Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers have made franchise history amid a very important offseason that’s been full of change.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said during his season-ending press conference that he expected changes on a lot of levels this offseason. It’s safe to say they lived up to that and then some after doing something they’ve never done before.
For the first time in franchise history, the Steelers have moved on from their leading passer (Russell Wilson), rusher (Najee Harris) and receiver (George Pickens) in a single offseason.
It’s been bold of Pittsburgh to do so, but necessary after it failed to score more than 17 points during the five-game losing streak to end the season, a streak that hasn’t occurred since Chuck Noll’s first season in 1969.
Wilson wanted to stay in Pittsburgh, but it became more and more clear that wasn’t going to happen as reports came to light that he and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith butted heads.
The Steelers are now hoping Aaron Rodgers will replace Wilson, who completed 214 of 336 passes (63.7%) for 2,482 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions in 2024.
On the other hand, the writing has been on the wall that the 2024 season would be Harris’ last in Pittsburgh ever since the team declined his fifth-year option last offseason.
Harris has since joined the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency, but he’s leaving a lot of production that needs to be filled.
Last season, he carried the ball 263 times for 1,043 yards (4.0 yards per carry) and six touchdowns. He also had 36 catches for 283 yards.
The Steelers seem to be very confident in their replacements for Harris, though. They tendered running back Jaylen Warren for the 2025 season, signed Kenneth Gainwell in free agency and drafted Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson in the third round (No. 83 overall).
Pittsburgh completed its trifecta on Wednesday when it traded Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. However, unlike the other two moves, the team is still searching for his replacement.
Pickens is leaving the Steelers with a massive hole at wide receiver after serving as their undoubted No. 1 wide receiver for the past three years. In 2024, he had 59 catches for 900 yards and three touchdowns.
Many had questioned if Pittsburgh was going to live up to its word, but it turns out patience is all that was needed.
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport revealed this was always the Steelers plan.
“They are not okay. Mike Tomlin is not okay. Omar Khan is not okay. The Steelers are not okay,” Rapoport said. “The Steelers clearly decided this was not good enough. They wanted to get better, changed out several key pieces of their personnel and going about 2025 hoping for better results.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Make Franchise History Amid Offseason of Change
