The Steelers are indeed paying Melvin Ingram $4 million in 2021 after signing him a week ago.
But because of voidable years given to the veteran pass rusher, he counts just $1.66 million against their salary cap this season.
The Steelers gave Ingram, 32, a base salary of $1.075 million and the remainder of his salary comes in the form of a $2.95 million signing bonus.
But the Steelers kept his cap hit for the season down by giving him four voidable years at the end of his deal. So, while Ingram will, in effect, become a free agent at the end of the season, he'll still count $2.34 million against their cap in 2022 -- unless the Steelers decide to give him a new deal.
"That’s what I wanted,” Ingram said of the one-year deal. “I had an injury last year. I understand it’s a business.”
Prior to signing Ben Roethlisberger and JuJu Smith-Schuster to similar deals this offseason, the Steelers had never included voidable years in a contract.
Ingram comes to the Steelers after spending the first nine years of his career with the Chargers, for whom he was a first-round pick in 2012. Ingram is expected to provide depth behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith at outside linebacker for the Steelers.
His signing and the structure of his current deal leaves the Steelers with just over $12 million in salary cap space for the 2021 season.