The Pittsburgh Steelers are about to begin a season of uncertainty. For the first time in almost 20 years, they won’t have Mike Tomlin on the sideline, but his successor, Mike McCarthy. The new head coach is building a team of his liking, as the acquisition of Michael Pittman in free agency made abundantly clear. The top brass in Pennsylvania are expected to make other moves in free agency and mold a new roster in the Draft but who will play under center for them?
Matt Freed / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers' new head coach Mike McCarthy (middle) takes picture with Team Owner Art Rooney II (left) and General Manager Omar Khan (right).
With the acquisition of Pittman Jr., the Steelers brought in a talent that shows all their determination to win. Anyone looking to bet on the Steelers winning the next Super Bowl, or reaching the playoffs, can check out the oddschecker offers to take advantage of attractive no-deposit bonuses, allowing every bettor to place his or her bet without having to make any large initial investment.
In the NFL, though, you need a full roster to compete, especially in a division as competitive as the AFC North is, where you have to face Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson twice a year. The Steelers have some work to do to keep the pace, and it all starts with the QB designation, of course.
The future of Aaron Rodgers
Nobody knows where Rodgers will be next year. Will he play in the NFL? Will he be in a television booth calling the plays from up above the gridiron? Will he relax on his sofa? Right now, the 42-year-old is a free agent and is evaluating his options. What options? Pittsburgh or Arizona, since these are the only two teams looking for a quarterback. There’s Las Vegas, obviously, but all the signs point to the Raiders drafting Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick.
Given the stature of the player, and his age, Pittsburgh will allow him some days to think about his future. The Steelers, however, must soon decide what to do. Rodgers is their first choice but they must consider the eventuality in which he won’t wear black and yellow next season. There are no hot names in free agency, but Pittsburgh could trade for a QB like Kirk Cousins, or move up in the draft to get one, even if this year’s class is not a particularly good one at the position. We will see what happens. In the meantime, the WR room appears to be a pretty good one.
Does Pittman fix Pittsburgh’s biggest issue?
In recent years, the Steelers had a problem with wide receivers. Since Antonio Brown’s departure, Pittsburgh never found a reliable guy. Chase Claypool and JuJu Smith-Schuster had their moments, but ultimately were not the talents the franchise expected. George Pickens could have been that guy, but he wasn’t disciplined and never felt truly at home in Pittsburgh. DK Metcalf showed some promise last year, and could form a nice tandem with Pittman. There were rumors that Pittsburgh was pursuing Jaylen Waddle in a blockbuster move, but the Miami Dolphins asked for a first rounder (which they ultimately obtained for him) and the Steelers didn’t want to part with it.
Trevor Ruszkowski / USA TODAY
Newly acquired Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. walking off the field after an NFL game with the Indianapolis Colts in December of 2023.
Pittman signed a three-year contract worth $59 million and is expected to play in a WR2 role against Metcalf, with a lot of plays developed around him and his skill set. Pittsburgh has two legit receivers this year and can develop his play vertically in a way that wasn’t available in the last few years. Now McCarthy must find a valuable QB and integrate Rico Dowdle, the newly signed running back, in his offensive scheme.
Pittsburgh’s defense is fine and kept the franchise in the playoff conversation for the last couple of years. To achieve success, though, you must be competitive in all the three phases of the game. This is a team’s sport, after all.