The Steelers have turned their roster over considerably this offseason, with some position rooms experiencing more upheaval than others. As we prepare for training camp, in this series, we’ll look back on the prominent faces no longer in Pittsburgh. For the sake of brevity, we’ll review them in groups, each headed by one of the bigger names.
QB Justin Fields:
If the Steelers ever viewed Justin Fields as a potential franchise quarterback, they had a budget on finding out. This offseason, they let the Jets outbid them for his services on a two-year, $40 million contract. He is the lowest-paid vested veteran starting quarterback going into the 2025 season—behind Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson. Wilson is, of course, the quarterback the Steelers spurned, Rodgers the one they signed.
After signing Russell Wilson, Kenny Pickett asked for a trade. In response, the Steelers traded him and then traded for Justin Fields. There was some lip service paid to a competition, but there never really was one. Due to Wilson’s unfortunate run-in with a sled, however, Fields started the first six games.
Although he displayed some qualities to admire during that run, Fields didn’t convince the Steelers he was a new man. Even as Wilson struggled late in the year, they didn’t turn to him. Then he turned to the Jets, and he will play the Steelers in Week 1.
OLB Preston Smith:
It’s probably easy at this point to forget about Preston Smith, forgettable as his tenure in Pittsburgh was. The Steelers traded for the veteran edge rusher at the deadline, giving up a seventh-round pick. While in Pittsburgh, he played sparingly, just 161 snaps in eight games.
In that time, Smith recorded 13 tackles and two sacks for the Steelers, one a coverage, clean-up sack. With an elevated salary after 2024, they predictably released him. So far, he remains unsigned, now 32 years old.
Instead of bringing in another past-his-prime veteran, the Steelers turned back to the draft. In the fourth round, they added Jack Sawyer, who will pair with Nick Herbig behind their starters. The young guns should help T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith find some time to rest, while collecting rookie-contract paychecks.
TE MyCole Pruitt:
The Steelers signed MyCole Pruitt last year in no small part due to his familiarity with OC Arthur Smith. Smith was bringing his offense with him, and Pruitt helped the rest of the group learn it. After all, he played under Smith in Tennessee and Atlanta, as tight ends coach, offensive coordinator, and head coach.
And Arthur Smith wasn’t shy about using him either. Despite missing five games due to injury, he still played 271 snaps. Often acting as the Steelers’ third tight end ahead of Connor Heyward, he even caught a touchdown.
But the Steelers did not re-sign Pruitt this offseason, now 33 years old. After 10 seasons, his career is presumably over—and there’s no shame in that. He had a good run and made millions, but life’s work is calling. Meanwhile, Smith is looking under the couch cushions for another tight end.
