The Pittsburgh Steelers were one of the most active teams in the first wave of free agency, making several moves to bolster a roster that won the AFC North in 2025.
They traded for wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr to finally solve the WR2 dilemma that has plagued their offense in each of their last two seasons. Additionally, Pittsburgh made the notable signings of Rico Dowdle, Jamel Dean, Sebastian Joseph-Day, and Jaquan Brisker.
In light of their active offseason, Ben Solak of ESPN ranked the Steelers
No. 1 in his NFL free agency class rankings. Of all the moves the Steelers made, Solak ranked the Pittman trade as the one he loved the most.
“The Colts were always going to trade [Pittman] after they re-signed Alec Pierce, so they didn’t have a ton of leverage,” Solak writes. “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).“
Solak then writes that there is nothing the Steelers have done that he hasn’t liked thus far.
“It was a ton of doubles for Omar Khan and the Steelers’ brass,” Solak writes. “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.”
The only major hole remaining on the Steelers’ roster is quarterback, as Aaron Rodgers has yet to commit for the 2026 season.
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