Pittsburgh Steelers News & Rumors

Steelers To Host FB Kyle Juszczyk

March 13th, 2025 at 4:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

Kyle Juszczyk‘s time with the 49ers came to an end on Monday. The veteran could have a limited market based on the number of teams which use a fullback on a permanent basis, but he has quickly managed to line up a visit.

Juszczyk will meet with the Steelers today, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The nine-time Pro Bowler began his career in the AFC North, playing out his rookie contract with the Ravens. A return to Baltimore will not be in order for 2025, though, considering the team recently re-signed Patrick Ricard.

At times during his eight-year run in San Francisco, Juszczyk’s future was a talking point. A pay cut was worked out last offseason to allow him to remain with the 49ers, and the 33-year-old hoped for his tenure to continue into 2025. Juszczyk instead found himself as one of many veterans who have been released or traded by San Francisco, a team which has also seen several key players depart in free agency this week.

The Steelers used Derek Watt as a fullback up to 2022. Since that time, they have turned to Connor Heyward to operate in a hybrid role including fullback duties. One year remains on his rookie contract, but adding an established veteran like Juszczyk would allow for Heyward to focus on operating as a backup tight end. Pittsburgh entered Thursday with over $46MM in cap space, so room exists for what would be a modest fullback commitment.

The Broncos have used Michael Burton as a fullback for the past two years, and he is a pending free agent. Denver could theoretically be among the teams interested in Juszczyk as a result, but Luca Evans of the Denver Post reports no contact has been made yet. If today’s Steelers visits does not produce an agreement for the Harvard product, his list of suitors could be rather short.

Juszczyk has received a Pro Bow nod every year since 2016, and in addition to his run blocking prowess he has averaged 240 receiving yards per year in his career (which has included first-team All-Pro honors in 2023 and a second-team nod last year). If he does not land with the Steelers, he will turn his attention elsewhere as the opening stages of free agency wind down.

Aaron Rodgers Still Considering Vikings; Latest On Steelers’ Effort

March 12th, 2025 at 11:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Giants and Steelers have hovered as the leaders in this unusual Aaron Rodgers sweepstakes for multiple days, the future Hall of Fame quarterback is still deliberating. Rodgers is well aware the Giants and Steelers are interested, but the third team linked to him over the weekend is still believed to be in the mix.

Rodgers remains intrigued by playing for the Vikings, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini and Michael Silver note. Minnesota continues to evaluate its QB options, and we heard over the weekend Rodgers is one of them. While completing the Full Favre would be make for an eerie parallel for his one-time Packers successor, Minnesota has some selling points the other two suitors do not.

Kevin O’Connell is the reigning NFL Coach of the Year, riding to that honor mostly as Sam Darnold went from bottom-tier starter and borderline draft bust to an original-ballot Pro Bowler who threw 35 touchdown passes in guiding the Vikings to a stunning 14-3 record. Darnold targeted All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson, former first-rounder Jordan Addison and Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson. Longtime Rodgers teammate Aaron Jones also did heavy lifting for the 2024 Vikings, and he is back on a two-year, $20MM deal.

Minnesota also finished with a top-five defense last season, and during a week in which the team re-signed Byron Murphy and retained Harrison Smith, the Vikes added veteran D-linemen Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. Brett Favre joined a Vikings team that had lost a wild-card game in 2008, albeit with a much worse record than last year’s Minnesota edition; Rodgers may be interested in helping a team to a higher level. Though, the four-time MVP failing to do so in New York — ahead of a Wednesday release — offers a warning sign for the suitors.

Favre took the Vikings to the 2009 NFC championship game, delivering an MVP-caliber season at 40. That ended badly, with a reckless interception stalling a potential game-winning Vikings drive in the NFC championship game. But Favre delivered a strong season at 40, beating Rodgers’ Packers twice. Unretirement No. 3 in 2010 did not go as well, as Favre’s ironman streak ended during a 6-10 Vikes season.

Rodgers is rumored to be interested in playing two more years, which is where a Minnesota decision would become complicated. Unlike in 2009 when they recruited Favre, the Vikings have a young quarterback (J.J. McCarthy) they are planning to build around. The 2009 Vikes had seen three Tarvaris Jackson seasons, as both a starter and backup, by that point. This Vikings regime is high on McCarthy, having centered its 2024 offseason around him before a meniscus tear entrenched Darnold at QB1. Rodgers may not be too keen on serving as a bridge who faces the risk of being benched during his first season with the team.

Chances are, he would not face that reality in Pittsburgh. The Steelers are not in position to grab a starter-level QB in the draft, though one of the QBs off the Cam Ward/Shedeur Sanders tier may rise up draft boards during the pre-draft process. But Rodgers could have a path, even as he will turn 42 in December, to starting throughout for a Steelers team that has a strong defensive nucleus — and one that just acquired D.K. Metcalf to play alongside George Pickens.

The Steelers have made their offer, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reports, adding that money is not believed to be driving this Rodgers delay. The decorated quarterback has not publicly confirmed he even intends to play in 2025, though that has been the expectation for a bit. Although the Steelers are unlikely to essentially hand the keys to Rodgers in the way the Jets did, their hesitation on Russell Wilson does raise the stakes for this particular free agency pursuit.

Wilson looms as a Steelers backup option, but time may be ticking there, too. Wilson is visiting the Browns on Thursday and Giants on Friday. While Wilson has settled in behind Rodgers within the QB free agent hierarchy — to the point the Giants would be unlikely to sign him before they know they are out of the Rodgers derby — he remains a capable starting quarterback who could be a bridge option to a rookie.

The Vikings being in the Rodgers mix as well stands to give the 20-year veteran a good chance to remain a starter in 2025. While Rodgers is well off the 2012 Peyton Manning level in terms of free agency prize, as the all-time great’s free agency decision stalled the NFL that offseason, the Rodgers free agency is slowing the market for at least one quarterback and probably a couple more.

The two teams in this derby who do not land Rodgers figure to place an immediate call to Wilson’s camp. Options tail off soon after. Gardner Minshew is available, and Joe Flacco is interested in playing an age-40 season. The line moves to Jameis Winston, Carson Wentz and Mason Rudolph after. The Falcons continue to hold Kirk Cousins hostage, intent on keeping him for a potential trade market.

Steelers, CB Darius Slay Agree To Deal

March 12th, 2025 at 3:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Darius Slay‘s Steelers agreement is now final. After being rumored to be close to landing the veteran cornerback, Pittsburgh will indeed bring in the two-time Super Bowl starter.

The team is adding Slay on a one-year, $10MM pact, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports. The deal comes fully guaranteed for Slay, who turned 34 shortly before the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX win. Slay will join running back Kenneth Gainwell in changing Pennsylvania addresses this week. Slay will also rejoin ex-Lions DC Teryl Austin in Pittsburgh.

This deal comes minutes after the 2025 league year starting greenlit Slay’s official Philadelphia exit. The Eagles had planned to cut Slay for a bit, but teams cannot designate players as post-June 1 releases until 3pm CT today. The Steelers waited a bit, but they have added a boundary starter opposite Joey Porter Jr. The player who primarily worked in that role last season, Donte Jackson, joined the Chargers this week.

While this transaction will officially end the biannual Darius Slay-Darius Slayton divisional matchup, Slay did well to secure an opportunity quickly at an age when most corners are long retired. The batch of corners that topped this year’s free agent market were in their late 20s, scoring nice third contracts after smartly inking two- or three-year deals previously.

This is Slay’s fourth contract, illustrating the talent the ex-Eagles and Lions defender has displayed. He played two seasons on a three-year, $39MM Eagles accord, but after Philly drafted first- and second-round CBs last year, they bid farewell to Super Bowl LVII starters Slay and James Bradberry.

Bradberry missed all of last season, but Slay was in place as the veteran corner giving the Eagles experience while Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean acclimated. Slay started all 14 games he played last season and logged an 81% snap rate. That was slightly down from his previous seasons, though given Slay’s age and the Eagles’ deep CB depth chart last season, it makes sense. Slay, however, played at least 85% of the Eagles’ defensive snaps in each of their four playoff games — including an 88% Super Bowl LIX rate.

Pittsburgh had given Patrick Peterson a chance to play an age-33 season in 2023; the Steelers will bet on Slay having one more good year in the tank. Slay has planned for 2025 to be his finale. If so, he will work in a familiar system, as the six-time Pro Bowler began his ascent under Austin in Detroit. Austin coached the Lions’ defense from 2014-17; Slay’s issues with the Lions came after Matt Patricia‘s 2018 arrival. Patricia played a central role in the Eagles’ defensive descent in 2023, but Slay had signed off on a reunion. After the Eagles moved back on track with Vic Fangio, Slay reestablished momentum to gain a shot at a rare age-34 CB season.

Steelers, CB Brandin Echols Agree To Deal

March 12th, 2025 at 3:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

After four years with the Jets, Brandin Echols is set to be on the move this offseason. The veteran corner has a deal in place with the Steelers, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports.

Echols joined the Jets as a sixth-rounder in 2021. Over the course of his rookie contract, he racked up 19 starts (including 14 during his rookie campaign). Since that point, he has operated as a rotational defender while handling a notable special teams workload. That will likely remain the case with his newest team.

The Steelers will be working with a new-look cornerbacks group in 2025. They saw Donte Jackson leave for a deal with the Chargers, and Cameron Sutton, C.J. Henderson, and James Pierre all saw their contracts expire, as well. Joey Porter Jr. and Beanie Bishop return as impact players from last year, while Cory Trice returns in support.

The team also signed veteran Darius Slay today, and Slay will likely take over the starting job across from Porter, while Bishop should continue to take the majority of the reps in the slot. Echols spent most of his defensive snaps on the outside, so he’ll likely continue to contribute there behind Porter and Slay.

The Jets have seen Echols joined by D.J. Reed as free agent departures, but they were able to re-sign slot specialist Isaiah Oliver. They have signed former Ravens cornerback Brandon Stephens, who should step into a starting role for New York.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Russell Wilson Still In Play As Fallback Steelers Option; Aaron Rodgers Down To Two Teams?

March 11th, 2025 at 11:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Steelers’ preference entering the negotiating period was to keep Justin Fields in place instead of Russell Wilson. That plan is no longer an option since the former agreed to a two-year Jets deal on Monday.

Wilson is still on the market, and he would obviously be a familiar option after spending the 2024 season as Pittsburgh’s starter (when healthy). The Steelers have become one of the suitors for Aaron Rodgers, however, and a deal could be in place soon. As talks on the Rodgers front continue, Wilson is not out of Pittsburgh’s plans yet.

Should the Rodgers negotiations break down, Wilson resides as a fallback option at this point, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. That might be a humbling position for a playoff team’s primary starter to reside, but Wilson looks to have other options. The Giants and Titans are believed to be interested, though New York is also in on Rodgers, who cannot officially be released until Wednesday afternoon. The Browns are also believed to still be eyeing a veteran, despite their Kenny Pickett acquisition.

A report Monday night indicated a Rodgers-Steelers deal could go down today, and SI.com’s Albert Breer said during a Rich Eisen Show segment the Steelers were fairly confident as of Monday that Rodgers would select them. The Giants remain in the mix, and Breer expects Rodgers to end up in Pittsburgh or to switch locker rooms at MetLife Stadium. The Giants have made their pitch and are indeed waiting on Rodgers’ decision, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes.

Although a weekend report connected the Vikings to Rodgers — in what would be an eerie parallel to the Brett Favre career path — Breer indicates he would be surprised if the future Hall of Famer ends up in Minnesota. That said, Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano does not view the Vikings as out of this mix yet. This situation differs from last year’s Wilson decision and what could happen if the Falcons cut Kirk Cousins, as Rodgers could see a notable salary in 2025. The Broncos were already paying Wilson’s salary, while Cousins’ 2025 money is guaranteed as well.

The Steelers and Vikings are coming off playoff seasons and would be better positioned to complement Rodgers this year; that said, the Giants have been busy in free agency, most notably re-signing Darius Slayton and adding Jevon Holland and Paulson Adebo. While Minnesota has J.J. McCarthy and New York holds the No. 3 overall pick, Pittsburgh may be committed to a full season of Rodgers if he is to sign. The Steelers not holding a pick in the top 20 would stand to give them an advantage for Rodgers, who would not need to look over his shoulder at a prospect — in all likelihood — were he to choose Pittsburgh.

As for Wilson, waiting on Rodgers’ talks with the Steelers may not sit too well. The younger of the two aging options finished two spots higher in QBR (23rd to 25th) last season and piloted the team to the playoffs. The Steelers’ late-season collapse, however, has not reflected well on Wilson, who appears behind Rodgers with the Giants as well.

Decisions should come soon, but Rodgers having this much say in how the QB market plays, at 41 and coming off an underwhelming Jets tenure, is interesting. But teams are still intrigued by the all-time QB talent. He has a clear route to play a 21st season and remain a starter.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post

Steelers, Kenneth Gainwell Finalizing Deal

March 11th, 2025 at 8:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Backing up Miles Sanders, D’Andre Swift and Saquon Barkley, Kenneth Gainwell has waited his turn. The four-year Eagles contributor is set to relocate but without leaving Pennsylvania.

A day after losing Najee Harris to the Chargers, the Steelers are finalizing a deal with Gainwell. The sides have agreed to a one-year deal, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz tweets. Gainwell will be on track to team with Jaylen Warren, whom the Steelers slapped with a second-round RFA tender. Warren is set to make $5.3MM this season; that does not check in too far south of the Harris fifth-year option on which Pittsburgh passed.

The Steelers will be acquiring a running back with fairly low mileage but one that has maintained a second-string role for one of the league’s best rushing attacks. Gainwell has only compiled 280 carries in his four-year career. He holds a career 4.2-yard average and has tallied 721 receiving yards.

No extended stints as a fill-in have transpired for Gainwell, as the Eagles have seen Sanders, Swift and Barkley stay healthy over the past three years. All three parlayed those seasons into new deals, with Barkley’s coming via an Eagles extension. Gainwell has been the constant throughout this period, fending off challengers for the Philly RB2 gig in 2023 and keeping it once Barkley arrived. Gainwell has just four career starts. One of those came in Week 1 of the 2023 season, but after the 2021 fifth-round pick sustained an injury that kept him out of Week 2, Swift took over and never gave back the job.

Pittsburgh certainly could be expected to augment the position further in the draft, as Warren and Gainwell will be due for unrestricted free agency in 2026. For now, a potential Warren-Gainwell partnership has formed. This offseason may bring a big opportunity for Gainwell, who turns 26 later this week. Entering the 2025 season with more than 800 fewer carries than Harris makes this a (likely) low-cost bet on fresher legs bringing upside.

Steelers Moving Close To Deal With Aaron Rodgers?

March 10th, 2025 at 11:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

PFR’s poll pointing to a potential Aaron Rodgers-Steelers fit did not draw a high vote count back in December, but it is starting to look like this could happen. A Rodgers deal with Pittsburgh may be close.

The Steelers could have a deal in place with Rodgers as soon as Tuesday, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports. The future first-ballot Hall of Fame became connected to the Steelers recently, but Florio adds the parties have been in talks for several days — when it became clear Justin Fields would explore free agency.

Pittsburgh still may need to fend off the Giants, who were rumored to prefer Rodgers to Russell Wilson. Despite the Steelers using Wilson as their primary starter last season, it appears they do as well. Although Rodgers will turn 42 before 2025 ends, he is still drawing interest from QB-needy teams.

Rodgers’ desire, per Florio, to play two more seasons factors into his decision-making here. Whereas the Giants are likely to add a first-round quarterback — they are at least in position to do so and have been linked to trading up to No. 1 overall — the Steelers hover outside the top 20 in the draft and are not in a position to nab one of this class’ top two options. As such, the Steelers would be in better position to hold off on a younger passer if they land Rodgers, who has not confirmed he is playing in 2025.

It has been believed Rodgers will come back for a 21st season, and despite an underwhelming Jets tenure, the all-time QB talent has generated a bit of a bidding war — as far as fit goes, at least. The Giants may still be involved here, Florio adds, but the Steelers would stand to give Rodgers a better chance to reach the playoffs in 2025. Baggage aside, Rodgers would provide the Steelers with an upgrade on what they have deployed at QB in recent years — particularly from a passing standpoint. As far as the rest of the Rodgers experience goes, that would be borderline must-see TV when paired with Mike Tomlin.

Despite Rodgers’ antics over the past few years, the Steelers taking this chance does not seem too farfetched based purely on football. Although the four-time MVP has not closely resembled that version in recent years, he finished with 28 touchdown passes compared to 11 interceptions last season. QBR still ranked Rodgers 25th — three spots behind Wilson — last season, when he tied a career-low with 6.7 yards per attempt. After Kenny Pickett and the Wilson-Fields combination did not do enough to complement Pittsburgh’s defense, the team may be close to a gamble — fit-wise — as the T.J. Watt–Cameron Heyward–Minkah Fitzpatrick trio’s primes wane.

Steelers Release DT Larry Ogunjobi, To Sign LB Malik Harrison

March 10th, 2025 at 8:49pm CST by Rory Parks

The Steelers have released defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. Pittsburgh is also making an addition to its front seven by agreeing to sign linebacker Malik Harrison to a two-year, $10MM deal (via Rapoport’s NFL Media colleagues, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo).

Ogunjobi, who is entering his age-31 season, has spent his entire eight-year career in the AFC North. A third-round pick of the Browns in 2017, the Charlotte alum finished out his four-year rookie pact in Cleveland before joining the Bengals on a one-year accord in 2021. He produced a career-high seven sacks that season, and it initially looked as if he would parlay that statistical success into a three-year, $40.5MM contract with the Bears.

Unfortunately, a foot injury suffered in a playoff game with Cincinnati caused enough lingering issues to compel the Bears to nix the deal, and Ogunjobi ultimately landed with Pittsburgh on a one-year, $8MM pact. He signed a three-year, $28.75MM contract with the Steelers the following offseason, though he will not see the final year of the deal. By releasing Ogunjobi now, Pittsburgh will avoid paying out a $3MM roster bonus due on March 15 and his $4MM base salary for 2025. In all, the club willl save $7MM against the cap and will take on a $3.5MM dead money hit.

Ogunjobi has never been an advanced metrics darling, but the 48.3 overall grade he received from Pro Football Focus for his 2024 work was especially low and positioned him as the 94th-best interior DL out of 118 qualifiers. Still, with 108 starts to his name, he should be able to find a new employer seeking an established interior presence. The Steelers, who will again rely on soon-to-be 36-year-old Cameron Heyward to anchor their defensive front, will surely be on the lookout for DL help early in the draft.

The Steelers got to see Harrison more frequently than most during his first five seasons in the league. The former Ravens draftee functioned primarily as a rotational defender during his Baltimore tenure, though he did see a career-high 38% defensive snap share in 2024. Much of that work came in the latter half of the season, as Baltimore pivoted to Harrison to replace the struggling Trenton Simpson as Roquan Smith‘s primary running mate.

This is the second offseason in a row in which Pittsburgh has poached a free agent linebacker from its longtime rival. The club signed Patrick Queen last year, and now Harrison will likely operate behind Queen and 2024 third-rounder Payton Wilson. Having earned over 300 special teams snaps in each of his five pro seasons, he will likely be asked to take on a meaningful third phase role as well.

Chargers Pursuing RB Najee Harris

March 10th, 2025 at 6:46pm CST by Rory Parks

The Chargers are pursuing free agent running back Najee Harris, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Earlier today, The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson reported that Harris had been saying goodbye to some of his Steelers teammates, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler subsequently noted the Bolts could have interest.

Harris is more of a grinder than explosive talent, but he is about as consistent as it gets at the position. The 2021 first-rounder has played through injuries to start every game in his four-year career. After a 1,200-yard rookie season, Harris finished with 1,034, 1,035 and 1,043 over the next three. Next Gen Stats has not viewed him as an efficient ball-carrier, however, ranking him in the bottom third in rush yards over expected in 2024 and second-to-last in 2022. A finish in the top third of this metric did transpire in 2023, perhaps marking one of Harris’ few inconsistencies in a career that has also featured between six and eight rushing TDs each season.

Los Angeles is certainly in need at the running back position, as the club released Gus Edwards several days ago and could lose J.K. Dobbins to free agency. While Harris has established himself as a high-floor, low-ceiling type of player, Chargers offensive coordinator and run game guru Greg Roman — who is plenty familiar with Harris after having operated as the Ravens’ OC for the first two years of the RB’s career — may be able to help him find another level.

Even if that does not come to pass, there is plenty of value in having a steady, durable ball carrier near the top of the depth chart. Plus, regardless of whether the Chargers can push a Harris deal across the finish line, the team could certainly seek another addition in a draft lauded for its RB talent.

The Steelers will likewise be on the lookout for RB help. While Pittsburgh has retained Harris’ more dyamic running mate, Jaylen Warren, via the second-round RFA tender, the cupboard is largely bare beyond that (save for the change-of-pace looks that Cordarrelle Patterson can provide). The need for rushing talent will be heightened if the team fills its quarterback position with the 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers, whose running ability will not make anyone forget Justin Fields.

Steelers, Giants In On Aaron Rodgers; Latest On Russell Wilson Market

March 10th, 2025 at 5:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Seeing Justin Fields prefer to test his market rather than re-sign with the Steelers before free agency, Pittsburgh viewed it as necessary to enter talks with outside QB options. Although one target (Sam Darnold) is off the board, a much bigger name remains.

The Steelers are indeed in talks with Aaron Rodgers, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac and Ray Fittipaldo. They might have a real chance to add the future first-ballot Hall of Famer. Although the Giants are believed to be eyeing Rodgers as their preferred bridge option, SNY’s Connor Hughes indicates some around the league expect Rodgers to end up in Pittsburgh.

The Giants are waiting to see if Rodgers is truly interested in staying in New York, Hughes adds. If Rodgers proves elusive for the Giants, Hughes adds they are still interested in Russell Wilson. Though, a handful of other teams are as well. While the Jets, Raiders and Seahawks checked the veteran QB box off their respective to-do lists, the Titans and Browns join the Giants and Steelers in pursuit of at least a bridge option. Cleveland’s Kenny Pickett acquisition may not represent the team’s true veteran option.

Tennessee is interested in Wilson as well, Hughes reports. The team was believed to be showing interest in Darnold before free agency, but a price ceiling — one that checked in south of where Seattle ended up going — came into play regarding that push. Wilson would profile as a stopgap for a Titans team that is not certain to exit Round 1 with a passer. Though, Tennessee would have the right of first refusal here due to holding the No. 1 pick.

As it stands, the Steelers do not appear interested in re-signing Wilson, per Dulac and Fittipaldo. The QB impressed at points but clashed with Arthur Smith during a season that ended with a five-game skid. The Steelers had been in talks with Wilson, but after so much noise came out about a Fields re-signing, the veteran may look elsewhere as well. Though, the Post-Gazette cautions Wilson could be back in play depending on where things settle. He does not look like the Steelers’ preferred option. It remains to be seen how serious the Steelers are about adding Rodgers. A few dominoes remain on the QB market as the legal tampering period rolls on.

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