As the NFL prepares for season opener, teams are scrambling to make last-minute deals and solidify roster spots for the 2016 season. The Pittsburgh Steelers are not to be left out of that conversation as it was rumored the front office and the DeCastro camp have been in negotiations over a contract extension for the fourth year guard. Both sides reportedly were aiming for the deal to be done prior to the start of the 2016 NFL regular season. Today, the Steelers got a contract extension done for David DeCastro. The deal is reported to be for six years and worth $58 million, keeping DeCastro as a staple on the Steelers offensive line through the 2021 season, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport.
Steelers Sign DeCastro to 6-Year Contract Extension
#Steelers G David DeCastro’s new, 6-year deal is worth $58.07M, source said. So, $10M per year in new money tacked on to 2016.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 8, 2016
This deal was necessary in order to sure-up the continuity that has been developed along the Steelers’ offensive line. DeCastro, the 2012 first round draft pick (24th overall) out of Stanford, almost single-handedly turned the fortune for the Steelers front five when he began contributing to their efforts as a starter since 2013. Head coach Mike Tomlin looked to DeCastro to start as a rookie, which he took to very well. However, in a 2012 preseason game against the Buffalo Bills, DeCastro suffered extensive damage to his ACL and MCL in a freakish injury that was a result of friendly fire. DeCastro’s leg was rolled on by offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert in a play that would lead him to the reserved/injured list. The highly regarded guard from Bellevue, WA wouldn’t get to see his first snap of regular season NFL football until December of that year.
Patience had the last laugh in his NFL career, however. David returned to full health in 2013 and started 15 of 16 games that season, only missing the week nine contest against the Dallas Cowboys. Since the 2014 regular season, DeCastro has started all 32 regular season games, in addition to three post season starts. His toughness, grit, and speed-for-his-size athleticism has helped fortify a Steelers offensive line which, prior to his arrival, was patchy and regarded as one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. With the interior work and dominance of DeCastro, Pouncey, and Foster, the Steelers now sport a rangy and agile offensive line.
DeCastro is a standout in the league of his peers. In 2015, DeCastro played his way onto his first of what will be many Pro Bowl selections. The Steelers were well-aware that if the team is to continue to be legitimate perennial contenders for the Lombardi that the extension of David DeCastro was vital to that discussion. DeCastro’s extension came along with a motivating $16 million signing bonus.
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