With free agency starting this week, the Steelers have made some of the biggest moves by any team so far.
To start, on Monday, the Steelers traded for Michael Pittman from the Indianapolis Colts. The trade was pretty much a late-round pick swap with Pittman included.
This was a great move for the Steelers. Wide receiver was one of their biggest needs going into this offseason.
Pittman is a veteran who has reached a thousand yards in two of his last five seasons. He also consistently has over 80 receptions a year, which is much-needed production for a team whose reception leader was their running back last year.
One negative of this deal would be that the Steelers already have a player like Pittman. DK Metcalf, although he had a bad year last season, is also a big physical receiver like Pittman.
They needed a slot receiver more than an outside receiver, especially since they did not re-sign Calvin Austin. They do have Roman Wilson, who has not seen much playing time because of injury, but may be utilized more with new Head Coach, Mike McCarthy.
They may look in the draft for a receiver, but that may clash with their plans for a quarterback. For instance, if they draft a first-round receiver, they will not be able to draft a quarterback in the first round. Subsequently, they would have two new receivers and no one to throw them the ball, unless Aaron Rodgers returns.
Moving on to the signings, the first signing Pittsburgh made was cornerback Jamal Dean. He was Tampa Bay’s best corner last year and will be a much-needed addition to the Steelers’ secondary, which has struggled in recent years.
Dean had a great 2025 season, and lining him up across from emerging star Joey Porter Jr., as well as the re-signed Asante Samuel Jr., will make for a much-improved secondary.
They further improved their secondary by signing Penn State alum Jaquan Brisker, who had consistently been a great tackler for the Bears, something much needed on the Pittsburgh roster. Matching him with Jalen Ramsey, who was acquired last year, makes the Steelers defense look dangerous for 2026.
Although the defense looks solid, the offense has typically been the problem in recent years. They further addressed this by signing 27-year-old Rico Dowdle to a two-year deal.
After Panthers starting running back Chubba Hubbard got injured, Dowdle came in and became a clear star, earning the starting spot. With this job, he was able to rush for a thousand yards in 2025.
This is a great move for Pittsburgh, but it came at a cost. They lost team MVP Kenneth Gainwell, who signed with Tampa Bay. It would have been great to retain Gainwell and pair him with Dowdle, but in today’s NFL, paying two running backs that much money is not a good choice.
They do still have running back Jalen Warren, who is a great player. It will be interesting to see how they are paired under McCarthy’s new offense.
It is hard to comment on the Steelers without talking about the quarterback situation. Their options consist of 42-year-old Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard – who has never played in an NFL game – or getting a quarterback in the draft.
Although the Steelers are making good decisions in free agency, it will be hard to have a successful 2026 season without a sure option at the quarterback position.
