Pittsburgh Steelers GM Omar Khan was very busy in the first week of the new league year, signing a handful of players to free-agent contracts and also swinging another big trade to land a wide receiver, addressing major needs across the roster.
On the surface, the moves to trade for wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., and sign the likes of cornerback Jamel Dean, safeties Darnell Savage and Jaquan Brisker, running back Rico Dowdle, punter Cameron Johnston, defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day, while also retaining the likes of cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., linebacker Cole Holcomb, and defensive lineman Esezi Otomewo has the Steelers in a good spot at the moment.
Questions still remain along the left side of the offensive line and at quarterback, but it’s hard not to be thrilled with what Khan and Co. have done so far in free agency and on the trade market.
ESPN’s Aaron Schatz certainly loves what the Steelers have done. In a piece for ESPN.com Saturday morning, Schatz named the Steelers among his five most improved teams after the first week of action, while highlighting the best move the Steelers made, as well as the most underrated.
For the best move, Schatz circled the trade for Pittman as Pittsburgh addressed its long-standing WR2 need with a late-round pick swap, taking advantage of a salary cap dump from the Indianapolis Colts.
“The Steelers got a strong WR2 here for just a late-round pick swap, giving up a sixth-rounder and getting a seventh-rounder back. Then the Steelers signed Pittman to a three-year, $59 million extension. I’m a fan of the trade but not really the extension,” Schatz writes of the Pittman move. “However, in the short term, this is a good player and a strong addition to the Steelers’ wide receiver room. Pittman still had a positive receiving DVOA last season in what otherwise seemed like a down year, as he dropped from 11.7 to 9.8 yards per reception.
“But he’s just 28 years old, so there’s room for a rebound. He’ll be more of a midrange target, while DK Metcalf stretches the field.”
The extension was a bit of a head-scratcher because the Steelers simply didn’t need to do it, but Pittman is still just 28 years old, and getting out of Indianapolis and to Pittsburgh under first-year head coach Mike McCarthy could make him more of a downfield threat, something he hinted at in his introductory press conference Friday.
If Aaron Rodgers returns for a second season, Pittman is a good fit with him. He wins off the line of scrimmage quickly, is tough as nails over the middle and is that dependable possession receiver that can win time and time again. That will take a lot of attention away from DK Metcalf, too, which should further open up the passing game.
From Schatz’s perspective, the most underrated move was signing Dean to a three-year deal.
“Dean led the NFL in my cornerback coverage DVOA metric last season, ahead of superstars such as Derek Stingley Jr. and Quinyon Mitchell,” Schatz said of the signing. “Cornerback statistics are notoriously inconsistent from season to season, so you can’t count on Dean to have another outstanding season in 2026. But he was above average in 2024 as well and will turn 30 years old in October.”
Dean was a player connected to the Steelers throughout the offseason leading up to free agency. That the Steelers swung big on him was a bit surprising, though, considering his age and the contract handed out. Of course, it’s essentially just a one-year deal, so the Steelers can get out of it after 2026 if things don’t go well.
But in the process, the Steelers landed another long, physical cornerback that will pair nicely opposite Joey Porter Jr. under first-year defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. Dean had a tremendous 2025 season with Tampa Bay and earned his big payday.
Hopefully, that translates to the Steel City.
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