Just under one month from today, the NFL’s new league year will open, signaling the start of free agency. Though the legal tampering window opens on March 9, players cannot officially sign until March 11, when the new league year opens.
Before the official start of the new league year, though, teams can negotiate with their own pending free agents in an effort to retain them before hitting the open market.
The Steelers have 23 players set to hit unrestricted free agency, with another five set for restricted free agency. In total, that’s nearly 30 players from last year’s roster set to hit the market.
For the Steelers’ sake, they need to take care of some key players before that new league year opens.
Below are my five key pending free agents that the Steelers must re-sign.
1) AARON RODGERS, QB
This one might feel obvious, and that’s okay. With Mike McCarthy now the Steelers’ new head coach, Pittsburgh needs to find a quarterback who fits McCarthy’s West Coast scheme. Who better to be that guy than Rodgers?
Sure, he’s entering his age-43 season, and he wasn’t all that great in 2025 as he focused primarily on getting the ball out quickly in a dink-and-dunk offense. Off the field, though, Rodgers’ leadership was massive for the franchise. Players gravitated toward him, and his presence helped lead the Steelers to the playoffs late in the year, as they won four of their final five regular-season games.
Things didn’t end well in the post-season loss, but Rodgers showed he still has a great arm and can command an offense, especially late in games. He needs to return and serve as the bridge quarterback for one more year as the Steelers develop Will Howard under McCarthy and position themselves to take a swing on a QB in either the 2026 or 2027 NFL Draft.
2) KENNETH GAINWELL, RB
What a find Kenneth Gainwell was last season in free agency for the Steelers. Signed to a one-year deal for less than $2 million, Gainwell was worth every penny — and more. The former Philadelphia Eagles backup running back turned in a career year, rushing for 537 yards and five touchdowns while leading the Steelers in receptions with 73 for 486 yards and three touchdowns.
Gainwell earned the Steelers’ Team MVP award for his production as a dual-threat running back, and Rodgers even praised him throughout the season, stating he couldn’t believe the Steelers got him for what they did, and that his goal this past season was to get Gainwell paid.
That should happen this offseason. But that needs to be with Pittsburgh. He might not be a perfect fit for McCarthy’s offense, but he’s respected in the locker room and proved he can handle a heavy workload as a runner and a receiver. Plus, his pairing with Jaylen Warren in the backfield gave the Steelers a very good 1-2 punch. No need to let that combination split up.
3) JAMES PIERRE, CB
The development that James Pierre had last season was nothing short of remarkable. He got his opportunity to play more snaps due to injury, and he took it and ran with it.
Throughout the second half of the season, Pierre was a shutdown cornerback opposite Joey Porter Jr. Teams were testing him over and over again, and all Pierre did was make plays. He was charged with allowing just 16 receptions on 35 targets for just 163 yards. He allowed just one touchdown, intercepted one pass, and had an impressive nine pass breakups.
Last season, Pierre graded out at an 86.2 overall across 408 snaps. Though he’ll turn 30 during the 2026 season, he looks like a late-bloomer at a major position of need for the Steelers. He can’t be the main answer opposite Joey Porter Jr., but he’s not going to break the bank, and he’s a great special teams piece, too. The Steelers must ensure he’s re-signed.
4) ESEZI OTOMEWO, DL
Last offseason, when the Steelers signed Esezi Otomewo on March 19, I viewed it as largely a meaningless addition to the defensive line. Fair or unfair, I viewed him as not much more than a camp body and a practice squad candidate. Instead, he became a valuable rotational piece in the Steelers’ trenches.
Otomewo played a career-high 196 snaps in 2025 and graded out a 49.9 overall from PFF. Despite that average grade, Otomewo generated nine pressures and was a nice piece for the Steelers late in the year. He had a big-time performance in a depth role against the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football in Week 15, and then was steady against the Cleveland Browns two weeks later.
He’s not a flashy player, but he showed signs of being a decent rotational piece moving forward due to his ability to play the run and add some juice as a pass rusher. With Cameron Heyward getting another year older and Derrick Harmon dealing with injuries last season, depth will be vital up front. Otomewo on another one-year deal to head to training camp makes a great deal of sense.
5) ISAAC SEUMALO, LG
I’ve wrestled with this one back and forth since the season ended. Yes, the Steelers have Spencer Anderson waiting in the wings. He showed, when given the opportunity to play, that he’s ready for a starting role. But Isaac Seumalo was quietly one of the best players offensively for the Steelers last season, regardless of how he performed in the playoff loss.
He battled injuries once again, largely playing through a pectoral issue all season long. That marks a second year in a row Seumalo was banged up throughout, so maybe it is best if the Steelers move on, especially with Seumalo entering his age-33 season.
But with the transition under a new coaching staff, bringing in two new offensive line coaches, James Campen and Jahri Evans, and having that veteran leader and presence in the room for a young offensive line still growing and developing would be vital. Zach Frazier, Troy Fautanu and Mason McCormick are growing into their own as leaders, but they all look to Seumalo.
Keeping him in the mix is key.
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