Behind the Steel Curtain
The season may be over, but the NFL never sleeps. Here’s your one-stop-shop for everything you need to know as the Steelers navigate the time before kickoff 2025.
The 2024 NFL season has come to a close and that means the NFL offseason is upon us. Over the last 20 years, the league has tapped into our collective love of football and found a way to hold our attention even when games aren’t being played. With so many things to keep track of — player contract negotiations, the NFL Draft cycle, free agency, blockbuster trades — it can be overwhelming.
That’s why I created this almanac as a helpful guide over the coming months. Whether you bookmark this article or keep it in one of your dozens of open tabs, which are totally part of your highly refined organization system, my goal is to make the offseason as easy for you to follow as possible.
Below you’ll find everything from a list of players whose contracts have expired for the Steelers, draft picks the Steelers possess, definitions for some key terminology you’ll need to know, and important dates to remember.
QB: Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, Kyle Allen
RB: Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren (RFA)
WR: Mike Williams, Van Jefferson, Ben Skowronek, Scotty Miller
TE: MyCole Pruitt
OT: Dan Moore Jr., Calvin Anderson
C: Ryan McCollum (Exclusive Rights Free Agent)
OG: James Daniels, Nate Herbig, Max Scharping
DL: Isaiahh Loudermilk
OLB: Jeremiah Moon (ERFA)
ILB: Elandon Roberts, Tyler Matakevich
CB: Donte Jackson, Cameron Sutton, C.J. Henderson, James Pierre
S: Damontae Kazee
The Steelers currently have eight picks in the NFL draft, but that number can change via trade either before or during the draft. It’s also important to note that some of the pick numbers may change as compensatory picks are awarded to teams. Currently, the Steelers are not projected to receive any compensatory picks.
Cap Hit — How much a player counts against a team’s salary cap. This figure is determined by adding together a player’s remaining salary and signing bonuses due, divided by the amount of years remaining on their contract.
Compensatory Picks — Additional draft picks between rounds 3-7 awarded to teams by the NFL. When awarding these picks, the NFL considers a player’s playing time, salary and postseason honors to determine if they qualify as a compensatory free agent (CFA). The more CFAs that leave a team without being replaced by incoming CFAs, the more compensatory picks a team might receive, up to a maximum of four. Teams can also receive compensatory picks in the third round if they have a minority coach or executive hired...
