The Pittsburgh Steelers are yet again going through an offseason where it appears as if they are having conflicting opinions on what to do with the roster. It looks like the team is going all in on attempting to find its franchise quarterback in 2026 based on the draft picks they should have, but the organization still claims it is in win-now mode and that the goal is to win a championship. Both of these things are unlikely to be true.
AP
Ex-Steelers WR George Pickens getting coached by Head Coach Mike Tomlin.
After trading away wide receiver Goerge Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2026 third-round pick, which clearly isn't a move designed to help the team in 2025, Steeler Nation rightfully has questions around what the goal is for this upcoming season. After finally solving the wide receiver puzzle that plagued the team the last few seasons with the pre-draft trade acquiring DK Metcalf, the Steelers still appear to be right back where they were last season.
However, this isn't a move that should be related to General Manager Omar Khan, or even President Art Rooney II. According to Gerry Dulac, the decision to trade Pickens, as well as the majority of other roster decisions, have been made by Head Coach Mike Tomlin. In his weekly chat, Dulac was asked if Tomlin wanted to keep Pickens and then Khan and Rooney overruled him. It appears to be the opposite however, as Dulac insisted that Tomlin makes the roster decisions, but can be overruled in certain scenarios.
"No. He was behind it and all-in on it." Dulac said on the Pickens trade. "He's the coach. He makes the roster decisions. Rooney can intervene if he so chooses, but you got that answer."
It is not unheard of for the top-tier head coaches around the league to have a heavy say in roster decisions, or even complete control with the support of the team owner and/or general manager. However, when you have a front office including names such as Khan, Andy Weidl, etc., it is a strong statement to say that Tomlin does what he wants with the players on the team.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers assistant general manager Andy Weidl speaks to the media during one of his first press conferences as a member of the organization after coming over from the Philadelphia Eagles.
What isn't clear is if Dulac meant specifically roster decisions in terms of keeping, cutting, trading, etc. and then draft decisions are responsibilities handled more by the rest of the team. Based on the frequent decisions to select players who have had issues with their personality in college or previously, it points to Tomlin having a large say in those decisions as well since he is the one that would be responsible for mentoring them.
Regardless who is the ultimate head of the decision making in terms of the roster, whether that be for both the draft or moves pertaining to players already on the roster, both Tomlin and Khan are the ones who will be held responsible.
Steelers.com
Steelers' Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan answer questions from the Pittsburgh media.
Outside of the lack of viable long term solution at quarterback, the roster makeup for the Steelers has been pretty good year over year. There are always some holes that many would like to see have better solutions that one year stop gap players, but that is the nature of the NFL and ultimately unavoidable in the long run.
Steelers Likely Made The Right Decision With Pickens
Regardless of who ultimately made the decision to trade away Pickens, early indications point to the fact that it was likely a good decision. The reasons why many were not Pickens fans to begin with have only been put more on display since the trade took place. Even Ben Roethlisberger noticed that Pickens appeared to take a shot at Tomlin in his introductory press conference with the Cowboys, which just shows nothing has changed.
It is very likely that the Pickens situation could've been worse, but it is also possible that the way Tomlin managed him gave Pickens a little more leeway than he deserved. Different methods of working with players and coaching players work for different coaches around the league. It is clear Tomlin coaches in his own way, and many players around the league have the upmost respect for him. However, in Pickens case, it may just have resulted in Pickens taking advantage of Tomlin's willingness to give chances.
Do you think Tomlin controls the Steelers roster? Let us know in the comments below!
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