Decastro Signed to New Deal!
By Kipper
@pghsportsforum
Steelers sign David DeCastro to contract extension
September 8, 2016 8:07 PM
Peter Diana/Post-Gazette
David DeCastro and the Steelers open the season Monday against the Redskins.
By Gerry Dulac / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
First, the Steelers invested in high draft choices to rebuild and improve their offensive line.
Now they are investing in them financially to keep them together.
Pro Bowl guard David DeCastro is the fourth member of the offensive line to get a new contract, agreeing Thursday to a six-year, $58 million extension with a $16 million signing and roster bonus that will keep him with the Steelers through the 2021 season.
DeCastro was in the final year of his original five-year contract and was scheduled to count $8,070,000 against the salary cap in 2016.
The total value of the deal makes DeCastro the second-highest-paid guard in the NFL behind Kelechi Osemele, who received a five year, $58.5 million contract from the Oakland Raiders in free agency.
DeCastro, a No. 1 pick in 2012, joins center Maurkice Pouncey, a No. 1 pick in 2010; right tackle Marcus Gilbert, a No. 2 pick in 2011; and left guard Ramon Foster as offensive linemen who received new deals in the past two years.
Earlier in the day, a team source told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette the Steelers were close to a contract extension and were “optimistic” a deal would be completed before the season opener Monday night against the Washington Redskins.
Part of the reason for not completing the deal earlier was DeCastro’s agent, Tom Condon, had been wrapped up finalizing a contract restructure for another client, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees.
“We’re getting close, getting down to the wire here, so, hopefully [it will be done] soon,” Decastro said hours before learning of his new deal. “Hopefully we get something done and we can move on with life and worry about the Redskins.”
It didn’t take long after that.
DeCastro has started 50 of 51 games and each of his three postseason games since coming to the Steelers as the 24th overall pick in the 2012 draft. He has started the past 40 games in a row, the sixth-longest streak among active NFL guards.
DeCastro was named first-team All-Pro and selected to the Pro Bowl last season for the first time in his career.
Gerry Dulac: gdulac@post-gazette.com and Twitter @gerrydulac.