Now that the ink has dried on the five-year contract extension signed Thursday by Pittsburgh Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey, here is four key facts related to the deal that many people aren’t discussing and taking into account.
1. 2014 Cap Hit Lowered – Thanks to the team rolling some of Pouncey’s old money into his extension, the 2014 cap charge for the center was actually lowered by $263,375. If the early numbers are correct, Pouncey’s 2014 cap charge will be $5,000,625.
2. Low Guaranteed Money – When the Cleveland Browns decided to match the offer sheet given to center Alex Mack by the Jacksonville Jaguars, it meant guaranteeing his base salaries in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Those base salaries total out at $26 million. The Steelers, on the other hand, gave Pouncey a $13 million signing bonus and a $1 million base salary in 2014 for a grand total of $14 million guaranteed.
3. Non-Guaranteed Roster Bonuses In 2015 And 2016 – Pouncey is due non-guaranteed roster bonuses in 2015 and 2016 in the amounts of $3.75 million and $3.5 million respectively. These bonuses are due in the early part of March of their respective years. There’s no reason to think that Pouncey won’t collect them both, but if he gets in trouble off of the field or plays extremely poorly, they can cut him before paying them in each year. Also, should the need arise, these roster bonuses can be turned into signing bonuses if the team needs cap space. It’s just a worst case scenario that I thought I would point out, so don’t freak out.
4. Easy To Cut After 2016 Season – Once again, I don’t expect this to happen, but should the Steelers decide they need to part ways with Pouncey after the 2016 season, his dead money charge in years 2017 and 2018 would only be $2.6 million if designated a post June 1 release.
