Steelers sign FB Nix to 4-year deal through 2021 season
The Pittsburgh Steelers signed fullback Roosevelt Nix to a four-year deal through the 2021 season, the team announced Saturday.
Nix was named to the Pro Bowl this season after leading the way for Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell, who was third in league rushing with 1,291 yards.
Nix finished the 2017 season with one rushing and receiving touchdown, along with 10 special teams tackles. He was going to be a restricted free agent.
Nix, who was signed by the Steelers in January 2015, has appeared in 41 regular-season games (nine starts) and four postseason games in his NFL career, all with Pittsburgh. He originally entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie free agent with the Atlanta Falcons out of Kent State in 2014.
In addition, the Steelers reworked the deals of All-Pro guard David DeCastro and defensive end Stephon Tuitt that cleared $13.26 million of salary cap space in 2018, a league source told ESPN.
Each player agreed to earn the minimum base salary for a player of their tenure in 2018 ($790,000), converting the rest of their base salary into a signing bonus, according to ESPN. The deals also eliminated their roster bonuses that were due soon, converting those into a signing bonus.
DeCastro's base salary drops from $3.79 million to $790,000, his roster bonus of $3.79 million goes away and he collects a signing bonus of $6.79 million, according to the report, and the move creates $5.092 million in cap space for the Steelers.
For Tuitt, his base salary drops from $3.5 million to $790,000, his roster bonus of $7.5 million goes away and he collects a signing bonus of $10.21 million, creating $8.168 million in cap space.
--Field Level Media
