The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t have a lot of cap space left for the 2026 NFL season. But they have a little more wiggle room after making a contract move with tight end Pat Freiermuth on Saturday night.
Penn Live’s Nick Farabaugh reported the Steelers restructured Freiermuth’s deal, changing his salary into a roster bonus.
“He’s basically getting paid nearly $6M in a lump sum,” wrote Farabaugh on X. “It just pushed cap hit up in future years to give short-term relief.”
Frees up some cap space for the team this year.
Before the restructure, Freiermuth was set to have a $7.6 million base salary. The tight end was also going to have an $11.2 million cap hit.
The Steelers have Freiermuth under contract through the 2028 season. But one could argue the contract change for the tight end is still coming at a crucial time for his career.
Freiermuth is coming off a disappointing season in which he lost playing time to veteran tight end Jonnu Smith. Freiermuth had 41 catches and 486 receiving yards, which were both his lowest totals in a season where he played at least 16 games during his career.
But Smith, and the offensive coordinator who favored the older tight end, Arthur Smith, are gone. Pundits expect Freiermuth, along with Darnell Washington, to reassume primary tight end duties for the Steelers this fall.
Steelers Execute Move With Pat Freiermuth Ahead of Potential Bounce Back Season