As part of the 6-year, $59.2 million contract that Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward signed last year, he was scheduled to receive a $5 million roster bonus in 2016 by the fifth day of the new league year. The same goes for center Maurkice Pouncey as he was also reportedly due a $3.5 million roster bonus at the start of the new league year.
While the Steelers very well could’ve restructured the contracts of both Heyward and Pouncey over the course of the last few days in order to lower their 2016 cap charges by turning their roster bonus in addition to a portions of their respective base salaries into signing bonuses, there’s been no reports as of yet that such transactions have taken place.
Heading into the new league year, Heyward was scheduled to have a cap charge in 2016 of $10.4 million while Pouncey, who signed a five-year contract extension worth $44,136,625 in 2014, was scheduled to count $10.551 million against the team’s 2016 salary cap.
If the Steelers did decide to restructure the contracts of either player prior to paying each their roster bonuses, we should find that out by the start of next week. Former agent Joel Corry told me on Sunday that restructures for Heyward and Pouncey could have quietly taken place.
Currently, the NFLPA has the Steelers $3,692,020 under the salary cap with 74 total players under contract. It should be noted, however, that that number isn’t likely to include this year’s estimated workout bonuses and a projected veteran cap credit payback payment of $1.125 million.
