Finding their starting quarterback should be the Pittsburgh Steelers’ No. 1 priority this offseason. However, that might not automatically fix their offense. No matter who their quarterback is, they desperately need to find a better way to support him. The Steelers didn’t do that well enough last year. Upgrading at wide receiver should be just as important for the Steelers. Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter believes the Steelers won’t be able to fix their quarterback situation without improving at receiver.
“A lot of the conversation has been about Mike Tomlin, lot of conversations have been about the quarterbacks, and all those conversations should be had,” Carter said Wednesday on Up and Adams with Kay Adams. “But you cannot change the quarterback unless you change that wide receiver room.
“They have a major problem with their wide receivers. I don’t care who they get there now. They don’t have a great wide receiver room.”
With how it looks right now, Carter is right about the Steelers’ receivers. Although he has his own issues, George Pickens is a solid No. 1, but everyone else is either unproven or not good enough. That was clear last year. Calvin Austin III was their only other receiver with over 500 yards. In today’s NFL, that isn’t going to cut it.
Both Justin Fields and Russell Wilson had their own issues last season, but their weapons did not do them many favors. It looks like the Steelers are going to attempt to retain one of those quarterbacks. Will the 2025 season be any different from the 2024 season if they do that and don’t significantly upgrade at receiver? That seems unlikely. Neither Fields nor Wilson is good enough to elevate the offense around them.
Even if the Steelers land one of the bigger names at quarterback, like Matthew Stafford, it’s hard to envision them succeeding with their receivers as they are. There are a select number of quarterbacks in the league who can still play at a high level without solid pieces around them. It doesn’t seem like any of those players are available this offseason.
Luckily, there are a number of strong receivers on the market. The Steelers could use free agency or the draft to improve at that position. They could even trade for a star wide receiver. They were active last year in their pursuit of a wide receiver. Unfortunately, they waited too long to begin their search. That shouldn’t happen this year.
If they can enhance their weapons, maybe the Steelers can finally win a playoff game. They might not find their long-term solution at quarterback this year, but they could still be competitive. Adding a starting receiver should go a long way toward helping their offense get back on track. If they don’t, they might find themselves posting another mediocre year.
