Given how the 2024 season unfolded for the Pittsburgh Steelers, it’s clear the front office needs to make strategic moves to balance the salary cap while bolstering the offense.

In recent years, the Steelers have shifted their approach to contracts and free agency, adapting to the evolving NFL landscape. This strategy aims to create a more balanced payroll between the offense and defense, ensuring the team remains competitive without breaking the bank.

The most significant decision facing Art Rooney II, Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin is what to do at quarterback.

It’s widely speculated that the Russell Wilson experiment is over, and Pittsburgh will re-sign Justin Fields. While they should be able to ink Fields to a team-friendly deal, it won’t be zero like it was for him (and Wilson) in 2024.

The Steelers are in a situation they haven’t been in a few years: Having to pay a quarterback top dollar.

“The Steelers haven’t worried about allocating top money to a quarterback since Roethlisberger’s retirement, but this year could begin the transition to the offense balancing out the salary-cap space,” TribLive’s Joe Rutter wrote on Jan. 18.

According to Over the Cap, Pittsburgh enters the offseason with $242.8 million in cap liabilities, with $176.6 million allocated to defense and $55.6 million to offense. As it currently stands, the Steelers have an estimated $40.6 million in space.