Cashing in: Champion Pittsburgh Steelers reward some, but other key players left out

Some key Steelers still waiting for big paydays

LATROBE, Pa. — James Harrison got his money, and so did Hines Ward and Heath Miller. Max Starks, Chris Kemoeatu and Trai Essex cashed in, too.

Here’s the potential problem for the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers: Casey Hampton, Jeff Reed, Willie Parker, Brett Keisel and Ryan Clark are assured of one more season’s worth of paychecks but no more.

No NFL champion in the salary cap era can retain every player, keep everyone financially satisfied or prevent some players from leaving for more money elsewhere once their contracts expire.

When a team wins two Super Bowls in four seasons, however, asking prices go up. Player values rise. Feelings become hurt when contracts aren’t offered. And a player entering the final season of a contract sometimes worries about a potential serious injury that might end his career before he lands another deal.

The Steelers have an unusually high number of core players unsigned past this season, and they include some of their most important players: Parker, three times a 1,000-yard rusher; Keisel, the reliable defensive end; Reed, who has missed only six of 56 field goal attempts the last two seasons, and Clark, the most physical member of their secondary.

After Miller signed a $35.3 million, six-year contract last week, team president Art Rooney II said the money was nearly dried up and there might not be any more contracts given out this year. Even if the Steelers create some cap room, any deal must get done during training camp because of the team’s policy of not negotiating during the season.

Contract uncertainty can cause unhappiness, as Clark knows.

“I’m not used to being taken care of,” said Clark, who signed with Pittsburgh in 2006 after playing out his contract with the Washington Redskins. “I’m not used to being the guy they care enough about to get it done. But it’s not painful for me. You go, ‘OK, maybe this will be my last year with this team and these guys,’ and you cherish it and have a good time.”

Clark specifically told agent Joel Turner he didn’t want to know anything said between the agent and the Steelers during any contract talks because, “You don’t want to start disliking people.”

“I remember going through it with the Redskins, feeling I did a good job there and wanting to be there, but I kept hearing why they can’t give you a certain amount of money,” Clark said. “I don’t want to hear it, why it (the contract) won’t be done. I want to continue liking everybody.”

During contract discussions, Clark’s agent has been told that Clark’s aggressiveness and big hits leave him vulnerable to injury, yet it is those qualities that have allowed an undrafted player to play seven NFL seasons.

Hampton is a four-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman and one of the NFL’s top run-stoppers, yet his ongoing weight problems likely influenced the Steelers not to offer him a new contract.

Hampton reported to camp in better shape than a season ago, and he passed the run test he failed last year, but neither the 6-foot-1 Hampton nor the team will say how much he weighs. He is listed, optimistically, at 325 pounds.

“I’m going to take it in stride, just go out and play,” Hampton said of not getting a new deal. “If they ain’t got none (money), they ain’t got none. I can’t do nothing about that. I don’t have any control over that. My main focus is going out and finishing the way we did last year. That contract stuff, it’s not even on my mind.”

What about a possible injury?

“I’ve made a lot of money, man,” he said. “If I get hurt, I’m going to be all right. I’m not worried about that.”

Parker, limited last season by several injuries, may split time at running back with Rashard Mendenhall, which could reduce Parker’s value to Pittsburgh for future seasons.

“It only makes you hungrier,” Parker said. “I prepare every year like I’m competing (for a job). Coming up on a contract year, you’re going to go harder but smarter. It’s all about this year.”