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The Pittsburgh Steelers will be under a lot of pressure in 2026. Aaron Rodgers announced that this will be his final season in the NFL earlier this offseason. That should create a sense of urgency for Pittsburgh to make a Super Bowl run before it is too late. But could their offensive players be holding them back?
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell ranked the skill position groups of every NFL team in his latest article. Pittsburgh came in 21st on Barnwell’s ranking, putting them just behind Kansas City. The Steeler ranked in the same spot during the same exercise last offseason.
Barnwell wrote that the Steelers “need to find a way to create explosive plays” during the upcoming season. He named DK Metcalf as the player who could make that happen.
“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,” Barnwell wrote. “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.”
Metcalf has the worst season of his career in 2025, logging 59 receptions for 850 receiving yards and six touchdowns. But the Steelers missed Metcalf dearly when he served a two-game suspension late in the regular season.
Fortunately, Metcalf is far from alone at the skill positions. The Steelers acquired Michael Pittman Jr. earlier this offseason and drafted Germie Bernard in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. They also have running back Jaylen Warren and tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington to work with.
But if the Steelers want to make the most of Rodgers’ final season, then Metcalf will need to have a big year.
“There are no bad players here, but they could really use a vintage season from Metcalf,” Barnwell concluded.
Hopefully Metcalf can get back on the right track later this fall.
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