The Pittsburgh Steelers had one of the smallest undrafted free agency classes in the NFL during 2026. The group for team president Art Rooney II was also one of the cheapest.
On Thursday, Spotrac’s Michael Ginnitti posted a ranking list of guaranteed contract values in undrafted free agency by team. The Steelers came in at the very bottom of the list.
With just $112,000, the Steelers have the least amount of guaranteed money tied to undrafted players through bonuses.
It wasn’t particularly close either. In 31st place, the Cincinnati Bengals offered $181,000 in guaranteed money to undrafted rookies.
1. KC, $3M 2. JAX, $2.4M 3. HOU, $2M 4. TB, $1.9M 5. TEN, $1.8M 6. CHI, $1.8M 7. LV, $1.8M 8. ATL, $1.7M 9. MIN, $1.6M 10. IND, $1.5M … 28. BAL $285k 29. BUF, $266k 30. LAR, $230k 31. CIN, $181k 32. PIT, $112k
The Steelers initially signed six undrafted players — cornerback Devan Boykin, linebacker Daylan Carnell, defensive lineman Kevin Jobity Jr., tight ends Lake McRee and Carmon Metayer and kicker Laith Marjan.
The team then added two more — Greg Crippen and Tamon Lynum — a few weeks after the 2026 NFL Draft.
Steelers Guaranteed Money in 2026 NFL Undrafted Free Agency
Jobity led the group of eight undrafted Steelers players in bonus money but with a very modest $30,000. Boykin and McRee each received $25,000.
Marjan signed with a $15,000 bonus while Metayer agreed to $10,000. The three others received $5,000 or less.
The team inked those eight players after selecting 10 prospects during the 2026 NFL Draft.
Expectations were always that the Steelers would have a smaller undrafted free agency class because of their high number of draft selections. There were only going to be so many offseason roster spots remaining for the Steelers, especially after they signed a significant amount of free agents too.
Other teams with fewer selections added more undrafted rookies.
The Atlanta Falcons made just five picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. They signed 15 undrafted free agents, which ranked as the eighth-most expensive in the league based on guaranteed money.
However, that correlation didn’t exist throughout the league.
The Los Angeles Rams only selected five players in the draft. They were also 30th in guaranteed money in undrafted free agency.
The Las Vegas Raiders picked 10 players in the draft and signed 21 undrafted free agents. The Raiders came in ninth on Spotrac’s list of guaranteed money in the undrafted free agency pool.
Undrafted Free Agency Another Sign of Art Rooney II Not Spending Money?
Steelers fans might point to Pittsburgh’s inexpensive 2026 undrafted free agency class as another criticism for the organization, specifically Rooney. In recent years, fans have criticized the franchise for not spending more money on the coaching staff, team facilities and other things besides players contracts.
However, the Steelers inexpensive undrafted free agency class cannot be confirmed as another example of Rooney’s cheapness.
The Steelers spent money in NFL free agency to add more immediate upgrades to improve the roster. With Aaron Rodgers expected to return for one more season, that strategy made a lot more sense than making undrafted free agency investments.
Yes, the Steelers could have offered more bonus money to the 6-8 players they did sign. But it’s not like it’s a bad group. Pundits have hyped Boykin, Jobity and McRee as candidates to make the Steelers roster.
Other teams, such as the Raiders, signed a lot of unselected rookies even after a lot of 2026 draft picks because they don’t already have a playoff roster. The Falcons don’t either, and they had half as many selections as the Steelers did.
The Steelers could still spend more in other areas of their business. But the team is highly invested in spending money on players to help win immediately. As of May 28, the Steelers are in the bottom five in salary cap room for 2026.
That’s a credit to the amount of moves the team has made since March to get better.
Steelers Ranked Dead Last in Key Financial Investment During 2026 NFL Offseason