Aaron Rodgers
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PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 12: Aaron Rodgers #8 of the Pittsburgh Steelers warms up before the game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium on January 12, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
It’s been a tumultuous offseason at times for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Shortly after Pittsburgh’s season ended in a blowout home playoff loss to the Texans, legendary Steelers HC Mike Tomlin announced his retirement, ending his 19-year run at the helm. He’d won a Super Bowl with the Steelers and his retirement truly marked the end of an era in Pittsburgh.
To replace Tomlin, the Steelers hired former Cowboys and Packers coach Mike McCarthy to take over the reigns. Despite sitting out of the 2025 season, McCarthy won a Super Bowl with the Packers and led the Cowboys to their highest level of success in decades, stringing together three 12-win seasons in a row. The Steelers are counting on that high-floor pedigree to translate to a new environment.
Now, the looming question for the Steelers surrounds the future of QB Aaron Rodgers. Will he return for another season or retire? That remains unknown, but one expert still had a glowing review of Pittsburgh’s offseason.
The Pittsburgh Steelers Had the Best Free Agent Class in the League According to One ESPN Analyst
Michael Pittman Jr.
GettyHOUSTON, TEXAS – JANUARY 04: Michael Pittman Jr. #11 of the Indianapolis Colts in action against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on January 04, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
On Wednesday, ESPN’s Ben Solak ranked every team in the league by how successful they were in improving their roster through the trade market and free agency, and he had the Steelers at No. 1.
The biggest headline move for the Steelers was trading for Colts WR Michael Pittman Jr., who should provide a major boost to Pittsburgh’s passing game and give WR DK Metcalf a true running mate. But the also signed CB Jamel Dean, RB Rico Dowdle, DT Sebastian Joseph-Day, CB Asante Samuel Jr., and S Jaquan Brisker.
“[I loved] getting Pittman on the late-round pick swap,” Solak wrote. “The Colts were always going to trade him after they re-signed Alec Pierce, so they didn’t have a ton of leverage. And because Pittman is a true possession receiver, he needed to go to a team with a ton of targets to give out. There aren’t many such teams. But Pittsburgh is a great fit for him, as he pairs well with DK Metcalf (who is definitely a Steeler in 2026) and Aaron Rodgers (who is probably a Steeler in 2026).”
“The Steelers signed Pittman to an extension after the trade that guarantees him some money, which was an unnecessarily early commitment to his future on the roster, but a sixth-seventh pick swap for a starting receiver is great business.”
The Pittsburgh Steelers Did No Wrong in the Offseason According to ESPN’s Ben Solak
“[I didn’t love] nothing. It was a ton of doubles for Omar Khan and the Steelers’ brass,” Solak continued. “Dowdle has consistently proved he can moonlight as an RB1 if needed, and he has receiving chops in a committee. Dean is coming off a career year, but the Steelers didn’t pay him like he’s a CB1, so they might get a nice bargain there. Joseph-Day is a perennially valuable rotational defensive tackle, and Samuel looked healthy in the limited time he played last season. Brisker is a low-risk gamble on another health question mark in a secondary that needs depth to maximize Jalen Ramsey’s versatility. Great work this year.”