Steelers Read & React: What Does Free Agency Tell Us About Pittsburgh’s Plans?

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This week on Read & React, Ryan and Ryland discuss if Aaron Rodgers is worth the wait, as well as takeaways from the Steelers’ free agent signings.

The initial rush of free agency has now slowed down dramatically, but before the focus shifts completely back on the draft, Read & React is here to talk about overarching takeaways from the last week. But first: a look at everyone’s favorite quarterback storyline…

The Aaron Rodgers saga drags on — would signing the veteran quarterback really be worth the wait (and drama) for the Steelers?

Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

RP: If you find yourself stressing out about whether or not the Steelers have signed the 41-year-old man who beat them 14 years ago in Super Bowl XLV yet, the best advice I can give you is to stage your own darkness retreat.

Log off social media. Change the TV channel. Skip the podcast. Refuse to buy a ticket to the circus, at least for now, and I promise you’ll feel better. R-E-L-A-X.

Rodgers — undoubtedly a Hall of Famer and one of the best to ever play the position — is a polarizing figure who most people have already made their minds up about. I’d wager most of our readers already have one of two opinions:

• Rodgers is a legend worth kicking the tires on given the remaining options are Russell “Mr. Unlimited” Wilson, Bizzaro Russell Wilson, and Ol’ Joe Flacco.

or

• Rodgers is an attention-starved diva who will turn Pittsburgh into his personal zoo while he desperately clings to relevancy as his athletic abilities continue to fall off a cliff.

Everyone knew Rodgers still wanted to play two years ago when he said he was weighing retirement, much like he is now. He dragged out his exit from Green Bay under that premise long enough that he was traded just three days before the NFL Draft in April. All that, even though anyone paying attention knew he’d ultimately end up with the Jets since at least February. Now a free agent for the first time in his career, Rodgers seems intent on taking his time again.

While that’s his right, I tend to agree with Cam Heyward. Either you want to be a Steeler or you don’t.

Rodgers’ options are essentially down to the Giants and the Steelers. We know this. The rest of the NFL knows this. Perhaps Minnesota could be a third option, but the Vikings haven’t outwardly expressed interest, and Kevin O’Connell’s motion-heavy scheme doesn’t fit particularly well with Rodgers, who famously dislikes that element of modern offenses. The Vikings’ role in this saga reads to me like a negotiation tactic from Rodgers. Yet another distraction in the ongoing Rodgers circus.

I tend to believe men in their 40s don’t often improve as athletes. Especially when they’re only a little more than a year removed from an Achilles’ rupture and are constantly being hit at full speed by some of the largest and fastest men in the world.

A brave opinion, I know.

At the same time, if the Steelers want to take a one-year flier on Rodgers, I’m not going to lose any sleep on it. They’d once again be chasing the ghost of a quarterback as they did last season with Russell Wilson. But given the way things turned out in Free Agency, I understand they don’t have a ton of options.

I’ve been pretty consistent in this column of saying the Steelers’ best bet at finding a quarterback will come in front of the home crowd in 2026 when Pittsburgh hosts the NFL Draft. Whether Rodgers comes to Pittsburgh or not, I’m going to be tuning out the noise as much as possible and focusing on the football being played. I suggest y’all do the same.

RB: I’m ever so slightly more open to the idea of Rodgers, but I’m in agreement for the most part. I know he’s not the player he used to be, but I think there’s a strong argument that of the quarterbacks still available for the Steelers, Rodgers is going to give you the best remaining combination of smarts/savvy and arm talent — but he’s not going to automatically turn this team into a Super Bowl contender.

However, Rodgers will likely bring his news cycle with him, and with a wide receiver room that isn’t exactly low on storylines itself, you could be looking at more drama than the situation is worth.

Rodgers is of course a future Hall of Famer, and at his peak he was undoubtedly one of the top quarterbacks of all time. But with the Jets last year he had arguably a better offense around him than he’d have in Pittsburgh, and New York still went just 5-12.

As long as it’s not a deal that hurts the team long term (which is unlikely), I wouldn’t hate the Steelers making a run with Rodgers in 2025. But as his decision drags on, I don’t think the team needs to build the rest of their offseason around Rodgers’ whims.

If he ends up a Steeler, cool. We’ll see how much gas is left in the tank and could see a more complete passing offense than 2024’s Russell Wilson/George Pickens moon balls. If it’s Mason Rudolph and a late-round rookie, so be it. That could still be entertaining and get the Steelers in a better spot for 2026.

What do you make of the Steelers’ relatively quiet free agent period? Do you have a favorite signing?

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

RB: While the D.K. Metcalf trade was a pleasant surprise, the Steelers’ actual free agent activity was a tad underwhelming. A premium signing at defensive line or cornerback could’ve added some hope to an otherwise quarterback-less sequence of events, but ultimately it looks like the Steelers will be putting a bandaid on CB2 and primarily relying on the draft for other positions despite a boatload of cap space.

But I wouldn’t complain much. The Steelers definitely aren’t tanking, but 2025 is looking like a soft rebuilding year as the team prepares to draft a quarterback in 2026 — if Pittsburgh was convinced last year’s squad could’ve won a Super Bowl with a few minor adjustments, Russell Wilson would’ve been back by now.

With that in mind, it makes sense not to over-invest in the present, and I still like some of the depth signings at quarterback, running back, receiver, defensive line, and in the secondary. I’m not sure if I would’ve swapped out Elandon Roberts for Malik Harrison, but the special teams ability is important as ILB3/4. And I’m still hoping for a depth signing on the offensive line at some point.

That being said, while I liked several of the free agent signings, I didn’t really love any. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be new cornerback addition Brandin Echols, formerly with the Jets.

Echols brings some starting experience as the Jets’ backup to Sauce Gardner. I came away pleasantly surprised from the games I watched — Echols isn’t a star but he’s a starting-caliber cover corner who’s light on his feet in man coverage.

Echols will be great to have behind Joey Porter Jr. and Darius Slay on the boundary, and he has the quickness to potentially start in the slot. He’s not a standout tackler but showed the effort to come downhill in the games I watched. No surprise, but he’ll be a big upgrade over Cam Sutton.

Echols is 27 years old with special teams ability and some ball skills with five career interceptions. He might also give out acting lessons. Overall, he is a versatile addition who helps shore up the secondary and could potentially start. He could be the most underrated of the Steelers’ signings this offseason.

RP: The Steelers have never been big players in free agency, but they have left their comfort zone more regularly in recent years. Just last year they signed Patrick Queen, making him the highest-paid acquisition in franchise history. With a huge cap limit increase and plenty of cap space, it seemed like Pittsburgh was primed to spend this offseason if they saw fit.

A couple of weeks ago, I said in this column that the Steelers would soon have to decide if they were going to blow up the current roster construction or try to maximize the roster for 2026. I predicted the latter, thinking they could make some additions in 2025 to put a future quarterback in the best position to succeed quickly. While the Metcalf trade seems to fit that vision — and made him the new highest-paid acquisition in Steelers’ history —everything else the team has been doing so far does not.

There’s still time for more moves to be made, but the free agent pool is mostly picked over. There are still some good players available, but not any that would be considered a clear, franchise-altering signing. The DK trade was a big, flashy acquisition, but beyond that, the Steelers have not made any huge financial commitments.

They’ve re-signed some of their depth players. They’ve signed a 34-year-old — who IS still playing well — corner to a one-year deal. They’ve also added: a third-down running back, a third safety, and replacement-level defenders at nickel corner, linebacker and defensive line on short-term contracts. Oh, and they brought back Mason Rudolph. That’s neat.

When you look at the sum total of moves — including who the team let sign elsewhere — we can only assume that acquiring compensatory picks in the 2026 draft was an organizational priority. Metcalf’s acquisition doesn’t count against those because he was gained through trade, but the Steelers don’t sound like they were in on any big names at positions of need. It was a fairly decent corner market, but the Steelers elected for cheap. They turned their nose up at any offensive or defensive linemen as well. The only potential free agent they could sign at this point that could alter the math on those picks is Aaron Rodgers.

So what to do with that information? I still don’t see them moving on from TJ Watt, even if Watt’s brother might be making some subtle financial suggestions to the media on his behalf.

But, unless we see any more surprising trades or a first-round quarterback selection, it’s hard not to come away from this feeling like the Steelers are looking past 2025. It certainly feels like a team gearing up to draft a QB in 2026 by any means necessary, and then fill the gaps in free agency with all the cap space they should still possess.

I mean let’s think for a moment. If they were truly considering a rookie quarterback in the first round, wouldn’t they have spent more aggressively? Tried to shore up the team’s other needs and weaknesses to give the rookie the best possible landing they could? By playing the compensatory pick game, are they not signaling that they don’t believe there is a quarterback available that would make them a true contender in 2025? That they either want ammo for a trade-up or, depending on how the season goes, a sizable influx of young talent?

At least that’s my interpretation. Time will tell, of course.

As for a favorite signing? Bringing back Ben Skowronek was a move I liked seeing, and I’ve admired Juan Thornhill and Kenny Gainwell’s careers, so I like bringing them in on cost-effective deals. But nothing major.

How does the Steelers’ offseason so far affect the team’s draft plans?

Photo by Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images

RP: I’m not sure it does. Unless they truly do go quarterback in the first round, I don’t think much has changed. We knew they wanted a star receiver and would likely be drafting one high. I never bought into the idea they’d take a wide receiver in the first, so the second round was where I assumed they’d look. Instead, they turned that pick into Metcalf, a surer bet than a rookie.

Like most, I’ve assumed they’d go defensive line in the first round. That feels in line with their mindset to build the trenches since Omar Khan became general manager and brought assistant general manager Andy Weidl over from the Eagles.

I didn’t get the Slay signing at first, but after having time to think about it, here’s my best attempt at reading between the lines. The Steelers like Cory Trice and want to give him some run if he can stay healthy. That’s been a problem, so cheap players like Slay and Echols — who is best as a nickel but has some outside experience — give them competent enough depth if Trice gets hurt again without messing up the compensatory pick math.

The move also makes some sense if the Steelers do end up drafting a corner at any point in the draft. Slay is regarded as a high-character guy around the league, and coaches like having those guys around when they’ve got a young room. Before Free Agency, Beanie Bishop was the oldest still on the roster at 25, while Joey Porter Jr. and Trice are both 24. New addition Echols is 27.

I’d say it’s a slim chance they go defensive back in the first, but I wouldn’t entirely rule it out. I think Pittsburgh is in a position to go best player available and I actually think safety is a sneaky option. Steelers defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander was seen talking with Nick Emmanwori recently and that’s interesting. While it’s mostly likely the Steelers are just doing their homework on prospects — and Emmanwori is being projected to be drafted in the range where divisional rival Cincinnati is drafting — the Steelers have shocked us in previous drafts and DeShon Elliott’s contract is up after the year. Probably nothing, but something to keep an eye on.

Beyond that, I’m almost certain they draft a running back and a quarterback at some point. Who and when is anyone’s guess, but I’d be shocked if they didn’t.

RB: Like Ryan, I also largely expect the Steelers to take a defensive lineman in the first round. I’m generally not a fan of teams GMing themselves into a corner in the first round like this, but this is the year to draft a D-linemen, or two. I’m fairly certain the Steelers will find good value at pick 21 as well as later on.

Other than that, the only other pick and player combination that feels like a near-guarantee is a running back somewhere in round three or four. The Steelers did re-sign Jaylen Warren and add Kennth Gainwell, but neither move seems significant enough to justify Pittsburgh skipping an incredibly deep running back draft class this year.

Earlier, If I had to guess, I would’ve predicted the team to go after a more powerful runner to offset the third-down skill sets of Warren and Gainwell, but the team’s current top-30 visits don’t seem to be following that philosophy. Maybe Pittsburgh goes with Bhayshul Tuten for a fast, exciting backfield from top to bottom in 2025.

Beyond that, I could definitely see some picks at wide receiver or defensive back, and like Ryan, I fully expect a flier at quarterback at some point. I hope it’s not too early; there’s not a quarterback I see worth taking in the middle rounds in this draft, but it’ll be interesting to see how the Steelers view the class.

Ultimately, outside of wide receiver no longer being a pressing need, the Steelers draft plans look very similar to what they were pre-free agency. The big focus will be defensive line, and then likely additions at running back, wide receiver, quarterback and cornerback. Safety and pass-rusher depth could be options as well. I’ll add offensive line as a position group the Steelers could address at some point that isn’t getting talked about enough, but that will likely be on Day 3.

Join in on Steelers R&R by sharing your takes on this week’s topics. Is Aaron Rodgers worth it? Free agency reactions? Let us know in the comments! Feel free to pitch future questions in the comment section or on Twitter/X: tag @_Ryland_B or @RyanParishMedia.