The Pittsburgh Steelers have made a number of moves so far this offseason, shoring up major holes on their roster, adding experienced veterans, and changing out their quarterback room once again. They’ve also lost a number of experienced players, too, ones who have become quite familiar to the organization and the fan base.
Despite all the moves, the Steelers are seemingly stuck right where they were before the start of the offseason: good enough to have a winning record, but not good enough to be a true competitor.
For Pro Football Focus, they are a team that “stayed the same” in free agency.
In a piece for PFF.com highlighting which teams got better, worse or stayed the same after the initial free agency frenzy, PFF’s Thomas Valentine says the Steelers stayed the same.
“Take away the lack of a starting quarterback on the roster, and you could feasibly argue that the Steelers improved in the offseason. They traded for, and subsequently extended, DK Metcalf, who earned a 74.3 grade in 2024, giving them a new star receiver, signed Darius Slay to improve the secondary and brought in Malik Harrison to bolster the second level,” Valentine writes. “However, the [Najee] Harris, [James] Daniels, [Justin] Fields and Russell Wilson losses mean it’s more than likely that the Steelers are in quarterback purgatory again unless they sign Aaron Rodgers.
“Until they resolve the lack of a quarterback, and there’s no guarantee that they will this season, the Steelers are coasting along Same Street.”
The Steelers did get better at wide receiver and cornerback this offseason with the additions of DK Metcalf via trade and Darius Slay in free agency. They added a star receiver who is at the top of his game at just 27 years old, solidifying the position long-term. Slay is 34 and near the end of his career, but he showed he can still play at a high level last year with the Eagles during their run to the Super Bowl.
Outside of that, it was just a bunch of fringe roster moves, like the addition of safety Juan Thornhill, who is a solid player but is mostly depth. Same with linebacker Malik Harrison, who replaced Elandon Roberts. Kenneth Gainwell was a nice, cheap addition to the running back room, too, but he’s not going to replace Najee Harris outright.
The Steelers lost quite a bit of experience and leadership on the offensive side of the football, and they haven’t exactly replaced it just yet. Of course, it will all come down to what Aaron Rodgers decides to give the roster a more complete look with a starting quarterback in place.
Right now, despite some of the big-name additions, the Steelers still have a similar look as they have in recent years: good enough to win 9-10 games but not good enough to get over the hump in the playoffs. Going through a continued transition at the quarterback position doesn’t help, either.
