Troy Polamalu also signs two-year extension
Pittsburgh Steelers strong safety Troy Polamalu (43) looks on from the sidelines against the Cincinnati Bengals during the second quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Pittsburgh Steelers solid veteran tight end Heath Miller recently agreed to a restructured deal in order to lower his cap hit this upcoming season from $9.5 million to about $6.1 million, and he also signed a two-year extension in the process. The Steelers have also given another long-time key member of the organization a two-year extension, as ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets that the team has announced a deal for strong safety Troy Polamalu that will keep him through the 2016 season.
It was reported earlier today that Polamalu would not be released by the team despite an $8.25 million salary, which seems pricey for a 32-year-old safety who is a declining player. Hopefully the Steelers were able to get Polamalu to take a paycut from that salary due to their own lack of cap flexibility, but it’s not a totally outlandish sum for a player of his caliber. While the prevailing narrative is that Polamalu is a washed-up, has-been, he actually had a great bounce-back year in 2013 and was really the lone bright spot in the Steelers secondary. I mean, the failings of the cornerbacks shouldn’t mask the kind of year Troy had, as he was flying all over the place in intermediate coverage and run defense with 69 tackles, five fumbles forced, and 11 passes defended.
Polamalu was a force last year, and it’s good to see that the Steelers fan favorite will stick around with the Steelers organization for a couple of more years. We can only hope that the Steelers lifer retires with the team, and it will be interesting to hear the exact financial details of his deal.