The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed center Maurkice Pouncey to a contract extension that reportedly averages $11 million per season, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Pouncey, who was about to enter the final year of his current contract a week from now, might now be the NFL’s highest paid center as a result of this new deal. The exact numbers have yet to be released, but they should be out by Monday at the latest. He is now under contract through the 2021 season.
Pouncey was previously scheduled to earn a base salary in 2019 of $7 million and his salary cap charge was to be just $951,000 more than that. Depending on the structure of this new deal, there’s a good chance that Pouncey’s 2019 cap charge will decrease some.
According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pouncey’s new deal totals out at $29 million and that means he picked up $22 million in new money for a new money average of $11 million, which should make him the NFL’s highest-paid center for now.
Pouncey, the Steelers first-round draft pick in 2010, has not missed a game due to injury since sitting out the entire 2015 season due a fractured ankle he suffered that preseason.
Pouncey, who was the only Steelers player to be receive All-Pro honors a few weeks ago, albeit second-team variety, was honored by the Pro Football Writers of America, selected to the 2018 PFWA All-AFC team at center for the second-straight year. He was also voted to the Pro Bowl this year, his seventh time being selected, and goes in as a starter.
