It was reported earlier in the week that the Pittsburgh Steelers altered the contract of tight end Heath Miller and now we know the details.
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Miller, as expected, had his contract extended by two years and that extension lowered his 2014 base salary down to $1.02 million.
Being as Miller was set to earn a base salary of $6.02 million in 2014, that means that $5 million of that was turned into a signing bonus. We don’t know, however, whether or not Miller received any additional money in the form of a signing bonus as part of the extension, but it doesn’t look like it.
If Miller didn’t receive any new bonus monies, his 2014 cap charge would be roughly $6.13317 million. Rapoport does report, however, that Miller will have base salaries of $4 million in both 2015 and 2016. The extension frees up $3,333,334 of cap space in 2014 for the Steelers.
While it looks as though Miller didn’t receive any additional monies as a signing bonus, you have to wonder if his 2015 base salary of $4 million was fully guaranteed. That would make sense if it was, because if not, the Steelers could just release him next offseason with only a $1,666,668 dead money charge in 2015 if deemed a post June 1 release. A move such as that would also result in another dead money charge of $1,666,668 in 2016 as well.
Miller, 31, will turn 34 in the middle of the 2016 season, the new final year of his deal. In both 2015 and 2016 he will have a cap charge of $5,666,668.
UPDATE: Tom Pelissero of USA Today is reporting that Miller’s base salaries in both 2015 and 2016 are not guaranteed.
