The Pittsburgh Steelers have spent the offseason reshaping their roster and locking in key players, but as the dust settles on a wave of extensions and new deals, a different conversation is starting to emerge—one centered not on who they added, but what those contracts are really costing them.
With the salary cap picture now significantly altered, the Steelers enter 2026 in a position where financial commitment is no longer the issue. The real question is value: which contracts are pulling their weight, and which ones are starting to feel heavier than expected?
One of the more surprising concerns sits at tight end. Pat Freiermuth’s four-year, $48.4 million extension, once viewed as a logical bet on an ascending player, now looks less certain. His 2025 production dipped to 486 receiving yards, and his connection with quarterback Aaron Rodgers never fully clicked. While the talent is still there, the output hasn’t matched the investment, putting his deal under early scrutiny.
Rodgers himself also lands in the discussion. The Steelers committed $22.5 million for the 2026 season, banking on stability at the most important position. Statistically, he delivered a respectable debut year in Pittsburgh with over 3,300 yards and 24 touchdowns. Still, at 42 years old, his cap hit ranks among the highest on the roster, raising unavoidable questions about long-term efficiency versus short-term necessity.
Linebacker Malik Harrison represents a different kind of issue—less about headline money and more about cost relative to role. His two-year, $10 million deal has not translated into consistent on-field impact. Struggles in coverage and limited special teams value have left the contract looking increasingly disproportionate to his contribution.
On defense, Jalen Ramsey’s presence comes with significant financial weight inherited from his previous deal. While the Steelers did not originate the contract, they now carry it after acquiring him, and the cap hit has become difficult to ignore. As he sits lower on the depth chart than his salary would suggest, the team is left managing a deal that escalates further in the coming seasons unless a decision is made sooner rather than later.
At the top of the list is T.J. Watt, whose three-year, $123 million extension reshaped the edge rusher market and cemented his status among the league’s highest-paid defenders. The challenge now is context. After an injury-affected season and a drop in production, the $41 million annual value and massive 2026 cap hit place heavy expectations on immediate elite performance. For a franchise built around defensive identity, the margin for anything less than dominance is slim.
Taken together, these deals don’t signal poor roster construction as much as they reflect the reality of success in the modern NFL: keeping elite talent is expensive, and even strong rosters eventually run into the limits of the salary cap. For Pittsburgh, the challenge in 2026 is no longer assembling talent—it’s making sure the cost of that talent still matches the return.
5 Steelers Contracts That Could Be Problematic Heading Into 2026
