"Great Signing": Steelers' Omar Khan Gets A Ton Of Credit For 1 Specific Acquisition

Historically, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been a team that isn't super aggressive in free agency. They have been known as a team that drafts, develops, and re-signs their players. The team rarely brings in free agents to enormous deals and is quiet in the trade market. The 2026 offseason looks a lot different for Pittsburgh as it has addressed many positions of need through free agency or trade. Steelers General Manager Omar Khan has broken the trend as of late of being the quiet front office during the early parts of the offseason. 

The Black and Gold have made splash moves like trading for former Indianapolis Colts receiver Michael Pittman Jr. The deal allows for Pittsburgh to have flexibility in the draft. Also, it gives star pass catcher DK Metcalf some additional help that he did not see in 2025. Khan has been active in addressing the shortcomings of last season. 

The front office added players like running back Rico Dowdle and cornerback Jamel Dean, two positions that needed quality help, too. Another issue of last season was the inability to stop the run. 

The Steelers were not great against opposing rushers, despite being the league's highest-paid defense. Pittsburgh knew it had to address these concerns to play the Steeler way on defense, which is winning the trench battle on either side of the ball. Khan made a great nose tackle signing to combat this issue in Sebastian Joseph-Day. Former Steelers defensive lineman Breiden Fehoko endorsed the signing of Joseph-Day and Khan's approach to the offseason overall on X.

"Great signing for Pittsburgh. Sebastian is the epitome of a 3-4 defensive lineman," Fehoko wrote. "Omar Khan & Mike McCarthy have quietly won free agency this year. They’ve gotten a bunch of quietly good players. I see 9-10 wins for the Steelers this year if they can re-sign Aaron Rodgers."

Joseph-Day is known around the league for his run-plugging abilities — an issue the Steelers had was a lack of a true nose tackle. The Steelers have many defensive ends and tackles that are good pass rushers, but lack the frame and technique it takes to be a true run-stopper. 

The Steelers addressed that need by inking Joseph-Day to a two-year, $11-million deal. In theory, this should contribute to the effort that the Steelers brass is taking to focus on being better at stopping the run. An endorsement from a former defensive lineman is a huge compliment. 

The Steelers addressed other areas of need, too. As mentioned previously, the Steelers remedied their issues with their wide receiver depth. Pittman will contribute to the underneath and intermediate routes that can free up Metcalf's bread and butter: go routes and deep posts. This move should open up the playbook for newly hired Head Coach Mike McCarthy. 

Another addition that could do the same is a running back in Dowdle. His signing proves the notion that the Steelers will be a team that will run you over and is tough, as he is effective as a downhill runner. Finally, another big signing, Dean, gives much-needed depth to the secondary and gives star Joey Porter Jr. some help. Signing Jaquan Brisker at safety helps in the same way. 

Steelers Will Be Set If They Draft Exceptionally Well In 2026

Pittsburgh has addressed some of its biggest needs already in the early wave of free agency. Now, it's up to Khan and his team to ensure they hit on their draft picks in 2026. The Steelers adding quality youth to aid their free agency signings would perfect this roster. Pittsburgh has made it known that it doesn't want to administer a full rebuild; it believes it is just a few pieces away from being in contention. 

This year's draft could dictate that narrative, and if it does in fact go well, then the Steelers won't have to hit the reset button. Based on these acquisitions, the Steelers can continue their strategy of picking the most talented position on the board, rather than focusing on one group. 

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