Lehigh Times

The Pittsburgh Steelers are planning to offer quarterback Dwayne Haskins a Restricted Free Agent (RFA) Tender, according to an SBNation report.

The tender could permit the Steelers to retain Haskins' contract until 2022 or compensate them if he signs with another team.

“Appreciate Pittsburgh for the great learning experience this year was," Haskins stated on his Instagram, "Can’t wait to make the most of this next opportunity; all I ever needed was a chance.”

According to NFL.com, an RFA is a player who has accumulated three seasons but whose contract has expired.

Even though RFAs are free to negotiate and sign with any team, their former team may make them one of numerous offers, referred to as "tenders", that include a right of first refusal or a draft selection.

If a club withdraws the tender offer, the RFA would become an unrestricted free agent.

The Steelers are currently proposing an original round tender not due to Haskin's prior first-round status, but rather due to the expected cost of a first-round tender, which is estimated to be $5.5 million.

Instead, the Steelers have proposed a $2.5 million opening round tender to save an estimated $3 million in compensation.

"This is a reason Haskins was a sneaky-upside signing for Pittsburgh," NFL Insider for ESPN Dan Graziano stated on Twitter, "The original round tender costs roughly half of what the first-round tender would."

Additionally, if the Steelers tender for Haskins in the first round, any club negotiating a deal with him will be required to give up their first-round selection to them.

"Because he was originally a first-round pick, any team wishing to sign him would have to give Steelers a first-rounder," Graziano continued.

The selection would be made during this year's NFL draft unless the tender is signed within two days of the draft's opening, in which case the pick would be made the following year.