Even with the Pittsburgh Steelers awaiting news from 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers, they’d have a rather busy offseason on the trade market and in free agency.
GM Omar Khan has been wheeling and dealing, landing star receiver DK Metcalf in a shocking trade before the start of the legal tampering period Sunday night. This week he’s added cornerbacks Darius Slay and Brandin Echols in free agency, signed quarterback Mason Rudolph to a two-year deal, linebacker Malik Harrison to a two-year deal and running back Kenneth Gainwell on a one-year deal.
Things are moving rather quickly as the Steelers continue to plug roster holes and shore up areas of need, even while they wait on Rodgers.
Much of what happens with Rodgers and at the quarterback position will determine just how good — or bad — the offseason is for the Steelers. So far, though, Pro Football Focus sees things going relatively well for Pittsburgh, handing out a grade of ‘B-‘ for its roster additions.
For Rudolph, Harrison and Metcalf, PFF gave out grades of “average” regarding the deals they received, while the addition of Slay received a “good” deal grade.
Metcalf is the big domino, though. The Steelers swung the surprise trade for him Sunday evening and signed him to a franchise-record contract, breaking from their normal mode of operation.
“The Steelers made a significant investment in Metcalf, trading the No. 52 overall pick to acquire him from Seattle and signing him to a five-year, $150 million deal—making him the latest receiver to earn $30 million per year. While Metcalf is a talented player, his skill set closely mirrors that of George Pickens, potentially creating redundancies if Pickens isn’t traded,” PFF writes. “Since entering the league in 2019, Metcalf has more than doubled the next closest receiver in accepted penalties (17)—ironically, that next closest receiver is Pickens with eight.”
Though there are some concerns about the redundancy of Metcalf and Pickens and largely being similar receivers who win downfield at the catch point, the Steelers had been after Metcalf dating back to the trade deadline last season. After Metcalf requested a trade, they finally landed him.
They have that star they’ve been seeking at receiver for years. He’s a big, physical one, too, which fits well into the AFC North.
For now, it seems like Pickens will be staying, so it will be interesting to see how things work out offensively for the Steelers, who still have some quarterback issues.
Rudolph was a good addition for the Steelers, though, as Pittsburgh landed him on a two-year, $8 million deal. PFF previously projected a one-year, $3.75 million deal for Rudolph.
“Rudolph spent the first five years of his NFL career in Pittsburgh before departing for Tennessee last season. Now, he returns to a team still searching for stability at quarterback,” PFF writes. “In 2024 with the Titans, Rudolph appeared in eight games, completing 60.9% of his passes while recording six big-time throws and eight turnover-worthy plays.”
Rudolph played very well down the stretch in 2023 for the Steelers, leading them to three straight wins and 30 or more points in back-to-back performances against the Seahawks and Bengals. He was good in the playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills, too, and outside of an interception in the end zone, he might have led the Steelers to an upset win.
In limited action in Tennessee last season, he had flashes of success under Titans head coach Brian Callahan and now returns to Pittsburgh with a chance to potentially be the Steelers’ starting QB in 2025, depending on what else happens at the position.
Not a bad bit of business for the Steelers.
Then, there’s the Slay contract, which came in at one-year, $10 million. The initial thought was that it was an overpay but Slay can still play and fits into the Steelers’ defense well.
“Slay recently expressed interest in playing another season despite being released by the Eagles, and he won’t need to leave the state to find his new team,” PFF writes. “Last year with the Super Bowl-champion Eagles, he allowed just 33 catches on 68 throws into his coverage and racked up an impressive 14 forced incompletions, equaling his total from 2023.”
He’s 34 years old and playing a young man’s position, but the tape shows he can still play and he’ll be a good piece opposite Joey Porter Jr for the 2025 season.
So far, the Steelers have made some sound financial moves, adding depth and experienced talent at positions of need. QB remains a major question mark, though, and until that is answered, the Steelers’ offseason will look murky. But it’s hard to not be pleased with some of the moves they’ve made so far.
