Steelers Now
Bleacher Report didn’t hold back in its recent assessment of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offseason, delivering low grades across the board and raising serious concerns about the team’s direction heading into 2025.
Pittsburgh earned an “F” for its free agency and trade activity and a “C” for its draft haul, landing them at No. 27 in Bleacher Report’s overall offseason rankings. The critique centered heavily on how the Steelers addressed, or didn’t address, the quarterback position.
One of the harshest takes came in response to the idea that Aaron Rodgers could be the team’s best-case scenario at quarterback.
“Even if Rodgers agrees to start for the Steelers in 2025, that’s not ideal,” the article read. “He may have more left in the tank than he showed with the Jets last season, but he’s still no long-term answer at the game’s most important position.”
The piece also took aim at the team’s decision to move on from 26-year-old Justin Fields, who many believed could have been a developmental option for the future. On top of that, Pittsburgh passed on several chances to draft quarterbacks like Shedeur Sanders and Jalen Milroe, opting instead to address other needs.
“Pittsburgh did bring back Mason Rudolph and take a sixth-round flier on Will Howard,” Bleacher Report noted. “However, the Steelers had chances to retain Justin Fields or draft a quarterback early and passed.”
While the article did credit Pittsburgh for adding a few notable names, including wide receiver DK Metcalf, rookie running back Kaleb Johnson and defensive lineman Derrick Harmon, it framed them more as replacements than upgrades. The team essentially swapped Metcalf in for George Pickens, Johnson for Najee Harris, and Harmon for Larry Ogunjobi.
“It’s hard to see Pittsburgh’s roster being markedly better in 2025,” the article said. “Rookies Derrick Harmon, Kaleb Johnson and Jack Sawyer all fit the Steelers’ culture and can contribute immediately. However, the Steelers essentially replaced Ogunjobi with Harmon, Harris with Johnson and Pickens with Metcalf.”
To be fair, there’s still time for the front office to prove the critics wrong. Training camp battles haven’t even started, and plenty can change once the pads come on. With OTAs around the corner and camp on the horizon, the spotlight is firmly on Mike Tomlin, and Omar Khan’s, crew to show their offseason plan wasn’t as misguided as some believe.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Bleacher Report Slams Steelers’ Draft, Free Agency Strategy
