When the Pittsburgh Steelers traded Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers, it wasn’t just a pick swap. Yes, they did move up slightly in the 2024 NFL Draft, but they also acquired cornerback Donte Jackson. With the acquisition of Jackson, who was reportedly going to be released, the Steelers also took on his current contract which was over $10 million dollars.

It was assumed the team would come to terms on a new contract with Jackson, and according to Over the Cap that is exactly what happened. Per OTC, Jackson agreed on a new one-year deal worth $4.75 million dollars.

The #Steelers and Donte Jackson agreed on a new one year contract with $4.75 million guaranteedhttps://t.co/FKWyo3OpZ6

— Jason_OTC (@Jason_OTC) March 18, 2024

So, what does this save the Steelers in terms of 2024 salary cap space? According to our own Dave Schofield, the breakdown of the contract looks as follows:

“$6 million for the season, $4.75 million guaranteed as a signing bonus, and a $1.25 million base salary

“This move saves the Steelers a little over $4.5 million against the cap.”

This move was expected, considering it wouldn’t be wise to have Jackson playing at such an elevated cost, and while it frees up some cap space there is still work to be done. Our source is telling us a Cam Heyward extension will decrease his cap hit in 2024, and push more of his money into future years.

Stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the rest of the 2024 offseason, and the upcoming NFL Draft.