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Maurkice Pouncey announced his retirement from the NFL on Friday. Pouncey was entering his final year of the 2-year, $22 million contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Maurkice Pouncey spent all 11 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and was the anchor on their offensive line.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to have a tough time replacing the 11-year veteran. Ben Roethlisberger and Maurkice Pouncey developed a great friendship while playing with Pittsburgh. The Steelers lost their home playoff game to the Cleveland Browns. Roethlisberger released this statement to the media about Pouncey:
"I love that guy, He is one of the best competitors and teammates I've ever had. It's been so much fun to share a football field with him. I hate that it ended the way it did. I just wanted to apologize to him that I wanted to win it for him."
There have been rumors that Ben Roethlisberger wanted to retire when Maurkice retired, but that changed when Roethlisberger announced he would be returning. The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of many NFL franchises that are facing issues with their salary cap. Ben Rothlisberger is willing to take a pay cut for the 2021 NFL season.
With Maurkice Pouncey retiring, how does that help the Pittsburgh Steelers with their salary cap issues?
Breaking down Maurkice Pouncey's contract
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Maurkice Pouncey reached an agreement on a two-year, $22 million contract extension before the 2019 NFL season. With one year left on that two-year contract, Pouncey announced his retirement on Friday. The retirement of Pouncey has the Pittsburgh Steelers' fan base wondering how it will impact their salary cap for the off-season.
Does Maurkice Pouncey's retirement help the Pittsburgh Steelers' salary cap issues?
With Maurkice Pouncey retiring, the Pittsburgh Steelers will have to carry $6.4 million in dead cap space for 2021. On the bright side, the Steelers are freeing up $8 million in their salary cap. Pouncey's retirement helps the Pittsburgh Steelers release a little bit of pressure.
As of right now, the Pittsburgh Steelers are $34 million over the salary cap. With Maurkice Pouncey retiring it takes that large figure down to $26 million. This helps the Pittsburgh Steelers, but they still have work to do.
Maurkice Pouncey's Contract:
-- Length: 2 years
-- Amount: $22 million
-- Signing Bonus: $9 million
-- Average Salary: $11 million
-- Guaranteed at Signing: $12 million
