Just because there’s a coaching search doesn’t mean the NFL offseason is not proceeding as usual for the Pittsburgh Steelers. All of the typical player evaluations, transactions, acquisitions and contract negotiations press on.
Here is a breakdown of Steelers players who are free agents and other relevant situations in regards to their contracts:
(All contract data courtesy Spotrac.com. *-Starting-caliber player in 2025; x-Announced retirement)
Unrestricted free agents
These are veteran players with at least four seasons of accrued experience whose contracts are expiring and are free to test the open market at the onset of the so-called “legal tampering period” on March 9. Unless the franchise or transition tag is applied, a player’s current team at most receives possible mid- to late-round draft pick compensation in 2027 if a UFA leaves. Of course, a team has exclusive negotiating rights to hammer out an extension with any player from the start of the offseason up until 48 hours before the start of the new league year March 11.
The Steelers’ unrestricted free agents (in order of average annual value of their expiring contract):
Safety Kyle Dugger*
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers*
x-Receiver Adam Thielen*
Guard Isaac Seumalo*
Inside linebacker Cole Holcomb
Special-teamer Miles Killebrew*
Defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale
Defensive tackle Dean Lowry
Running back Kenneth Gainwell*
Defensive tackle Isaiahh Loudermilk
Offensive lineman Andrus Peat
Safety Chuck Clark*
Receiver Scotty Miller
Safety Jabrill Peppers
Cornerback Tre Flowers
Offensive lineman Max Scharping
Tight end Donald Parham
Quarterback Skylar Thompson
Receiver Calvin Austin III*
Punter Corliss Waitman*
Tight end Connor Heyward
Restricted free agents
These are players with three accrued seasons whose contracts have expired, typically former undrafted free agents or players who at some point were released by a team. Before the new league year begins in March, a team must offer a contract tender to hold a RFA’s rights. Options for a tender come from a sliding scale of salary to draft-pick compensation that another team must provide to the team it is signing the free agent away from.
The Steelers’ restricted free agents (in order of average annual value of their expiring contract):
Defensive tackle Esezi Otomewo
Offensive lineman Ryan McCollum
Contract-extension candidates
With the exception of quarterback, the Steelers’ organizational policy is to negotiate contract extensions with their own players over the offseason when they are entering the final season of their current deal — not before, and not after the season starts. That means prominent players whose contracts expire in the spring of 2027 are eligible for extensions signed between now and Week 1 of the regular season in September.
Steelers who play a significant role and are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents in 2027 (in order of average annual value of their expiring contract:
Defensive tackle Cameron Heyward*
Inside linebacker Patrick Queen*
Tight end Jonnu Smith*
Inside linebacker Malik Harrison*
Kicker Chris Boswell*
Quarterback Mason Rudolph
Cornerback Brandin Echols*
Cornerback Joey Porter Jr.*
Defensive tackle Keeanu Benton*
Tight end Darnell Washington*
Long snapper Christian Kuntz*
Outside linebacker Nick Herbig*
Offensive tackle Dylan Cook*
Offensive lineman Spencer Anderson
Option-year decision
First-round picks sign four-year rookie contracts that include a team option for a fifth year that must be exercised by early May in advance of a player’s fourth season. There are multiple criteria (position, playing time, accolades earned over a player’s first three seasons) that go into calculating the value of the option.
For the Steelers, their lone first-round pick from the 2023 draft class is estimated to have a 2027 option worth $19.96 million:
Offensive tackle Broderick Jones*
Possible cap-related cut
Veterans signed to non-guaranteed contracts valued above their recent production are always candidates to be released. Each contract is structured differently, though, so the salary-cap hit for releasing a player can vary. A team can also place a “post-June 1” designation on a player to spread out his “dead money” cap hit over two seasons.
A possible cap casualty for the Steelers (with cap savings in parentheses):
Tight end Jonnu Smith* ($7 million)