The City of Pittsburgh has three professional sports teams: the Penguins (NHL), the Pirates (MLB), and the Steelers (NFL). The Penguins and Steelers play in leagues with salary caps, while the Pirates pay a luxury tax on their contracts.
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Considering the NFL and MLB have more significant followings and media presences, it is unsurprising that players from their rosters make more money than hockey players.
Although the Pirates ($84 million) are considered a small market team, with a smaller payroll than the Penguins ($87 million), the Steelers operate on a $248 million budget.
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Outside of players who have had their contracts bought out or those listed on injured reserve or inactive, here’s a breakdown of the highest cap hits of Pittsburgh’s three professional sports teams.
10. Erik Karlsson – Penguins ($10 million)
Erik Karlsson recently moved to Pittsburgh in August 2023 and vaulted himself onto this list thanks to a cap hit of $10 million on a deal he signed with the San Jose Sharks in 2019. Karlsson is the only member of the Penguins on the list and is eligible to become a free agent in three seasons.
9. Isaac Seumalo – Steelers ($10.1 million)
Isaac Seumalo is a 31-year-old guard for the Steelers. His base salary for 2024 is $7.8 million, but his cap hit is $10.1 million. His contract is the team’s sixth-highest total and outranks everyone in the Penguins organization. Seumalo could be a free agent after the 2025 campaign.
8. Bryan Reynolds – Pirates ($10.2 million)
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The Pirates employ only three players who make over $10 million a season, with right fielder Bryan Reynolds as the veteran in the lineup with the highest contract. However, in the offseason, the organization acquired former World Series winner Aroldis Chapman, giving him a salary of just $250k more than Reynolds.
Reynolds’ salary will increase yearly until 2027, and he could become a free agent in 2031 if the Pirates decline their club offer of $20 million.
7. Aroldis Chapman – Pirates ($10.5 million)
Chapman is one of baseball’s great closers who routinely throws over 100 mph. Although he’s bounced around playing in big markets like New York and Chicago, his stint in Pittsburgh could be short, as he’s eligible to become a free agent again in 2025.
6. James Daniels – Steelers ($11.1 million)
James Daniels is in the final year of a three-year deal he signed with the Steelers in 2022. As a guard, his base salary is $8.2 million and carries a cap hit of $11.6 million, which equals 4.37% of the team’s payroll. Daniels is one of six professional athletes in Pittsburgh with a cap hit over $11 million.
5. Larry Ogunjobi – Steelers ($13.2 million)
Defensive end Larry Ogunjobi’s base salary in 2024 is $5 million, but his cap hit is $13.2 million, accounting for 5.20% of the Steelers payroll. At 30, he’s got one more season in 2025 before becoming a free agent.
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4. Mitch Keller – Pirates ($15.4 million)
Mitch Keller signed a five-year extension with the Pirates in 2024, paying him a base salary of $5.8 million this season. However, his totals will significantly increase in 2025, up to $15 million, and then cap out at $20 million in 2028.
Keller’s contract counts $15.4 million towards Pittsburgh’s luxury tax for the duration of his deal when he can become a free agent at 33.
3. Minkah Fitzpatrick – Steelers ($21.3 million)
The Steelers signed Minkah Fitzpatrick to a five-year deal in 2022 with an escalating base salary and cap hit. In 2024, his wages are listed at $14.5 million (base) and $21.3 million (cap hit), representing 8.36% of the team’s payroll.
Fitzpatrick will earn over $17 million in 2026 while carrying a $24 million cap hit before hitting free agency in 2027 at 31.
2. Cameron Heyward – Steelers ($22.4 million)
Cameron Heyward signed a three-year extension with the Steelers on Sept. 3. He’ll be eligible for free agency in 2027 at 38. In 2024, Heyward will earn $16 million and carry a cap hit of $22.4 million, equal to 8.77% of Pittsburgh’s financial commitments.
1. T.J. Watt – Steelers ($30.4 million)
© Charles LeClaire
T.J. Watt is the highest-paid professional athlete in Western Pennsylvania, with a base salary of $21 million and a cap hit of $30.4 million. As one of the premier defensive players in the NFL, it’s unsurprising that he took the top spot.
At 30 years old, he’s got two seasons left on his current deal, and he could become a free agent in 2026. Watt, Keller, Heyward, Reynolds, and Crosby are the only players on this list to play their entire careers in Pittsburgh.
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