The Pittsburgh Steelers signed unrestricted free agent WR Quez Watkins to a one-year contract last week and finally the details related to that deal have surfaced. The numbers are as expected as it is a veteran benefit deal, according to the NFLPA database.
Watkins’ deal totals out at $1.2925 million, and it includes a minimum base salary of $1.125 million in addition to a signing bonus of $167,500, which is the maximum allowed in the CBA for 2024 so that it can qualify as a veteran benefit contract. The only guaranteed money in the deal is the $167,500 signing bonus.
As a veteran benefit contract, only $985,000 of Watkins’ base salary will count against the Steelers 2024 salary cap amount. That is the minimum amount of a player with two credited NFL seasons. Additionally, Watkins’ full signing bonus will count against the cap as well. This means that Watkins’ 2024 cap charge is set to be $1.1525 million.
This is the same contract that the Steelers recently signed WR Van Jefferson to a few weeks ago.
Watkins enters the Steelers’ Rule 51 with his cap charge and displaces a player with a salary of $915,000. This means that the Steelers effectively used $237,500 in available salary cap space to sign Watkins.
For his NFL career to date, Watkins, who was originally selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Southern Mississippi, has registered 98 total regular season receptions for 1,249 yards with six touchdowns. He also has four career rushing attempts for four yards.
Watkins, who has played in 49 total regular season games so far, also has some NFL experience as a kickoff returner. In four seasons, he’s returned 14 kickoffs for 200 yards.
