Behind the Steel Curtain
The offense has received huge headlines, but the Steelers completely revamped their defensive backfield this offseason, too.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have loaded up.
Future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers was the big fish of Pittsburgh’s offseason, but the organization didn’t stop there. All told, the Steelers could have up to seven or eight new starters this season, while also making several key depth signings.
All the roster turnover went outside of what we’re used to seeing from one of the NFL’s most historic and reserved franchises.
Since the introduction of free agency in 1993, the Steelers have shown restraint when it comes to using free agency to make splash signings. Instead, they have instilled a draft-and-develop style approach, with the occasional shrewd trade. That strategy has produced plenty of championship-level results over the years. However, in recent seasons, Pittsburgh has hit a roadblock, going without a playoff victory for eight seasons.
Head coach Mike Tomlin has been in the fan base’s crosshairs the past few seasons, and now, with all of the added firepower the Steelers have brought in this offseason, it’s time for results, or his seat will only get hotter.
What will it take for the Steelers to put this miserable stretch behind them? It starts with the many offseason additions they made across both sides of the ball.
Rodgers is the headliner, but Pittsburgh will also need impressive contributions from pass-catchers D.K. Metcalf and Jonnu Smith. On the defensive side of the ball, cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay enter the fold hoping to bolster the Steelers’ secondary.
Let’s lay it all out — what will a successful season look like for Rodgers, Metcalf and the rest of the free-agent lot Pittsburgh scored this offseason?
As for what is to be expected of the team’s top connection in the passing game, Metcalf should see plenty of targets with Rodgers calling the signals. Last season with the New York Jets, Rodgers used his No. 1 wide receiver at an exceedingly high rate, beginning the year featuring Garrett Wilson and finishing the season focusing his attention on his old friend Davante Adams.
Before Adams was traded to the Jets, Wilson amassed an incredible 67 targets over the first six games of the season. That stretch included a Week 5 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, during which he was targeted an astounding 23 times. Once Adams made his way to New York beginning in Week 7, he averaged 10.3 targets per game over the team’s final 11 games of the year. Wilson finished the year with 101 receptions, while Adams totaled 85 catches during the 2024 campaign.
All of this is to say that Metcalf, who is the clear-cut top target for Rodgers entering the preseason, should be the most heavily featured wide receiver on Pittsburgh’s roster. And if history tells us anything, when Rodgers finds a connection that he feels comfortable...
