We are now less than two weeks away from the start of the 2019 NFL league year and apparently on Friday teams were informed what the salary cap number will be for the upcoming season.
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the 2019 NFL salary cap number per team will be $188.2 million. Last season the league-wide salary cap number was $177.2 million.
Many have speculated that this year’s final number would come in right at or right near $190 million so that wound up being a very close estimate, albeit a small overestimation. According to former NFL agent Joel Corry of CBS Sports, below are the expected restricted free agent tender amounts for 2019 based off the $188.2 million cap number.
Currently, the Pittsburgh Steelers estimated Rule of 51 number has the team a little more than $17 million under a salary cap number of $188.2 million. However, that Rule of 51 number does not include any restricted tenders, a workout bonus placeholder or other estimated costs the team is expected to have this offseason, which includes the accommodation of a draft class, a full practice squad, a 52nd and 53rd player, the escalator for Javon Hargrave and at least $4 million in available salary cap space to use during the season.
The low $2.025 million tender amount is expected be the new base salary of Hargrave come the start of the new league year. If you factor that in, the Steelers Rule of 51 number becomes just a little less than $16 million.
The Steelers, however, should be close to signing quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to a contract extension and that transaction, which should be announced before the start of the new league year, could free up roughly another $7 million in 2019 salary cap space.
After Roethlisberger’s extension is announced, I will provide a full Steelers 2019 salary cap status update for you ahead of the new league year getting underway. In the meantime, however, you can refer to post below to look at some of the expected costs the team will have the remainder of the offseason.
