback. Commenting on an Instagram post about the speculation, Elliott said Rodgers could “leave his a** at the retirement home.” This made it seem pretty clear that the Steelers breakout star defender was against bringing in the four-time MVP. However, a recent photo may say otherwise.

Rodgers and Elliott took a photo together, as posted by Proactive Sports Performance with the caption “Who retires first?” Rodgers was smiling, pointing at Elliott while Elliott himself was smiling with two thumbs up. With context, perhaps his original comment was more of a rib on a friend than anything serious.

Should that be the case, it certainly changes how many would look at the possibility of Rodgers coming to Pittsburgh – especially if reports of there being mutual interest between Justin Fields and the New York Jets are true.

As the Steelers navigate their quarterback options ahead of the offseason, there’s been an increasing sentiment that they prefer to keep Justin Fields over Russell Wilson. If that’s the case, then the organization may be in luck, as it sounds like the free agent is also interested in sticking with Pittsburgh. However, that would require some concessions.

[RELATED: Support In Steelers’ Building For Retaining Justin Fields Over Russell Wilson?]

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes that Fields joins the Steelers in being interested in a new contract. However, the writer cautions that the QB would need at least “a shot” at being the team’s starter.

Following an offseason trade from the Bears to the Steelers, Fields started each of Pittsburgh’s first six games. While it was a brief cameo, it was one of the best showings of the QB’s career, as the former first-round pick tossed five touchdowns vs. one interception, added another five scores on the ground, and guided his team to a 4-2 record. Once Wilson returned, Fields only got into 13 more snaps for the rest of the season.

Still, with Wilson being at the helm for the team’s five-game losing streak to end the year, there’s been growing support for the team to retain Fields instead of his veteran teammate. During an appearance on 93.7 The Fan, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic continued to beat that drum, noting that Fields remains the team’s top option at the position (via Matthew Marczi of Steelers Depot).

Wilson would still be positioned as the team’s “Plan B,” and the organization may have to pivot to the older player if Fields is priced out of Pittsburgh. Kaboly estimated a two-year offer for Fields worth around $25MM to $30MM, with the reporter noting that the Steelers may have to overpay to make sure the player doesn’t truly test free agency.

Fields, is expected to have a market beyond the Steelers, and even if the organization does pony up to retain the player, they’d surely bring in some competition. Either way, it’s seeming like the front office continues to trend towards keeping only one of their top two quarterbacks from the 2024 campaign.

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.

The Steelers have released veteran outside linebacker Preston Smith, per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, clearing $13.4MM in 2025 cap space and $14.1MM in 2026. Pittsburgh will not have to account for any dead money from the move since they acquired Smith at the trade deadline in 2024. He had no guaranteed money left on his deal, and the Packers were already responsible for the remaining prorations of his signing bonus.

It was reported just over two weeks ago that the team was expected to release the veteran pass rusher. Smith played in eight games, registering just two sacks and two quarterback hits, but he was not active for Pittsburgh’s playoff elimination in Baltimore. Joining a group of outside linebackers that already included the likes of T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig, Smith didn’t end up contributing much as a trade acquisition.

The Steelers had Smith working on a four-year, $52.5MM contract, the deal Green Bay awarded him in 2022 upon moving on from Za’Darius Smith. Staying in Green Bay for five and a half seasons, Preston Smith racked up 44.0 sacks with the team. This included four seasons with at least eight sacks; a 12.0-sack 2019 — when the Packers returned to the NFC championship game — headlined this successful stay. As the Packers wanted to free up more playing time for Lukas Van Ness, they moved on from Smith for a mere seventh-round pick.

Smith, 32, had requested a trade months after the Packers had shifted to a 4-3 scheme. Smith had played in 3-4 looks in Washington and during his first five seasons in Green Bay. While he slid into a second-string role in Pittsburgh’s long-held alignment (after starting nine games with the Packers last season), no major impact occurred to justify the Steelers signing off on a $12MM 2025 salary. While the Steelers could have tried to dangle Smith in trades, his seventh-round trade value midseason probably didn’t improve with his lack of a role in Pittsburgh.

As a free agent, Smith likely won’t fetch a contract similar to what he recently held, but as an experienced veteran, he’s likely to get some looks. As he approaches retiring age, Smith may consider how close a team is to contending for a Lombardi Trophy. Otherwise, he may search exclusively for a 3-4 scheme in which he can once again thrive.

The Steelers acquired Russell Wilson and Justin Fields last offseason in the hopes that one would emerge as their franchise quarterback.

Things didn’t work out as planned. A calf injury to Wilson gave Fields the chance to open the regular season as Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback. He led the team to a 4-2 record before a resurgent Wilson returned to the field and ripped off seven wins in eight starts. It looked like the offseason strategy had paid off: the Steelers were leading the AFC North and Wilson was publicly stating his desire to stay in Pittsburgh. Then, the Steelers lost their last four regular season games and bowed out in the first round of the playoffs, leaving them with more questions than answers about their future under center.

Wilson has downplayed rumors of a reunion with Pete Carroll in Las Vegas, saying he’s “focused on the Steelers,” per ProFootballTalk’s Josh Alper. The veteran quarterback remains in “ongoing conversations” with the team, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Wilson’s reported tensions with Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith are not expected to be enough of an issue to prevent a re-signing, either, per Mark Kaboly of the Pat McAfee Show.

Fields, meanwhile, is expected to have a market beyond the Steelers, per Schefter. Pittsburgh is still interested in re-signing him, but he would likely see competition for playing time, either from a rookie or another free agent signing, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.

Ultimately, neither player established himself as a clear-cut franchise quarterback in 2024, forcing Pittsburgh to consider all of their options. With the 21st overall pick in the draft, a costly trade would likely be the only way to acquire their top prospect. The Steelers also have enough cap space to offer competitive contracts to Sam Darnold or even Aaron Rodgers, though the latter’s personality could clash with Mike Tomlin.