Pittsburgh Steelers QB Mason Rudolph left Pittsburgh for only one year. So there are still familiar faces when he looks out on the practice field at his offensive targets. He played with TE Pat Freiermuth, RB Jaylen Warren, and WR Calvin Austin III.
But there have been some significant changes as well. WR George Pickens is gone, same with RB Najee Harris. WR DK Metcalf and rookie RB Kaleb Johnson have taken their respective places. It’s a mixture of the familiar and the new for Rudolph. But is it any better than the talent of the 2024 team? Insider Ray Fittipaldo thinks going from Pickens to Metcalf is an upgrade, but is WR Robert Woods an upgrade over Van Jefferson and company from last season? Will WR Roman Wilson actually play and make any sort of impact in 2025?
These questions keep fans (and maybe even some in the front office) up at night. Will the Steelers add anyone, or will they stand pat? If they do stand pat, what does Rudolph think of the current state of the offensive weapons in Pittsburgh?
“I got to Pittsburgh a week early and got to work with Calvin Austin and Roman Wilson and Pat [Freiermuth],” said Rudolph on Monday’s episode of the Kaboly + Mack Show. “They were all there early on, even before the start of Phase One. So, that was great. DK came for the first couple weeks of Phase One, got to work with him… I mean, throwing to him on the field, I don’t think I’ve ever thrown to such a big target. He’s just, it is impressive to see him work. Calvin Austin looks great. Pat’s always in great shape. Roman Wilson looks really back healthy. Jaylen Warren’s doing well. So, it’s a great skill group, and it’s been a joy to work with them.”
The likelihood that Mason Rudolph would go on a podcast and trash his weapons is ludicrous. But it is good to see that Rudolph got work in even before offseason practices officially started. And it is notable that Rudolph led off by talking about Austin.
Austin is one of those whom Rudolph played with in his last stint with Pittsburgh. But the 2023 version of Austin was very different from the 2024 version. In 2023, one year removed from an injury that robbed him of his rookie season, Austin had 17 catches for 180 yards and one touchdown. In 2024, Austin had 36 catches for 548 yards and four touchdowns. He more than doubled his catches and increased his yards per catch by 4.6 yards. Oh, and he had three more touchdowns as well.
Rudolph probably noticed some changes in Austin’s work from the last time they played together. And it’s no surprise that Rudolph mentioned Freiermuth, either. While he has not exploded the way people hoped under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, Freiermuth has been very dependable for the Steelers.
And who can be upset that Roman Wilson is showing up early for practices? No doubt, he was unhappy with how his rookie season went. He missed nearly all of training camp with an ankle sprain, and it set him back badly. He only saw the field in 2024 for a fraction of a moment, it felt like. So, his being healthy (and staying healthy) could be a big part of this group really coming together. And early reports from this offseason are that he’s looking good.
But the most notable? Going from Pickens to DK Metcalf. Rudolph got to play with Pickens, and he was the quarterback when Pickens torched the Cincinnati Bengals late in 2023 with four catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns. But Pickens is now playing for the Dallas Cowboys, and DK Metcalf is the top receiver in Pittsburgh.
“He just seems like the ultimate professional,” Rudolph said. “Up early in the building, one of the first in the building, working hard in the weight room. Just very open to feedback and very conversational, very articulate.”
It seems like Rudolph is a fan of Metcalf both on and off the field. And that’s quite important for a quarterback-wide receiver relationship.
But does all this mean that the Steelers will enter 2025 with the depth chart looking like it does now? That would be a surprise, honestly. General manager Omar Khan knew he had to upgrade the wide receiver room in 2025. And initially, he did. The combination of DK Metcalf and George Pickens had fans salivating. But now Pickens is gone. And while Metcalf may be more professional than Pickens, that doesn’t mean he’s going to be able to carry the load all by himself. But Khan believes that the situation is better than in 2024.
Just don’t be surprised if the Steelers do add another wide receiver, especially once (if?) QB Aaron Rodgers signs with the team.
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