Pittsburgh Steelers 2022 free agency outlook

2021 was an odd year for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They had one of the worst offensive lines and run defenses in the league and they still managed to sneak their way into the playoffs. Due to an early exit, they are picking 20th in the 2022 NFL Draft and are in a need of a new face under center with the retirement of veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

The Steelers have a bit of cap room to play with and will need to be strategic with their limited draft picks. They need a quarterback, need to shore up their offensive line and they have holes to fill in the defensive line and secondary.

Last season’s salary cap number dropped to $182.5 million as the league dealt with the pandemic, but the 2022 cap rebound back up to $208 million according to Over The Cap. That increase should loosen a few team pocketbooks this offseason.

Franchise/Transition Tag possibilities

The Steelers last used the Franchise tag on Bud Dupree in 2020 and infamously used it on LeVeon Bell back in 2018 and 2017. That’s all the players that have been given the tag in the last 11 seasons for the Steelers.

If they are wanting to be smart with their cap space and want to avoid a full-on rebuild, they will likely not use the franchise tag this year. Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster would be a potential candidate, but the price tag would be 18.41 million for him in 2022 and that is too rich for the Steelers.

Salary cap

Estimated 2022 cap space: ($24.66 million)

Notable unrestricted free agents