Adding a bunch of big names with star power seemingly moved the needle quite a bit for the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason. Players like Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, Jonnu Smith, Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay are now all in the Black and Gold, and that has them eyeing contention this season.
For many, the Steelers’ moves make sense. They’ve added experienced players, which should help an aging core compete late in their window.
But one NFL columnist believes the moves the Steelers made this offseason were “desperate” and don’t exactly put them into contention. In a piece for The Athletic Thursday, Mike Jones made the case that the Steelers will have a losing record, finishing under the 8.5 over/under wins total.
“The Steelers are all in, apparently, after their moves to get Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay. Only Metcalf is anywhere near his prime, though, and the ‘all-in’ seems more like a final desperate move than one stemming from confidence in one’s holdings,” Jones writes. “The Steelers can finally start rebuilding next year — is that why they are reluctant to give pass rusher T.J. Watt a new deal? — if Mike Tomlin can’t work his magic again.
“Rodgers needs to get off to a good start, as the schedule is friendlier at first — the Steelers open with the Jets, Seahawks and Patriots — before stuff gets real, with the Bills, Ravens, Dolphins (Minkah Fitzpatrick revenge game) and Lions in Weeks 13 through 16. I should know better than to doubt Tomlin but …”
It’s not advised to bet against Mike Tomlin at this point in his career. Yet, that’s what Jones is doing. The Steelers were a good team for much of the season in 2024 before the bottom fell out. GM Omar Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl went about filling those holes, leading to a rather busy offseason.
Now, as the season draws near, the pieces are in place for Pittsburgh. Upgrades have been made, and the roster looks stronger top to bottom. The only real concern is age as Pittsburgh got older this offseason.
That fits their window though as the Steelers seemingly ran out of patience trying to develop young players and move them along quickly. So they pivoted and landed the experienced, proven pieces.
Will that pay off on the field this season? Only time will tell.
The start of the year looks promising for the Steelers to stack some wins and work out some kinks before the back half becomes challenging. It won’t be nearly as rough as last year’s schedule though. With a favorable schedule and upgrades to the roster, the Steelers should be right there in playoff contention, rather than under eight wins, like Jones believes.
