Teams are desperate to free up cap space in order to maintain their current roster and to make room for new talent.
Although recent reports indicated Ben Roethlisberger would be the next veteran to restructure his contract, Steelers long time wide-receiver Antonio Brown was next in line.
According to Pro Football Talk, Brown’s 2013 salary will be reduced from $4.5 million to $650,000 and the remaining $3.8 million will be converted into a signing bonus spreading out over the next five years.
By Brown restructuring his deal, the Steelers will now be under the 2012 salary cap by the March 2013 deadline. The extra breathing room gives the Steelers a chance to test the free agency market, or work on reaching an agreement with James Harrison or Ryan Clark.