It’s been an interesting offseason so far for the Pittsburgh Steelers, one that took quite the surprising turn — due to timing — Wednesday following the trade of wide receiver George Pickens to the Cowboys.
By moving Pickens to the Cowboys, the Steelers created a hole on their roster, that being at the No. 2 receiver position behind star receiver DK Metcalf, who was acquired this offseason via trade.
It’s not the only hole on the roster that remains for the Steelers this offseason, either.
For Pro Football Focus’ Trevor Sikkema, receiver is the biggest need for the Steelers moving forward, while ESPN’s Aaron Schatz highlighted — of course — quarterback as the Steelers continue to wait for a decision from Aaron Rodgers.
“With George Pickens now in Dallas, the Steelers desperately need someone to step up alongside newcomer DK Metcalf,” Sikkema writes. “Although Roman Wilson dealt with an injury, his rookie-year output was disappointing. Wilson earned an 81.5 PFF overall grade in his final season at Michigan and could elevate the group a bit in 2025.
“However, another signing may be necessary.”
The Steelers trading Pickens after not selecting a receiver in the draft was rather surprising. Of course, Pittsburgh wasn’t going to extend Pickens, and the potential of him being a significant headache during the 2025 season greatly increased after the trade for Metcalf and the big extension the receiver signed.
Now, the Steelers need help behind Metcalf. They did sign veteran Robert Woods last week, but it remains to be seen what he has left in the tank. Calvin Austin III could be in line for a big fourth year after coming on strong in Year 3, and the Steelers are seemingly counting on second-year pro Roman Wilson, who reportedly looks like a different player this offseason and could be in line to break out in 2025.
That said, there are veteran options out there for the Steelers to add at receiver. Gabe Davis was just released by the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Steelers are reportedly in play to trade for the Jets’ Allen Lazard to reunite him with Rodgers should the veteran QB sign with them.
Fortunately though, they have a star in Metcalf to lead the room, which is key.
But it all comes back to quarterback for the Black and Gold.
“As of this writing, we still haven’t determined whether Aaron Rodgers will play in Pittsburgh this season. If he doesn’t, Mason Rudolph is the starter,” Schatz writes. “Rudolph was surprisingly reasonable for the Titans last season, and his 55.5 QBR would have ranked 20th in the league had he thrown enough passes to qualify.
“Still, nobody looks at Rudolph and thinks he’s a starter for a playoff contender. His current backup is sixth-round rookie Will Howard.”
That we’re into May and Rodgers still hasn’t made up his mind is rather concerning, though there’s a good chance he makes his decision by the start of OTAs on May 27.
Should he decide to sign with the Steelers, it will give the QB room a significant boost, which would push Rudolph into the No. 2 role where he’s better suited, while keeping rookie sixth-round pick Will Howard as QB3, where he can sit and develop without any pressure. That would also allow the Steelers to try to keep Skylar Thompson on the practice squad during the season, too, which would be a win for QB depth.
But right now, the room looks rather concerning. It might be the worst in the NFL, if we’re being honest. And that’s not a great place to be for the Steelers if they have visions of competing in 2025.
