This offseason has been unlike any other for the Pittsburgh Steelers. After repeated first-round exits in the playoffs the past several years, Pittsburgh’s certainly been doing things differently. Their latest move involved them trading for CB Jalen Ramsey and TE Jonnu Smith while moving on from FB Minkah Fitzpatrick in the process. According to Mike Florio, the team is showing unprecedented levels of desperation.
“Point is this,” Florio said on Pro Football Talk on Monday. “The desperation from the Steelers this year is unlike any we’ve ever seen before. We’ll find out whether or not it leads to a different outcome… This is a team that is desperate, in my opinion, to win a playoff game.”
It’s a point Florio has been making all offseason. Still, he’s not entirely wrong. The Steelers got off to a loud start this offseason, trading for and extending DK Metcalf just before free agency began. Then, they pursued Aaron Rodgers, waiting on him to make a decision on the 2025 season for multiple months. Now, they’ve made another blockbuster trade.
It’s another move in an offseason which is convincing many that they’re going all-in for the 2025 season. However, this trade also has a different vibe than some of their other big moves, as it involves the Steelers moving a core member of their team in recent years.
Along with T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward, Fitzpatrick has been part of the heartbeat of the Steelers’ defense. Ever since Pittsburgh originally acquired him from the Miami Dolphins, Fitzpatrick has enjoyed success and has been key in keeping the Steelers competitive despite their countless offensive struggles. However, he had a down year in 2024, and is now the first of that core group of three to be moved.
In both Ramsey and Smith, though, there’s a lot of be excited about. Each can, and likely will be used in a few different ways this year. Smith has a different skillset than the rest of the Steelers’ tight end room, bringing much more agility and speed as a route runner. Ramsey can play both on the outside and inside at cornerback, and also has the ability to play safety. Although the Steelers do have a decent duo in DeShon Elliott and Juan Thornhill, Ramsey could see some time there with the Steelers parting from Fitzpatrick.
Overall, Florio isn’t wrong that the Steelers are acting unusual this offseason. That doesn’t mean it’s without reason, though. They were reportedly thinking about a potential Fitzpatrick trade for months now. They needed a quarterback and Aaron Rodgers was their best option, even if they had to wait months to make it official. And DK Metcalf was an intriguing move, but Pittsburgh knew it wasn’t keeping George Pickens long-term. On top of all of that, the team needed to spend more money this offseason.
The Steelers’ actions this offseason could be seen as desperate. But they’re not without reason. Whether it elevates them any closer to Super Bowl contention remains up in the air, but there are reasons as to why they’ve made these moves.
