The Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t been the most active team this offseason, though they have made some changes. On the coaching side, they switched out two of their position coaches. In terms of personnel, they signed TE Donald Parham Jr., who could potentially compete for a roster spot. More significant but unsurprising, they released OLB Preston Smith and his bloated salary cap.
But is that as far as they intend to go in terms of eliminating players whose salaries outweigh their usefulness? Salary cap casualties are a common talking point this year and something all 32 teams do. Smith was the easy one, acquired in-season via trade as a short-term rental. But what about Larry Ogunjobi, Cordarrelle Patterson, or Cole Holcomb?
“Yeah, we’re going through the process, and that naturally could happen”, Steelers GM Omar Khan told our Joe Clark on Tuesday when addressing local media members at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. “It’s just the business, it happens at all 32 clubs. Fortunately, we’re not in cap trouble, let’s say, so we’ll see how those things go”.
Khan is right that the Steelers are not in cap trouble, which will factor into their decisions. Not only did releasing Preston Smith save them $13.4 million, they were already in a comfortable spot. And with reports that the salary cap will rise even higher than expected, they could afford some indulgences.
But there is still the basic matter of spending money wisely, and that’s important in a salary-cap league. The Steelers owe Ogunjobi $7 million, for example. Even if they don’t need that $7 million, they could use that toward paying a better lineman. They could save a couple of million from Cordarrelle Patterson, too, who proved to be a failed signing.
The big question, to me, is Cole Holcomb. The Steelers, through Khan, confirmed that the inside linebacker is healthy and could have played in the playoffs. But they also owe him $6 million, and they don’t have a starting role for him. At least, it would be hard to see them throwing him back into the starting lineup, no questions asked.
Holcomb has missed a year and a half of football, and while he might be healthy, we don’t know how he would play. He has overcome serious injuries prior to his time with the Steelers. But do they have enough snaps? Is paying him $6 million worth it, considering Payton Wilson is playing under a rookie contract?
We should soon know whether the Steelers intend to make more cuts, with the new league year fast approaching. Players like Holcomb and Ogunjobi have roster bonuses due in a few weeks, too. Unless they agree to delay the bonus, the Steelers need to make decisions in the very near future.
