Bleacher Report: Joe Schobert’s Contract Among Worst in NFL

As the NFL season draws to a close, Bleacher Report has identified each team’s worst contract entering the offseason.

For the Pittsburgh Steelers, that unfortunate title belongs to inside linebacker Joe Schobert.

“When the Steelers traded for Joe Schobert in August, it only cost them a sixth-rounder,” Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine writes. “With the season in the rearview mirror, it appears the Jaguars still might have got the better end of the deal.”

According to Ballentine, the true sticking point with Schobert’s contract is his price tag compared to his production.

Schobert is in the middle of a five-year, $53.8 million contract that will not make him a free agent until 2025.

He is set to carry a $9.7 million cap hit next season, but that number will jump to $11.2 million in 2023 and 2024.

While he was acquired to steady a linebacking corps that features Devin Bush and Robert Spillane, Schobert did not have the impact the Steelers intended.

Schobert accounted for 112 total tackles, two tackles-for-loss, a forced fumble and an interception this past season.

Pittsburgh could decide to cut their losses this offseason, as parting way with Schobert would only result in a $1.9 million dead cap charge.