At this point, the bulk of free agency is over for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They are unlikely to make any more key additions outside of the eventual conclusion of the Aaron Rodgers and veteran quarterback saga. CBS Sports’ Jordan Dejani gave out grades for all 32 teams, and the Steelers landed in the middle of the pack with a ‘C’.
“I can defend the Giants for not having a quarterback at this juncture, but not the Steelers,” [Jordan Dajani wrote](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2025-nfl-free-agency-grades-team-by-team-marks-as-vikings-address-major-needs-retooling-49ers-fail/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=discord). “Their front office made it clear it wanted to get a deal done with either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields before the start of free agency and failed to do so. Swinging an aggressive trade for DK Metcalf is great and Darius Slay hopefully has some gas left in the tank. Next on the docket is the quarterback position and offensive line.”
It’s hard to assign a grade yet until this quarterback situation plays itself out. Right now, I would argue the grade is incomplete. With Aaron Rodgers, I could be convinced of a B+ or better. If that falls through and the Steelers are left with Mason Rudolph as their 2025 starter, that would feel more like a C- or a D.
Prior to free agency, the chatter was that the Steelers would have a hard time attracting free agents without a quarterback in place. They still managed to convince Darius Slay and a handful of others that Pittsburgh could be competitive for the 2025 season. DK Metcalf was acquired via trade, but he would have had some say in his destination since he was looking for a new contract as part of the deal. Attracting players of that caliber is a major plus and a vote of confidence in whatever their quarterback plan is.
S Juan Thornhill, DL Daniel Ekuale, and RB Kenneth Gainwell were very solid under-the-radar signings who should get plenty of playing time this season. Other than maybe Justin Fields or Najee Harris, the Steelers didn’t lose anybody in free agency they were hoping to keep around.
In fact, they did a great job [maneuvering around the compensatory draft pick formula](https://steelersdepot.com/2025/03/new-contract-details-for-mike-williams-hurts-steelers-2026-compensatory-value/) for next year. Dan Moore Jr., Justin Fields, and James Daniels are currently projected to bring in a third-, fourth-, and sixth-round pick respectively. If Wilson signs elsewhere before the conclusion of the NFL Draft, then they will likely end up with the maximum possible number of comp picks next year.
The Steelers making solid signings while maximizing their 2026 draft capital is a smart way to balance the present and the future as 2026 is likely to have a better crop of quarterbacks.