Following the trade of wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys last week, the Pittsburgh Steelers now have another roster hole ahead of the 2025 season. That hole created also has some believing that the roster the Steelers currently have ahead of the season is the worst one that head coach Mike Tomlin has ever had.
That seems a bit hyperbolic, especially if veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers ultimately signs with the Steelers, shoring up the quarterback situation. It’s not as if the roster is devoid of talent.
The Steelers still have big names defensively in Cameron Heyward, T.J. Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Patrick Queen, and also added big-name veteran Darius Slay this offseason. Young pieces in Keeanu Benton, Joey Porter Jr., and Payton Wilson also appear promising, too, not to mention rookie first-round pick Derrick Harmon.
Offensively, names like DK Metcalf, Pat Freiermuth, Jaylen Warren, Isaac Seumalo and Zach Frazier dot the roster, while young pieces in Mason McCormick, Troy Fautanu, wide receiver Calvin Austin III and rookie running back Kaleb Johnson all provide upside.
It’s not all bad.
In fact, The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo believes that the Steelers’ roster is starting to resemble rosters from the early 2000s, when the Steelers were great defensively and run the football quite well, which ultimately helped set up the selection of Ben Roethlisberger in the 2004 NFL Draft after a down season.
Though the Steelers are still waiting on a decision from Rodgers, DeFabo believes the Steelers are building the roster the right way, not searching for the easy fixes, instead accumulating draft picks, investing in the proper areas of the roster, and building from the ground up, just like they did in the early 2000s.
“While it’s fair to wonder how this Aaron Rodgers saga will end and how well he’ll play if he does sign, the Steelers are taking a patient, build-it-right approach,” DeFabo writes of the Steelers and how they’ve built the roster this offseason. “In some ways, the roster is starting to look like the early 2000s, when the Steelers had a suffocating defense and a potent run game.
“When they drafted Ben Roethlisberger in 2004, it catapulted them into the legitimate contenders tier.”
That 2003 season was a rough one for the Steelers, who went 6-10 under head coach Bill Cowher. They scored just over 18 points per game that season, while allowing more than 20.0 per game, ranking 19th in points for and 15th in points against.
Despite allowing more than 20 points per game that season, the Steelers still had a good defense, led by the likes of James Farrior, Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton, Kimo von Oelhoffen, Joey Porter and Dewayne Washington.
Offensively, the Steelers leaned heavily on the run game with Jerome Bettis and Amos Zereoue, while quarterback Tommy Maddox threw for nearly 4,000 yards utilizing the likes of Hines Ward, Plaxico Burress and Antwaan Randle El.
Things could be similar in 2025 for the Steelers. The defense remains quite good on paper and made some improvements to areas of need this offseason. The offense remains a major question, but the offensive line should be better with another year of experience, while the running back room looks pretty stout on paper.
Quarterback and receiver are question marks, but if Rodgers signs the Steelers will be in better shape at quarterback under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. The receiver room is in decent shape, too, with DK Metcalf as the headliner. Austin is a solid option, and the Steelers are seemingly expecting big things from second-year pro Roman Wilson, while Robert Woods is a veteran option as well.
Chances are, the Steelers add another player to the receiver room, too, giving it more depth and competition.
But this isn’t a bad roster overall. It might look more like the early 2000s due to the quarterback situation, and if it is, it could bode well for the Steelers finding their next franchise quarterback, hopefully setting up another long run of success in the Steel City.
