One of the most intriguing moves that any team can make in the front office is restructuring a player’s contract.
Usually, they do that in an effort to clear up some cap space.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are the most recent team to do that.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, they restructured pass-rusher Alex Highsmith’s contract to save $7 million in cap space.
The #Steelers have done a simple restructure of the salary of pass-rusher Alex Highsmith to create more than $7M in salary cap space, source said. A little breathing room.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 24, 2024
Highsmith led the league in forced fumbles in 2022 (5) and set a career-high in sacks that year too (14.5).
However, this move isn’t necessarily about Highsmith.
It is about who Pittsburgh is bringing in.
What is particularly intriguing about this is that this move took place just over 30 hours away from the start of the NFL Draft.
A position that Pittsburgh needs to address after the losses of Diontae Johnson and Allen Robinson is wide receiver.
With reports of San Francisco 49ers All-Pro receiver Brandon Aiyuk being a trade candidate, could Mike Tomlin and Co. be trying to get veteran quarterback Russell Wilson a new toy?
If Pittsburgh was to swing a great trade for Aiyuk, it would make a real difference in Pittsburgh’s offense.
Aiyuk would join fellow 1,000-yard receiver George Pickens and provide Wilson with an elite duo on the outside.
Or, this salary restructure might just be a simple move to help accommodate the new rookies that will be heading to play in Pittsburgh.
Nobody knows what this move means right now.
But, it would be a good bet to think that Steelers fans will get an answer this weekend.
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