Brett Keisel set to sign contract extension

In what has to be characterized as a minor surprise, the Steelers are apparently set to ink DE Brett Keisel, 30, to a long-term contract extension. Maybe the fact that it’s difficult to find ends that can thrive in Pittsburgh’s 3-4 scheme played a role in the decision. Or maybe it’s that Keisel is Ben Roethlisberger’s best friend on the team. But I expected PK Jeff Reed or S Ryan Clark to be next in line for an extension — not Keisel.

Ziggy Hood's rookie contract

By now everyone knows that Pittsburgh’s first round draft pick, Ziggy Hood, signed a five year contract just prior to the opening of training camp. But I have not yet seen the contract numbers published on any blog or in any newspaper article. According to http://steelerslive.com/xtra/salarycap, the contract included a $6 million signing bonus, and calls for salaries of $1.1 million (2009), $395,000 (2010), $600,000 (2011 and 2012), and $660,000 (2013).