Steelers Get Absolutely Horrible News About 2026 Offseason Plans

The Pittsburgh Steelers don't just have over 10 selections in the 2026 NFL Draft; the team will also possess plenty of cap space to make significant splashes once the legal tampering period and free agency roll around. It seems like the pieces are in place to not rebuild, but retool the roster to make it even more competition under new head Coach Mike McCarthy. There are many areas to address that include, but are not limited to, quarterback, wide receiver, cornerback, linebacker and safety. It should be an extremely busy time for the new leader of the locker room and General Manager Omar Khan.

The Steelers won the AFC North in 2025; however, were considered one of the weakest collectives in the playoff field. This went on to be proven after a 30-6 loss at home at the hands of the Houston Texans. There are some great pieces in place, but work needs to be done and that's why it wouldn't shock anyone to see Khan go out and be aggressive in different ways.

Unfortunately, it may not be very possible through normal avenues such as free agency and the draft. Adam Schefter recently spoke on his show, The Adam Schefter Podcast, and detailed a gloomy realty for the Steelers. Despite having plenty of wiggle room financially, there may not be enough splash signings to be had by all franchises.

"I've had GMs, front office executives, scouts, who have been looking at this free-agent class and saying, 'Not a great class'," Schefter said. "These teams have done a great job at tying up their own players long-term, and making sure they don't get to free agency."

It's not just the free agency class, however. There are also worries from those around the league that the draft won't possess enough top talent, either. That's a bit of an issue when you have over 10 picks such as the Steelers do.

"When we talk about the draft, and we'll see how it shakes out over time, people aren't all that excited about the draft, either," Schefter noted. "So, we got a free-agent class that's not real deep. We've got a draft that is not considered real deep. You know what that tells me, then? That's what it tells me. It tells me we may get more wheeling and dealing in trades than we've had in other years."

This presents a unique challenge for the Steelers. The positive is that the front office has enough draft selections to play with, but with not a lot of confidence in free agency or the draft, teams looking to add significant talent may have to overpay when trying to make acquisitions. A lot can change leading into the legal tampering period and then the draft, but it's currently not looking very promising.

Khan has not been afraid to make moves since being promoted back in May of 2022. He seems to be willing to do what's necessary, and he may have more power than he ever has now that Mike Tomlin is no longer with the organization. It is unfortunate, however, that the team seems to be set up perfectly with cap space and draft capital, only to that advantage now being put into question because of how those areas are currently being viewed around the league.

Steelers May Have To Get Aggressive On The Trade Market

When Schefter notes that a lot of wheeling and dealing could happen, it may not just mean with current players. Teams could also be eyeing big moves up the board on draft weekend to get top-tier talent that may be a little less available than in recent years. The only good news for Pittsburgh is the plethora of selections, but, overall, having two areas where spending could have been easy now looking like unideal pools of talent, it could get much more complicated.

Do you think the Steelers are regretting their compensatory pick strategy for 2026? Let us know in the comments below!

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