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The LabEvery contract against the field

Pittsburgh SteelersThe cap file

71 contracts count $257M against the 2026 cap. 81% of it belongs to players on the field, 15th of 32. $19.7M is injured and $29.8M is healthy but not playing. The biggest building: defensive line, $93.2M, 1st in the league.

League viewRosterContracts: OverTheCap via nflverse
QB: $7.5M of cap, 0% of it on the field (3 players)QBRB: $4.9M of cap, 77% of it on the field (2 players)RBWR: $31.5M of cap, 84% of it on the field (9 players)WRTE: $12.9M of cap, 80% of it on the field (5 players)TEOL: $21.0M of cap, 77% of it on the field (11 players)OLDL: $93.2M of cap, 88% of it on the field (14 players)DLLB: $27.9M of cap, 86% of it on the field (8 players)LBDB: $51.2M of cap, 73% of it on the field (16 players)DBST: $7.3M of cap, 100% of it on the field (3 players)ST

Bottom line81% of the Steelers cap is on the field (15th of 32). The most money goes to defensive line: $93.2M, 1st in the league.

How to read this chart
The skyline above:
one building per position group, as tall as the cap hit (this season's salary-cap charge) Steelers spend on it, on the same scale as every other team. Lit windows are the share of that money on players who are actually on the field; dark windows are injured or idle money.
The cards below:
the same money in numbers. The bar fills with the share on the field, and "in spend" ranks the team among all 32 for that group.
Quarterbacks$7.5M0% on the field · 27th in spend
Running backs$4.9M77% on the field · 32nd in spend
Wide receivers$31.5M84% on the field · 11th in spend
Tight ends$12.9M80% on the field · 15th in spend
Offensive line$21.0M77% on the field · 31st in spend
Defensive line$93.2M88% on the field · 1st in spend
Linebackers$27.9M86% on the field · 3rd in spend
Secondary$51.2M73% on the field · 7th in spend
Specialists$7.3M100% on the field · 7th in spend
Best value on the roster

Earning more than they cost

Mason McCormickLG · $1.3M capPlayed 87th, paid 46th among OLsZach FrazierC · $2.1M capPlayed 87th, paid 60th among OLsPayton WilsonLB · $1.5M capPlayed 84th, paid 58th among LBs

Bottom lineBest value on the roster: Mason McCormick, played 87th and paid 46th among OLs.

How to read the contract tables
One row = one contract.
2026 cap hit, average per year and years left.
Paid / played bars:
the gold bar is where his pay ranks among players at his position across the league, the green bar where his play ranks (EPA, expected points added, for QB, RB, WR, TE; share of snaps for everyone else). Full bar = top of the league.
Gap:
played rank minus paid rank, in percentile points. Positive (green) means he gives more than he costs; negative (red) means the opposite.
3 contracts

Quarterbacks $7.5M

Player2026 capPer yearPaid / playedGapEPA
Mason RudolphQB$4.6M$3.8M · 1 yr left−2-2.5 EPADrew AllarQB$1.8M$1.8M · 4 yrs left−46+0.0 EPAWill HowardQB$1.1M$1.1M · 3 yrs left−26+0.0 EPA
2 contracts

Running backs $4.9M

Player2026 capPer yearPaid / playedGapEPA
Rico DowdleRB$3.8M$6.1M · 2 yrs left−26-5.2 EPAEli HeidenreichRB$1.1M$1.1M · 4 yrs left−39+0.0 EPA
9 contracts

Wide receivers $31.5M

Player2026 capPer yearPaid / playedGapEPA
DK MetcalfWR$13.2M$33.0M · 3 yrs left−50-1.0 EPAMichael Pittman Jr.WR · injured$8.9M$17.5M · 2 yrs left−27+2.4 EPABen SkowronekWR$2.8M$2.3M · 1 yr left−9+1.7 EPAGermie BernardWR$2.6M$2.6M · 4 yrs left−22-1.3 EPARoman WilsonWR · injured$1.6M$1.4M · 2 yrs left+17+6.3 EPAKaden WetjenWR$1.4M$1.4M · 4 yrs left−51+0.0 EPACole BurgessWR · injured$515K$885K · 1 yr left−26+0.0 EPAIsaiah HodginsWR$294K$330K · 1 yr left−22+0.0 EPAMarquez Valdes-ScantlingWR$220K$330K · 1 yr left+30-8.6 EPA
5 contracts

Tight ends $12.9M

Player2026 capPer yearPaid / playedGapEPA
Pat FreiermuthTE$6.9M$12.1M · 2 yrs left+3+16.0 EPADarnell WashingtonTE$3.5M$10.5M · 4 yrs left+9+8.3 EPARiley NowakowskiTE$1.2M$1.2M · 4 yrs left+7-1.6 EPARobert TonyanTE$1.1M$1.3M · 1 yr left+26-0.4 EPALake McReeTE$248K$248K · 1 yr left−4+0.0 EPA
11 contracts

Offensive line $21.0M

Player2026 capPer yearPaid / playedGapSnaps
Max IheanachorRT$5.2M$5.2M · 4 yrs left−1075% snapsTroy FautanuLG$4.1M$3.8M · 2 yrs left+14100% snapsBrock HoffmanRG$2.5M$2.5M · 1 yr left+675% snapsZach FrazierC$2.1M$1.9M · 2 yrs left+27100% snapsGennings DunkerLG · injured$1.7M$1.7M · 4 yrs left−560% snapsRyan McCollumC$1.3M$1.3M · 1 yr left−470% snapsMason McCormickLG$1.3M$1.2M · 2 yrs left+41100% snapsJack DriscollRT · injured$1.3M$1.4M · 1 yr left−440% snapsSpencer AndersonRG$1.2M$979K · 1 yr left+1731% snapsSteven JonesLG$248K$248K · 1 yr left−40% snapsDoug NesterLT$248K$248K · 1 yr left−40% snaps
14 contracts

Defensive line $93.2M

Player2026 capPer yearPaid / playedGapSnaps
T.J. WattED$42.0M$41.0M · 2 yrs left−1066% snapsAlex HighsmithED$20.1M$17.0M · 1 yr left−965% snapsCameron HeywardIDL$13.7M$18.0M · 1 yr left−763% snapsKeeanu BentonIDL$4.3M$18.0M · 4 yrs left+1361% snapsDerrick HarmonIDL · injured$4.1M$4.5M · 3 yrs left−3017% snapsSebastian Joseph-DayIDL · injured$3.6M$5.5M · 2 yrs left−2418% snapsJack SawyerED$1.2M$1.3M · 3 yrs left+1331% snapsLogan LeeIDL · injured$1.1M$1.1M · 2 yrs left−350% snapsYahya BlackIDL$1.1M$1.1M · 3 yrs left+3139% snapsKevin Jobity Jr.IDL$1.0M$1.0M · 3 yrs left+45% snapsEsezi OtomewoED$411K$411K · 1 yr left−160% snapsKyler BaughIDL$248K$248K · 1 yr left−60% snapsKJ HenryED$193K$248K · 1 yr left−20% snapsJulius WelschofED$0K$248K · 1 yr left00% snaps
8 contracts

Linebackers $27.9M

Player2026 capPer yearPaid / playedGapSnaps
Patrick QueenLB$17.2M$13.7M · 1 yr left0100% snapsNick HerbigLB$5.4M$25.0M · 4 yrs left−1754% snapsCole HolcombLB$2.0M$2.5M · 2 yrs left−214% snapsPayton WilsonLB$1.5M$1.4M · 2 yrs left+2686% snapsCarson BruenerLB$1.0M$1.1M · 3 yrs left−290% snapsMarte MapuLB$257K$330K · 1 yr left−100% snapsJacoby WindmonLB$248K$248K · 1 yr left−10% snapsElandon RobertsLB$239K$330K · 1 yr left−10% snaps
16 contracts

Secondary $51.2M

Player2026 capPer yearPaid / playedGapSnaps
Jalen RamseyCB$19.5M$24.1M · 1 yr left−1100% snapsDeShon ElliottS · injured$6.1M$6.3M · 1 yr left−488% snapsJamel DeanCB$5.5M$12.3M · 3 yrs left−970% snapsJaquan BriskerS$5.5M$5.5M · 1 yr left+13100% snapsAsante Samuel Jr.CB$4.0M$4.0M · 1 yr left+1194% snapsBrandin EcholsCB$3.9M$3.0M · 1 yr left−434% snapsDaylen EveretteCB$1.7M$1.7M · 4 yrs left−435% snapsRobert Spears-JenningsS$1.1M$1.1M · 4 yrs left+2336% snapsSean Murphy-BuntingCB$1.0M$1.3M · 1 yr left−230% snapsTerell SmithCB$836K$1.1M · 1 yr left−190% snapsDonte KentCB · injured$548K$1.1M · 3 yrs left−150% snapsDaequan HardyCB · injured$515K$885K · 1 yr left−140% snapsSebastian CastroS$248K$248K · 1 yr left−50% snapsMax HurlemanS · injured$248K$248K · 1 yr left−50% snapsCar'lin VigersCB$248K$248K · 1 yr left−50% snapsDarius RushCB$220K$248K · 1 yr left−40% snaps
3 contracts

Specialists $7.3M

Player2026 capPer yearPaid / playedGapSnaps
Chris BoswellK$4.9M$7.0M · 4 yrs left−515% snapsChristian KuntzLS$1.3M$1.2M · 1 yr left+1714% snapsCameron JohnstonP$1.1M$1.3M · 1 yr left+3914% snaps

Gold bar: where the player's pay ranks among his position group league-wide. Green bar: where his play ranks (EPA for skill players, share of snaps for everyone else). Gap = played minus paid, in percentile points.