Should the Steelers have matched Kenneth Gainwell’s offer from the Buccaneers?
After one season with the Steelers, RB Kenneth Gainwell is set to sign a two-year, $14 million contract with the Buccaneers. In response, Pittsburgh is reportedly signing RB Rico Dowdle on a two-year, $12.25 million contract. Dowdle is a strong complementary runner, but Gainwell has a much more diverse toolkit.
Given the proximity in compensation, should the Steelers have matched the Buccaneers’ offer for Kenneth Gainwell? Of course, we can’t assume that they didn’t, so a more precise framing is warranted. Ought the Steelers have offered Gainwell $14 million over two years to stay, rather than move forward with Dowdle?
Gainwell’s Steelers teammates voted him the team MVP last season after having a career year. In addition to totaling over 1,000 yards from scrimmage, he tied the team lead with 8 touchdowns. But RB Jaylen Warren also scored 8 touchdowns and gained more yards than did Gainwell.
Dowdle offers less as a receiver than Gainwell, but the Steelers ideally won’t rely as much on running backs at receiver. Jaylen Warren has fulfilled that role before and can do it again, as he did paired with Najee Harris.
Another point worth noting is the fact that Rico Dowdle has had a more consistent career. The Steelers signed Kenneth Gainwell for under $2 million last year because nobody really valued him. After one season of strong play, he more than tripled his value. That’s always a risky investment for a player this deep into his career.
For all we know, new Steelers HC Mike McMarthy just sees Dowdle as a better fit for his offense than Gainwell. If that is the case, then they certainly made the right move. After all, Aaron Rodgers and Arthur Smith helped provide the framework in which he excelled last year. Smith is gone, and we don’t know whether Rodgers will return or not. And we have no idea if Gainwell can match his success in another offense.
For practical purposes, the Steelers’ offense would be a different offense for Gainwell, too. Would he have even managed to have as much success here in 2026 as he did last year? Realistically, probably not. Especially not if this offense intends to use the wide receivers more than the last.
The Steelers exited the playoffs in the first round yet again, a pattern going back to 2017.With seven consecutive postseason losses, and no wins in nearly a decade, they are facing another long, long offseason. No doubt we will see many changes, but none will top Mike Tomlin resigning.
The NFL has crowned its latest champion, but for us and the Steelers, we have been in offseason mode. That’s what happens when the team you coverloses by the middle of January all the time, but you’ve been around, so you know that already. Enjoy the ride, even the turbulence, because it’s the only way we know how to travel anymore.
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