If you follow the NFLPA salary cap data report like I do, you may have noticed that the Pittsburgh Steelers lost $792,000 in 2021 salary cap space a few days ago as the team dropped down to $10,461,586 in available space. This recent deduction was the annual place holder charge for offseason workout bonus charges. That debit was expected to happen and I have been accounting for it in my Steelers salary cap updates.
The league charged all 32 teams $792,000 and that figure is determined by multiplying 90 players by $275 per day and then by 32, the number of organized team activity sessions planned. This place holder remains on the books until the actual workout bonus amounts for each team are calculated.
Per the NFL CBA: ARTICLE 13, Section 5:
(g) Offseason Workouts. Beginning on the first day of the League Year, each Club’s Team Salary will be charged an amount that is calculated as follows: multiply the minimum daily amount set forth in Article 21, Section 3 ($275 for the 2021 League Year) by 2,880 (90 players (or the maximum roster limit for that League Year) × 4 days/week × 8 weeks = 2,880). At the conclusion of the program, but no later than August 15, this charge will be adjusted based upon the amounts actually paid to players who participated in the offseason program. At that time, the amount paid to each player will be charged to Salary and Team Salary, and the original charge set forth in the first sentence of this Subsection shall be removed from Team Salary. In addition to these amounts, any incentives in Player Contracts related to offseason workouts shall be included in Team Salary pursuant to Section 6(c) below.
This recent charge that took place was very much expected. The Steelers currently are listed as having 72 players under contract per the NFLPA report. The report, however, does not yet account for the recent signings of defensive end Abdullah Anderson, quarterback Joshua Dobbs and inside linebacker Vince Williams this week.
