Steelers & G David DeCastro Close To Agreement On A Contract Extension

Steelers G David DeCastro told the Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review after Wednesday’s practice that the two sides are nearing an agreement on an extension.

“We are getting close,” DeCastro said. “It all happened recently so we will see, but we are close.”

DeCastro added that he’s hoping that they’ll have a deal in place at some point in the near future.

“Hopefully in a few days I won’t have to think about it again,” DeCastro said.

Kaboly points out that the Bears may have set the market for Pro Bowl guards when they locked up Kyle Long to a four-year, $40 million extension, which included $30 million guaranteed.

DeCastro was reportedly shopping around for insurance policies in case he plays out his fifth-year option earlier this summer.

Pittsburgh makes a point of waiting to discuss contract extensions for players who are in the final year of their contracts, and DeCastro is clearly among their core players, so it wouldn’t come as a big surprise to see them get a deal done in the coming days.

DeCastro, 26, had one year remaining on his four-year, $7.813 million rookie contract that included a $4.122 million signing bonus when the Steelers picked up his fifth-year option.

The fifth-year option tender will pay him DeCastro $8.07 million in 2016 before he tests the open market as an unrestricted free agent next March. It’s worth mentioning that this option is guaranteed for injury only and won’t prevent the Steelers from working out a long-term extension.

In 2015, DeCastro appeared in all 16 games for the Steelers and was rated by Pro Football Focus as the No. 15 guard out of 81 qualifying players.