Could be a piece to the Bucs issue with rushing the quarterback. The Steelers tendered him at the amount of an original rounder tender. Meaning if the Bucs or another team were to sign him to a contract the Steelers could not match, a sixth round pick would be sent to Pittsburgh in exchange for his services. Seeing as it's highly unlikely any player the Bucs drafted in the sixth round would produce at the same level as Chickillo and knowing the Bucs had interest in him leading up to the 2015 draft. These seem like a perfect way to add depth and a player that has shown flashes of potential.
With the Steelers currently over the cap limit. Should not be to hard to structure a contract to prior him away.