Steelers' Mike Tomlin Gives Fans Hope That More Significant Roster Upgrades Could Be Coming

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been one of the more active teams in the NFL throughout the 2025 offseason when it comes to making significant changes to the roster. The franchise was involved in several trades, which saw the team get rid of players like George Pickens and Minkah Fitzpatrick. DK Metcalf, Jalen Ramsey, and Jonnu Smith were all brought in via trade, and four-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers was signed to be the team's starting quarterback. Things are going to look very different than they did back during the 2024 season, and more can still change before the start of the regular season.

The Steelers aren't especially known to be extremely active on the trade market, or to be big spenders in free agency. However, the organization kind of broke that mold in 2025, especially with the Metcalf trade as he signed a lucrative extension after the trade was done. Head Coach Mike Tomlin spoke with Bob Labriola on Thursday morning, and he was asked whether or not the team had more moves to make. Tomlin is open to the idea of more changes with the roster, as long as they are appropriate. 

"You never say never," Tomlin said. "As I mentioned, somebody could call with a high level of urgency and change those plans. And so I just learned through experience over the years to take things as they come. We've certainly had an active offseason, but all of these opportunities kind of came at us individually. I don't know that you could characterize it as a collective agenda. We were fortunate to get some of these things done and acquire some top-notch players. And I'm open to that continuing, if it presents itself and it presents itself in an appropriate way."

This time of year, right around the third and final preseason game often presents trade opportunities. There are plenty of good players throughout the NFL who might be on the brink of getting cut just because of the particular situation they might find themselves in. This leads to their organization trying to find a trade partner before final rosters are submitted.

There were four trades in the NFL on Wednesday, and there will likely be more before the final rosters have to be submitted on the 26th of August. Pittsburgh could be in the market for some more help at wide receiver, while depth on the offensive line could also be seen as a problem. Those are two areas that should be improved if General Manager Omar Khan was thinking about making any more roster changes. 

The wide receiver room could be promising, but there is a lot of unknowns within that position group. Calvin Austin III missed nearly all of camp with an injury, and Roman Wilson is essentially entering his rookie year due to injuries in 2024. Khan has to do his due diligence around the league at receiver, and if nothing presents itself, the team will move forward with what it has.

Steelers Could Wait To Comb Through Other Team's Scraps

While making a trade before roster cut down day arrives is a possibility, Pittsburgh could also stay patient. This would mean waiting until cuts are already made around the league, and then signing a player who is no longer on a roster. This way, the Steelers would not have to forfeit any draft capital. A team like the New England Patriots might be forced to cut some pretty interesting players, especially at wide receiver. That is a roster to pay close attention to.

The only issue with this strategy would be competition from other teams around the league, but Pittsburgh should be a pretty attractive destination due to Tomlin and the amount of talent on the roster.

What do you think about the Steelers making more changes with the roster before the regular season? Let us know in the comments below!

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