A Steelers Depot daily segment. A quick hit of some Pittsburgh Steelers-related stories that may not require a complete article but nuggets worth mentioning and passing on to you guys.
Your Depot After Dark for Jan. 18.
STEELERS PLAYOFF PAYOUT
Every team that makes the NFL playoffs receives additional pay for making the playoffs, and despite the Pittsburgh Steelers losing in the Wild Card Round against the Baltimore Ravens, eligible players received $49,500 in playoff pay, per former NFL agent Joel Corry in an article for CBS Sports. For players to be eligible, they need to be on the 53-man roster or injured reserve at game time, but players not on the 53-man roster at game time who played at least eight games for the team who are not under contract with another team in the same conference can also receive a payout.
It was a disappointing end to the season for the Steelers, but their players still made themselves a few extra bucks with their performance to get them to the postseason.
2008 AFC CHAMPIONSHIP ANNIVERSARY
Today marks the 16-year anniversary of the 2008 AFC Championship Game, a Steelers-Ravens playoff battle that went in Pittsburgh’s favor, unlike what happened last week. A game between two teams built on stout defenses, the Steelers had the defining play of the game, with S Troy Polamalu picking off rookie QB Joe Flacco and taking the interception return back for a touchdown to clinch the Steelers victory.
At the time of the interception, the Ravens had the ball trailing by two with just over four minutes to go and could’ve driven down the field for at least a field goal to take the lead. Instead, Polamalu made a great play to send the Steelers to the Super Bowl, where they beat the Arizona Cardinals for the team’s fifth Lombardi Trophy.
STEELERS RANK IN OFFSEASON ASSETS
The Pittsburgh Steelers ranked No. 18 in the NFL in total offseason assets in a study done by PFF. It looked at available cap space, restructure potential, and draft capital, and the Steelers ranked in the bottom half of the league. With the team picking at No. 21 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, they got dinged on draft capital, and while the team is expected to be around $40 million under the cap, their draft capital understandably puts them in the bottom half of the league.
