Steelers Expected To Splurge In Key Area Come 2026 Free Agency

The NFL made teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers extremely happy when it was decided to raise the salary cap by over $20 million for the 2026 campaign. Mike McCarthy inherited a pretty solid financial situation, and now he will get to spend alongside General Manager Omar Khan in free agency. The team also has over 10 selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, so there are several different avenues the decision-makers will have to take in order to make the roster better. The key will be defining which positions should be targeted in free agency, and then which ones should be honed in on come the draft.

An interesting spot to keep an eye on throughout the offseason will be the defensive line. Cameron Heyward is not getting any younger and there is still work to do in this area of the defense. The Steelers invested a first-round pick in Derrick Harmon back in 2025, and it seems to have been a wise decision. The question is, will the front office ignore offense in round one, and go back-to-back years taking run-stopping linemen.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ray Fittipaldo was on The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller on Thursday night to discuss his first mock draft of the offseason. He didn't have the team selecting a defensive lineman at all, and he went into detail as to why.

"There's a lot of people out there that think they should take a defensive tackle, again, in the first round, and believe me, I wanted to do that — not necessarily in round one, but I wanted to mock them one, but this is not a year where there's, like, those typical Derrick Harmon, 3-4 defensive ends, who are really good coming out of this draft," Fittipaldo explained.

Additionally, Fittipaldo has an alternative theory as to how the Steelers will get better at stopping the run. He thinks that, because of the cap space situation, Khan and co. will be ready to invest and spend in free agency.

"That leads me to believe, and I haven't taken a long look at the free agent class, that if the Steelers are going to spend some money in free agency, and they have the cap space to do it, maybe they would take a defensive lineman this year, and save some of that draft capital for other positions."

Connecting the dots, it could make sense for the Steelers. Pairing a young free agent with Harmon for the next three years, as well as Heyward (until he decides to retire) would be an ideal setup for Pittsburgh. If the draft class is far from inspiring, grabbing an experienced defender who has proven himself is certainly the way to go.

Roster construction is something that creates championship-caliber teams. Pittsburgh has fallen short in this area for several seasons. The team has either not had enough depth, talent, or both, in key areas. The Steelers can change that throughout the 2026 offseason, but it has to be with a strategic approach. Analyzing the draft and free-agent pools, while then utilizing resources to put together the right team, will be crucial. Khan and McCarthy will lead the way in these areas.

Steelers Could Be In For A True Free Agent Frenzy

Pittsburgh has plenty of cap space, and that stands as it is without any extensions or cuts. These two methods will lead to more money being available. The front office will have several opportunities to improve the roster prior to the 2026 NFL Draft, which is a major advantage. Khan has been focused on building up the trenches for several years, and that should continue. For the first time, however, the approach could be to throw a lot of money at experienced players looking for new teams.

Do you think that the Steelers should pay up for a high-priced defensive lineman in free agency? Let us know in the comments below!

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