Monday marks the beginning of the NFL legal tampering period and usher in weeks of changes across football. Beginning at noon, NFL teams are free to discuss deals with players in anticipation of the start of the league year on Wednesday.
Free agency doesn’t officially begin until Wednesday at 4:00 EST, but a plethora of signings will occur in the hours leading up to that point, with legal tampering beginning on Monday at Noon EST. Teams can currently negotiate and sign players who were on their 2025
rosters.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, running back Kenneth Gainwell, left guard Isaac Seumalo, wide receivers Calvin Austin and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., and safety Kyle Duggar are among the Steelers starters who are on the open market.
How many will return in 2026? Rodgers remains a mystery, but many insiders, including Nick Farabaugh of PennLive, think Rodgers will return. The status of the rest remains up in the air, but Farabaugh believes one member of the secondary will return.
Farabaugh believes that cornerback James Pierre is the most likely player, outside of Rodgers, to return to the Steelers next season, he shared on 93.7 The Fan on Friday.
“He fits what Patrick Graham wants to do,” Farabaugh said.
2025 was Pierre’s best season, playing 14 games and making a career-high five starts for Mike Tomlin’s defense. He emerged as a dependable player after years of being a key member on special teams.
In his sixth NFL season, Pierre totaled 30 tackles, one tackle for loss, 11 passes defended, one interception, and a fumble returned for a touchdown against the Bengals.
The cornerback room currently consists of Joey Porter Jr., Cory Trice, Dante Kent, and Jalen Ramsey, who played safety late in the season.
The Steelers will likely look for additional help in free agency and in their backyard at the 2026 NFL Draft, hosted on the North Shore from April 23-25.
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