With a little under $40 million in salary cap space entering the new league year, the Pittsburgh Steelers will have plenty of financial room to operate under GM Omar Khan. The Steelers should be able to extend key young pieces like cornerback Joey Porter Jr., tight end Darnell Washington, outside linebacker Nick Herbig and defensive lineman Keeanu Benton.
That type of salary cap space should allow Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl to be aggressive in unrestricted free agency, too, making some key additions to the roster under first-year head coach Mike McCarthy.
Wide receiver and cornerback are major areas of need, as is quarterback, though the expectation is 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers will return for a second season.
Despite that cap space, it’s unlikely the Steelers will be in the market for the big-name receivers with high price tags like Alec Pierce, Rashid Shaheed, Mike Evans, or even Romeo Doubs.
There is one name that makes a great deal of sense, though. He’s flying under the radar and already has a connection to the new coaching staff.
Jalen Nailor.
He’s coming off a strong 2025 season for the Minnesota Vikings in which he hauled in 29 passes for 444 yards and four touchdowns. That came one year after he had 28 receptions for 414 yards and six touchdowns. He did all that work under now-Steelers offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio, who oversaw the Vikings’ pass game as the pass game coordinator.
Granted, Angelichio was the Vikings’ tight ends coach, too, but he had a big role in the passing game under head coach Kevin O’Connell. And that passing game saw Nailor become a big-play weapon for the Vikings in recent years. Last season, Nailor played 653 snaps and registered 49 targets.
Nailor’s ties to the Steelers aren’t just with Angelichio, either. In fact, director of pro scouting Sheldon White was the executive director of player personnel and recruiting at Michigan State and played a key role in recruiting Nailor to the Spartans’ program. Two years after White left Michigan State, Nailor went on to be a sixth-round pick of the Vikings.
In an offense featuring Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison at receiver, Nailor found a way to produce time and time again for the Vikings. Ten touchdowns in two seasons should have him in line for a nice payday in free agency.
Pro Football Focus projects him to sign just a one-year, $3.5 million deal, but The Athletic’s Daniel Popper projects a three-year, $36 million deal, which falls in line with the type of production he’s had in recent years, and the increased opportunity he needs elsewhere.
That could come in Pittsburgh, where the Steelers are desperate for an upgrade at receiver opposite DK Metcalf. New head coach Mike McCarthy stated he wants receivers who can play all three positions, whether that’s the X, the Z or in the slot. Nailor has shown the ability to do all three during his tenure in Minnesota.
Last season, Nailor played 271 snaps in the slot and 178 snaps outside. He also caught a touchdown against the Steelers in the Week 4 game in Dublin, Ireland.
In his career, those numbers are nearly evenly split as Nailor has 495 snaps in the slot and 460 snaps out wide. He’s also played 274 snaps on special teams in his career, too, and brings versatility there.
With Calvin Austin III set to hit free agency, Roman Wilson’s future a question after a disappointing second year, and DK Metcalf being a bit of a disappointment in Year 1, the Steelers need to add to the room, both in free agency and in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Nailor would be a good starting point in free agency, especially with the connections he now has in Pittsburgh on the coaching staff and in the front office.
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