Their Super Bowl victory will cost the Steelers next season.

Not only will it drive the interest in some of their free agents higher, it will hit them harder under the salary cap.

A number of Steelers had incentives written into their contracts for winning the Super Bowl, and those payouts will be charged against the team's 2006 salary cap. The total amount could not be determined, but quarterback Ben Roethlisberger alone will receive a $500,000 bonus because his team won the championship.

It's a good problem to have, but the total Super Bowl incentive payouts could be enough to cost them a free-agent signing this year. For example, wide receiver Cedrick Wilson was the only true unrestricted free agent from another team who signed with the Steelers in 2005. He received a $2 million signing bonus and a first-year salary of $540,000 on a four-year, $8 million contract. Wilson, however, counted only $1,043,520 against their 2005 cap because of the lower salary and pro-rated signing bonus.

Roethlisberger's Super Bowl incentive wipes out half of that amount.

Free agency begins March 3 and, while the salary cap is expected to increase by $10 million, the Steelers already are above that and must make moves before then to get under what likely will be each team's cap of about $95 million.

Negotiations between owners and the players association are taking place to extend the collective bargaining agreement and, if that's not completed before free agency starts, teams could be reluctant to sign players not knowing what the future parameters are. Talks also are ongoing among owners to come to new agreements on shared revenue. An important meeting will take place in Dallas tomorrow and include Steelers president Art Rooney II and his father, Dan, the team's chairman.

Because they will be tight against the salary cap, the Steelers won't be very active in free agency. It could be a year when their door swings only outward.

They will try to sign some of their own players before they become free agents March 3, but it is likely they will lose many of them.

Their first move is to convince center Jeff Hartings to take less than the $4,750,000 he is due in 2006, much the way Jerome Bettis took a pay cut over the past two seasons. Of that amount, Hartings is due a $750,000 roster bonus March 2. If they cannot agree on a lower salary, they will release him and save the $4.75 million under their cap and backup Chukky Okobi will become their new center.

If they can come to an agreement with Hartings, Okobi likely will be released because he has a $2 million salary this season, up from $540,000 last year.

They also will release quarterback Tommy Maddox, who was set to make $1.1 million this year but who slipped to No. 3 during the 2005 season. The Steelers are expected to sign veteran Charlie Batch, whose contract expires, to a new deal as their backup.

Their two biggest unrestricted free agents will be receiver Antwaan Randle El and free safety Chris Hope, and both will attract many suitors. Patriots coach Bill Belichick, for example, loves Randle El and his versatility, and his team likely will make him a nice offer. Another problem for the Steelers, besides their salary cap, is the amount of money they have invested in receivers after Hines Ward earned the largest signing bonus in club history in September and Wilson's salary-cap number more than doubles this year.

The Steelers have decided to make backup defensive end Brett Keisel a priority to re-sign. They believe he can be an impact player. That leaves veteran starter Kimo von Oelhoffen in limbo because he, too, becomes a free agent. At 35, von Oelhoffen had one of his best seasons, though, and it's possible they would offer him a one-year deal.

Rookie Bryant McFadden is ready to start in his second season, which means Deshea Townsend may sign elsewhere or take less to remain and possibly play nickel back.

Jerome Bettis will retire, so the $5,351,000 salary on their books for him in 2006 will disappear. Third-down back Verron Haynes is a free agent. Duce Staley, who dressed for five games in 2006, will earn a $2.5 million salary. They would like him to fill the role of Bettis next season or play more often. They also could draft another back.

Backup tight end Jerame Tuman also is an unrestricted free agent. Cornerback Willie Williams, who lost his starting job at the end of training camp to Ike Taylor and did not dress for 13 of the final 14 games, including playoffs, likely will be released, wiping clear his $1,235,000 salary.

Taylor will become a restricted free agent, and the Steelers will offer him the middle tender which would allow them to match any offer he might receive or get a first-round draft pick if he signs and they decline to match.

Wide receiver Quincy Morgan signed a one-year contract to join them this year after Dallas released him. He could become their No. 3 receiver behind Ward and Wilson, if they can sign him. Rookie Nate Washington also could compete for that role, or they could draft a receiver on the first day.

The good news for the Steelers as they enter free agency: Their offensive line is set, two-thirds of their defensive line, all of their linebackers are under contract and they won't have a lot of big holes to fill even if many of their own free agents leave.

No matter what happens in free agency, they will enter 2006 as a team talented enough to win another Super Bowl.