The Steelers may need to open up their piggy banks if they want to retain their free agents this year. The Athletic’s David Popper recently wrote an article outlining the top free agents, ranking them, then estimating what they might cost on the open market.
Starting with Aaron Rodgers, Popper ranked the quarterback as the third-best available option, estimating him to land in the one-year/$12.5 million range.
Kenneth Gainwell was next up on the list, slotting in as the eighth-best running back to hit free agency. Popper put him at two-years/$8-10 million, mainly ranging due to fit and his receiving chops, which were often emphasized with the Steelers offense this year. This season, he was first on the team in receptions (73), second in receiving yards (486) and third in touchdowns (3), all career-highs.
“You have a receiving-focused back in Kenneth Gainwell,” wrote Popper. “There is value in this range of the market. A lot will come down to fit.”
He has Calvin Austin slated for a nice payday as well, earning somewhere in the range of three years/$33 million. For Austin, who has shown flashes but hasn’t fully put together a dominant season, that would be a nice contract, slotting him in the middle-of-the-pack in terms of wide receiver contracts. Popper writes that Austin is among the “younger players with upside” in this group of free agents.
The highest ranking on this list is Isaac Seumalo, who comes in as the second-best guard in the free agent class. The veteran of the offensive line group has been good when he has played for the Steelers, even earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2024. The problem is that two of his three years in Pittsburgh have been riddled with injury. In 2024, he missed four games, and in 2025, he missed three. Despite that, Popper still has him earning a two-year/$28 million contract, which would be about the 12th-highest average per year at guard.
“As above-average starters like Isaac Seumalo, Zion Johnson and David Edwards hit the open market, they should be pointing to that [Aaron] Banks deal as a starting point. The guard market could get even wilder this year. ”
Seumalo’s situation looms as the most underrated storyline to see if the Steelers continue the youth movement across the line, or if they elect to value continuity.
Whatever they decide, expect several of the Steelers’ free agents to test the open market as league spending continues to rise.
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