Steelers Now
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell recently ranked the NFL’s skilled-position players on each team from No. 32-1, and the Pittsburgh Steelers came in at No. 21. The same spot they were in last year.
The Steelers traded for Michael Pittman Jr. this offseason, but Barnwell thinks he’s a brutal fit in Mike McCarthy‘s offense.
“Another offseason brought another trade for an expensive wide receiver by an organization that had developed a reputation for finding its own in the middle rounds of the draft,” Barnwell wrote. “Michael Pittman Jr. is a good fit for what Aaron Rodgers wants to do (get the ball out quickly for short completions) but a bad fit for what the Steelers need (a wide receiver who can stretch teams downfield).”
Aaron Rodgers got rid of the ball at a 2.59-second average mark last season, which ranked as the fastest among 33 qualified NFL quarterbacks, according to NFL’s Next Gen Stats.
Pittman revealed at minicamp that the Steelers are planning to take full advantage of his versatility on offense.
“I’ve played every single spot so far,” Pittman said. “Just being able to move around, because you never know what happens during the course of the NFL season. So, just being available at any position, so I’m just gonna keep on dialing that in. Same thing with DK [Metcalf] and Germ [Bernard] and Rome [Wilson] and those guys. We’ve all been moving around and have seen all of it.”
The Steelers also selected wide receiver Germie Bernard in the second round of this past year’s draft. Bernard was impressive at the Steelers’ OTAs and minicamp.
“Second-round pick Germie Bernard should be an upgrade on Calvin Austin III, and it’s fair to pin the problems creating big plays on the quarterback and his desire to stay clean, but the Steelers need to find a way to create explosive plays in 2026, Barnwell wrote.
The Steelers ranked 23rd in passing yards per attempt last season. Only six teams had a lower yards per completion average.
Barnwell is intrigued by what DK Metcalf can do in McCarthy’s offense. He wants to see more targets down field for the All-Pro wide receiver.
“He had games when that seemed possible in 2025, but it was a boom-or-bust season. He had four games with 85 receiving yards or more, and he didn’t top 55 yards in any of his other 12 contests.
“On the whole, Metcalf’s yards per route run and share of team targets were almost identical in Pittsburgh to what they had been for his final year in Seattle. I think he’s the same player in a worse offense.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Analyst Tabs Steelers Playmaker as ‘Bad Fit’ in Mike McCarthy’s Offense
