A controversial contract a year ago might now be Pittsburgh’s best.
After the Steelers extended safety DeShon Elliott earlier this week to a contract that makes him the 30th-highest paid at his position, there was plenty of talk about just how good the value was for Pittsburgh.
That got me thinking…
What’s the best contract value on the Steelers?
Some ground rules first: Rookie contracts shouldn’t count, as they’re guaranteed to be excellent value if the player is any good at all. That being said, names like Joey Porter Jr. and Zach Frazier, who are both averaging under $2.5 million per year, are great deals right now for Pittsburgh. Nick Herbig at around $1.1 million also stands out.
This one shouldn’t count either given that he’s currently holding out from the Steelers because of his contract, but it’s worth noting that T.J. Watt (although only the ninth highest-paid defender in the league) is making a whopping $12 million less per year than No. 1 highest-paid defender Myles Garrett.
Elliott, of course, now averaging $6.25 million a season, is great value as well.
But for me, the pick is Cam Heyward. This time last season, the notion of extending the veteran defender was highly controversial among Steelers fans, but now it’s looking like an absolute steal. Heyward put up a well-deserved first-team All-Pro season at age 35 — and he’s only making $14.5 million per year.
For context, that’s in the same range as Javon Kinlaw, Javon Hargrave, Dalvin Tomlinson, Grady Jarrett, Arik Armstead, and Tershawn Wharton. It’s less than Chase Young. It’s less than half of what Chris Jones is making. And Heyward was one of the NFL’s most elite defenders in 2024.
You take a look at the Steelers’ and NFL’s contracts on Spotrac.
What do you think the Steelers’ best value contract is? Join the BTSC community and let us know in the comments!