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The Steelers are one of many teams with work to do in order to get under the 2021 salary cap and they’ve gotten some of the work done by restructuring the contract of a defensive star.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the team has converted a large portion of his $10.5 million salary and roster bonus into a signing a bonus. He’ll receive all of the money, but this year’s cap hit will drop by about $7 million as a result of the machinations.
Heyward is signed through 2024. He had 54 tackles, four sacks, and an interception during the 2020 season.
The defensive end’s cap hit was one of the four biggest on the team. The biggest one belongs to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who is set to count for $41.25 million and it remains unclear at this point how the team will proceed regarding the longtime face of their offense.
