Steelers Officially Sign LB Elandon Roberts, Contract Details Reported

The Pittsburgh Steelers have made official the signing of linebacker Elandon Roberts from the Miami Dolphins and the details of his contract have been reported.

Roberts will join the Steelers on a two-year contract after spending the last three seasons with the Miami Dolphins. Before that, he spent four years with the New England Patriots, winning two Super Bowls.

The Steelers will pay Roberts $7 million over his two-year deal, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC Houston. He has a $2.335 million signing bonus, which will be paid over the two seasons. That is the only part of the contract that is guaranteed.

The salary is split with $1.165 million coming in 2023 and $3.5 million in 2024. That will make Roberts’ salary cap hit in 2023 $2.3325 million and it will be $4.6675 million in 2024. If the Steelers release or trade Roberts after the first season, they will pay only a $1.1675 million dead cap penalty.

The contract follows a similar structure to the ones previously released for guard Nate Herbig and safety Damontae Kazee, where the Steelers will have reduced cap hits in 2023, and increased hits in 2024 but minimal dead cap penalty for a release.

The Steelers’ full salary cap picture is coming into focus, but cannot be fully ascertained without the contracts for defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi and linebacker Cole Holcomb, which have not been released.

Without those two contracts, then Steelers have $20.72 in current salary cap space, and are functionally $20 million over where they will need to be for the start of the regular season.

The Steelers can make additional salary cap space through contract restructures between now and then.