4 Steelers who won’t be on the roster in 2021
Year after year, like clockwork, the NFL’s salary cap increases. The Steelers were counting on this annual inevitability to help ease the blow of Ben Roethlisberger’s $41.25 million cap hit. What they weren’t counting on was a pandemic that would crush revenues and force the league to lower the cap.
The final cap number won’t be known for another month or two, but it’s expected to be in the neighborhood of $175 million — or $26 million less than anticipated.
That pretty much eliminates Pittsburgh from signing their own free agents, or anyone else’s, for that matter. And it will mean asking some contracted players to take a pay cut — or be cut. The Steelers will need to do a lot of house cleaning to get cap compliant by the start of the new league year on March 17.
Here are four players that are candidates to be victims of the Steelers salary cap conundrum:
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
No, it's not because JuJu dances on logos or incites upcoming playoff opponents in press conferences. It's because the Steelers simply can't afford to re-sign him. Even if they could, Pittsburgh rarely re-signs wide receivers. It's a fate that, eventually, Diontae Johnson, James Washington, and rookie Chase Claypool will all face down the road. I hear the Steelers are pretty good at scouting and drafting young talent at receiver. They'll find one in the draft who is just as talented -- it not more -- than JuJu Smith Schuster and, maybe, just maybe, a little less attention-seeking.
EDGE Bud Dupree
AP Photo/Keith Srakocic
This one will hurt the most. Dupree has grown leaps and bounds since he was mislabeled a "bust." He's a disruptor, and Pittsburgh losing four out of five games without him was evidence of that. Teams will be hesitant to sign him to big dollars post-ACL, but one will do it anyway -- and it won't be the Steelers.
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
The NFL is all about what have you done for me lately, and for Villanueva, that's not enough. Pittsburgh needs to get younger along the offensive line, and it starts with Big Al, who will be 33. Tackle will be a top priority in the draft.
RB James Conner
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
When the season started, it appeared as if Conner was on his way to a career year. Then, suddenly, the Steelers philosophy changed, and they abandoned the run game. Pittsburgh aims to "fix" what ails them on the ground, but it'll be without this fan favorite. Conner just isn't a power back that the Steelers so desperately need and hasn't done enough to show he's worthy of a new contract.
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