The Pittsburgh Steelers are charging through the 2024 offseason and the next stop is free agency. Things have already started, with the Steelers making a number of moves to clear salary cap space ahead of the new league year. On March 11, teams will start to contact free agents, and the signings can officially begin on Wednesday, March 13.
When the club gets back together for OTAs in April, it will look a lot different, and much of that will happen because of NFL free agency.
There are four types of NFL free agents. Unrestricted free agents are players that finished the 2023 season on an expiring contract and have completed four or more accrued seasons. Restricted free agents are played that finished the 2023 season on an expiring contract with three accrued seasons. Exclusive rights free agents finished 2023 on an expiring contract and have fewer that three accrued seasons. Street free agents have been released by their previous club, cleared waivers, and have no restrictions on their movements.
While the Steelers will undoubtedly be focused on singing free agents from other teams, this tracker will focus on the Steelers’ own free agents and their fate.
STEELERS 2024 UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
Unrestricted free agents can only negotiate with the Steelers on a contract extension for 2024 and beyond until the beginning of the free agent contact period, which runs from March 11-13. On March 13, players that remain unrestricted free agents can sign with any team.
QB Mason Rudolph (Signed with Tennessee Titans on March 13.)
WR Miles Boykin (Signed with New York Giants on April 9.)
NT Montravius Adams (Re-signed to a two-year contract on March 14.)
DT Armon Watts (Signed with New England Patriots on March 13.)
OLB Markus Golden
ILB Kwon Alexander
ILB Blake Martinez
ILB Mykal Walker (Signed with Washington Commanders on April 2.)
CB Levi Wallace (Signed with Denver Broncos on April 22.)
CB James Pierre (Signed with Washington Commanders on March 21.)
CB Chandon Sullivan
DB Elijah Riley
SS Miles Killebrew (Re-signed to two-year contract on March 13.)
STEELERS 2024 RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
Teams have the option to offer a contract to players that are restricted free agents. That contract offer is called a tender. RFAs that are tendered can negotiate with any team, but their original club retains the right of first refusal on the terms of any contract negotiated between the player and another club. Furthermore, if an RFA signs an offer with another team, the original club may receive draft pick compensation, based on the amount of the tender contract. As a result, RFAs signing with other teams is relatively rare, but it does happen.
If a tendered RFA wants to return to their previous club, they can either sign the tender and play out the one-year contract, or negotiate a long-term extension with the team. If the club does not tender an offer to an RFA, they become an unrestricted free agent.
The Steelers have until 4 p.m. on Wednesday to place a tender offer on the following four restricted free agents.
RB Godwin Igewbuike
DT Renell Wren
ILB Chapelle Russell
LS Christian Kuntz (Re-signed to three-year contract on March 13.)
EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS
Exclusive rights free agents can only sign with their previous team, and the team can unilaterally dictate the amount of that contract. As long as the previous club offers a contract at or above the minimum, the player has no rights to sign elsewhere.
OT Dylan Cook (Re-signed to one-year contract on Feb. 23)
LB Jeremiah Moon (Re-signed to one-year contract on Feb. 26)
STREET FREE AGENTS
In addition to players that are released, players that were on the practice squad are immediately released as street free agents at the end of the season, unless the club chooses to re-sign them.
QB Mitch Trubisky (Agreed to terms with Buffalo Bills on March 6)
RB Anthony McFarland Jr. (Signed with San Antonio Brahmas of UFL on Feb. 7)
RB Alfonzo Graham
WR Allen Robinson II
RT Chukwuma Okorafor (Agreed to terms with New England Patriots on March 7)
C Mason Cole
NT Breiden Fehoko (Re-signed to a one-year contract on March 8.)
ILB Jaylon Smith
ILB Myles Jack
FS Eric Rowe
SS Keanu Neal
CB Patrick Peterson
P Pressley Harvin III
P Brad Wing (Signed with San Antonio Brahmas of UFL on Feb. 7)