There is no denying that the season for the Pittsburgh Steelers is going to be very tough in terms of the salary cap. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that the team has several leading players hitting free agencies with very little chance of signing them.
The misconception by many fans is that this salary cap is the hell the Steelers face, somehow the fault of the front office, or worse the players. Pittsburgh has always handled their affairs in the same way. The only change this season was a significant reduction in the salary cap due to loss of income due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Yes, there are some teams with a large amount of salary caps this season despite the cuts. It would be there, regardless. And in most cases, with a few exceptions, the teams are usually not competitive. Their ownership is more concerned with their defeat as opposed to gains and losses. On the other hand, you have the Steelers who always spend the cap and push it to the extreme. It just so happens in the offseason, the NFL has moved the goalposts a bit.
The Steelers have a storm to endure this season. No doubt about it. However, this is not a problem of their creation. Pittsburgh will continue the restructuring that began with Cam Heyward, work out a new contract for Ben Roethlisberger and continue with the plan. Pittsburgh never digs hard in the first round of free agency, and this time it will be no different. There’s money for the concept and to pick up a few guys after the time. The Steeler way.