The Pittsburgh Steelers underwent a major overhaul from last season this spring, seeing their top passer, rusher and pass catcher all leave via free agency and trade as Russell Wilson, Najee Harris, and George Pickens are no longer on the roster. Along with those notable names, Pittsburgh had the likes of QB Justin Fields, OT Dan Moore Jr., OG James Daniels, DL Larry Ogunjobi, LBs Preston Smith and Elandon Roberts, and CB Donte Jackson all leave town for other teams.
Pittsburgh went to work filling the holes on the roster and strengthening positions of need for the 2025 season, signing the likes of QBs Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph, RB Kenneth Gainwell, WR Robert Woods, LB Malik Harrison, CBs Darius Slay and Brandin Echols, and S Juan Thornhill. Pittsburgh also made a splash trade by acquiring WR DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks while also drafting DL Derrick Harmon, RB Kaleb Johnson, OLB Jack Sawyer and DL Yahya Black, who could all figuratively contribute a fair amount this coming season.
While Pittsburgh did a good job of bringing in a good combination of experienced veterans and youthful rookies to develop, the roster isn’t without its warts as we head into the dead of the summer for the next couple of weeks with training camp fast approaching on July 23.
When deciding what position Pittsburgh could most regret not investing more into during the offseason, it comes down to three choices in my book: quarterback, wide receiver and offensive tackle. Quarterback has a caveat as they brought in a future Hall of Famer in Aaron Rodgers, as well as a former Steeler in Mason Rudolph who is familiar with the team. But Rodgers is in the twilight of his career with only another season or two left in the tank, while Rudolph is best suited as a spot starter/good backup.
Still, my argument would be for either offensive tackle or wide receiver as the position that Pittsburgh should have invested more into this season. It comes down to injury reassurance. OT Troy Fautanu has battled injuries throughout college and is coming off a lost rookie season last year from a dislocated kneecap, leaving Pittsburgh with just Calvin Anderson to thrust into a starting role should either Fautanu or Broderick Jones go down. On top of that, both Fautanu and Jones are still developing, being given a lot of responsibility to block for Aaron Rodgers with no real quality depth behind them.
Wide receiver is also a major concern as DK Metcalf is the only clear-cut starter on the roster as Roman Wilson is coming off a lost rookie season himself while Calvin Austin III is better suited for WR3/4 duties. Robert Woods is also in the twilight of his career, lacking juice as a route runner and will be more relied upon for his blocking prowess and leadership in the locker room. Also factor in that Metcalf battled knee and shoulder injuries last season, leading to him missing a couple of games. Pittsburgh would have a severely crippled WR corps if Metcalf were to miss any time.
It’s with that factor that I would say that Pittsburgh’s biggest regret this offseason was not putting more into the wide receiver position. They looked solid at wideout prior to the Pickens trade, but after he was dealt to Dallas for a third round pick next year, it put the Steelers in nearly an identical situation that they faced last year with Pickens as their WR1 with no real WR2 to compliment him.
The Steelers still have time to add another playmaker to the team, and they have actively been shopping around, being reportedly in the mix for TEs Kyle Pitts and Jonnu Smith while also hosting WR Gabe Davis for a visit. Whether it be one of those names, a familiar face like Allen Lazard with an established rapport with Rodgers, or another available name, Pittsburgh would be wise to try and make another move to bolster the receiver position prior to the start of the regular season. It would give them more depth and injury assurance at arguably their most susceptible position.
