Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier will not play this season, but the team has converted $8.26 million of his $8.718 million base salary for 2018 into a signing bonus, ESPN.com reported Thursday.
This move will allow Shazier to receive the money immediately, and the rest of his salary will be paid over the course of the 2018 season. This is the final year of Shazier's contract.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the change was made at Shazier's request. The Steelers' move has no implications for the salary cap.
Shazier continues to recover from a spinal injury suffered last season in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He is making progress, although his football career remains in doubt.
Shazier, 25, was placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list on Wednesday, signaling the end to his 2018 season.
Shazier made his first public appearance when he was in attendance at Heinz Field for the Steelers game against the New England Patriots on Dec. 17.
Last week, Shazier provided one of the top emotional moments during the opening night of the 2018 NFL Draft when he walked across the stage holding the hand of his fiancee, Michelle Rodriguez, to announce the Steelers' first-round pick of Virginia Tech safety Terrell Edmunds.
"That's a huge lift, for not only him, but for us," Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert told the team's official website. "To see where he's come from to where he is and knowing where he might be able to go, it's beyond inspirational. It's just exciting. It's really exciting for him."
Shazier, the Steelers' first-round pick (15th overall) out of Ohio State in 2014, has appeared in 46 career games with 41 starts, totaling 299 tackles (202 solo), seven sacks, seven interceptions, 25 passes defensed and seven forced fumbles.
