At the surface level, the decision by the Pittsburgh Steelers to cut ties with veteran center Mason Cole wasn’t all that surprising considering his struggles during the 2023 season snapping the football, not to mention serious issues in pass protection at times.
Based on his play in general, it’s not a surprise that the Steelers cut ties with him, freeing up $3.995 million in 2024 salary cap space due to Rule of 51. What is a surprise is the timing of the move, which came late Friday afternoon, hours after the NFL announced that the salary cap for the 2024 season would increase by $30 million.