Per NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the Steelers have restructured the contract of pass-rusher Alex Highsmith, gaining over $7 million in cap space.
The move comes the day before the 2024 NFL Draft, giving the Steelers some wiggle room in the case of a big roster move over the next few days.
Highsmith signed a four-year, $68 million extension with Pittsburgh in 2023 following a breakout season with 14.5 sacks. According to Over The Cap, he was slated to have a $13,933,000 cap hit in 2024.
Per Over The Cap, the Steelers currently have $11,139,353 in cap space. With the Highsmith restructure, they’ll now have closer to $18 million available. Pittsburgh has been linked to a number of high profile trade targets over the past few months, notably at wide receiver.
With enough cap space to sign their rookie class prior to the restructure, the move should raise some eyebrows in NFL circles. The Steelers could indeed just be creating “a little breathing room,” but there’s a chance that the team could be preparing for something bigger.
