Two players' dead-cap figures could cost Steelers solid free agent in 2023

As February is quickly coming to a close, the Pittsburgh Steelers and 31 other teams in the NFL will enter free agency looking to add to what they already have in place for 2023. Some franchises will prioritize internal free agents, while others may be a little more aggressive outside of their 2022 locker room. Pittsburgh was aggressive around this time a year ago, spending more money than ever on external pieces, but given the current state of the financials, it may not be as feasible this time around. It's nice to have Ben Roethlisberger officially off the books, but the dead-cap money of two other players could cost the team a solid free agent.

While no one will count against the team as much as Roethlisberger did in 2022 (roughly $10.3 million in dead cap), the organization has some money tied up that could have been significantly avoided if someone in the front office acted sooner. Two players in particular are are making up for over 75% of the dead cap, according to Spotrac.

Former Steelers defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt took an entire season off due to a nagging injury and personal reasons back in 2021. Due to his post-June 1 retirement in the summer of 2022, his dead-cap figure rolled over and will count against the team in 2023, rather than all of it being on the books in 2022. The total number of $4.755 million may seem small, but it could have easily been avoided.

It's possible he notified the franchise of his pending retirement and he was asked to retire after June 1 to make the 2022 cap hit more manageable, but looking back now, there were plenty of ways to take his full dead-cap hit that was just shy of $10 million and find savings elsewhere.

Steelers Didn't Act Quick Enough To Re-sign Cameron Sutton

The second player costing the team some financial relief may still be on the team in 2023. Cornerback Cameron Sutton had a void year on his deal he signed back in 2021. The contract officially voided in mid-February, and the franchise will lose $2.1 million. When we combine that with Tuitt's $4.755 million, it makes up a total of $6.855 million. The total dead cap, as of now, according to Spotrac is roughly $8.52 million.

The near $7 million the Steelers could have saved would be a solid number to put towards Sutton's next contract or lure an external free agent. Baltimore Ravens offensive guard Ben Powers is projected at just around $9 million per year, according to Pro Football Focus' free-agency hub. He is just one name that almost $7 million could be used to help the team in 2023.

Cornerback Jonathan Jones, who played for the New England Patriots in 2022, is only projected around $5.5 million per season. Overall, the dead cap from two players seems minuscule given Roethlisberger's $10 million number a year ago, but it could absolutely have been avoided and used during the 2023 offseason to help better the team.

Pittsburgh has plenty of options to help their financial situation. Parting ways with William Jackson III and Mitchell Trubisky cuts the deficit by nearly $20 million alone. However, thinking more strategically almost a season ago when it comes to Tuitt paired with jumping to re-sign Sutton as soon as the season ended could have saved the team almost $7 million.