Pittsburgh Steelers News & Rumors

Steelers Receiving T.J. Watt Trade Interest; Extension Remains Goal

June 30th, 2025 at 10:12pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Steelers’ willingness to trade one star defender could inspire attempts to acquire T.J. Watt amid his contract standoff with the team.

Multiple teams have been exploring trading for Watt since he skipped Pittsburgh’s mandatory minicamp earlier this month, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who added that “sources believe outside team interest is likely to increase given today’s trade.” Schefter also noted that “Pittsburgh hasn’t shown any willingness to deal Watt so far,” and 10 minutes later, that was confirmed by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

“The Steelers have no intention of trading star pass rusher T.J. Watt and their focus remains on extending Watt’s contract, per sources,” wrote Pelissero. That aligns with virtually every other report regarding the situation, which have expressed confidence that the two sides will come to an agreement before the season.

It is easy to see why the Steelers want to hold onto Watt, who ranks second in the NFL with 30.5 sacks since 2023. All of the team’s offseason moves, especially their signing of Aaron Rodgers, indicates their intention to try to compete in 2025, but dealing Watt would be a critical blow to their pass rush.

However, the Steelers are planning to draft a quarterback early in the 2026 draft, which could be part of a broader organizational reset. The team’s success under Mike Tomlin has consistently positioned their top pick in the back half of the first round, making it difficult to acquire a top quarterback prospect. A sizable offer for Watt could draw Pittsburgh’s attention if they believe it will help them land a franchise signal-caller in 2026.

A number of edge rushers have been traded in the last few years, but none have merited a first-round pick (or equivalent value) since the Broncos dealt Bradley Chubb in 2022. The Steelers should be able to get at least as much for Watt, even considering his contract demands, based on his age and the Hall of Fame-caliber resume he has compiled. But they seem to have little desire to hear such offers until and unless they have exhausted every possible path for an extension.

Jalen Ramsey Could See Hybrid Role In Pittsburgh

June 30th, 2025 at 9:08pm CST by Ely Allen

In the aftermath of today’s headlining trade, many questions arose concerning the ramifications of the roster changes. Namely, a big one of these questions was centered around the idea of, now that the Steelers have brought in some cornerback help, how do they address the new hole at safety? The answer to that question could come in a couple different forms.

The simplest answer is the most obvious one: next man up. Earlier in the offseason, Pittsburgh signed Juan Thornhill to serve in a third safety role behind Minkah Fitzpatrick and DeShon Elliott. It was a role that Damontae Kazee filled in 2024, but Kazee was not re-signed after his contract expired. The team could just count on Thornhill, who has started 74 of 87 game appearances in his six-year career, to step up next to Elliott, but Pittsburgh may have other ideas.

Jalen Ramsey has been an outstanding outside cornerback throughout his professional career, playing about 80 percent of his NFL snaps at the position, but he’s excelled elsewhere in the past. As one of the top recruits in Florida State’s 2013 signing class, Ramsey played a big role for a true freshman as one of the school’s two starting safeties. The following year Ramsey led the Seminoles defense with most of his snaps coming in the slot. In his final collegiate season, Ramsey played most of his defensive snaps at outside cornerback.

He stayed at outside corner for most of his NFL career, starting in Jacksonville. After a move to Los Angeles, the Rams decided to start giving him some more work in the slot in his sixth NFL season. In the slot, his coverage abilities allowed him to stay with receivers on the inside, but his size allowed him to cover tight ends and stop the run. His versatile usage in college prepared him perfectly for that role, and it resulted in All-Pro honors and a Super Bowl.

ESPN’s Ben Solak speculates that a full-time move to “safety might maximize Ramsey’s remaining athleticism and football intelligence.” Mark Kaboly from The Pat McAfee Show speculates that the Steelers may see more value in Ramsey’s versatility and use him in a hybrid role that sees him playing at outside corner, nickelback, and safety. NFL Insider Josina Anderson went even further, asserting that, barring the future addition of another a true free safety, Pittsburgh could field a base defense with three cornerbacks and one safety on the field.

Where most teams’ base defense would feature two of each position with an additional cornerback coming onto the field in packages that require more defensive backs, Anderson believes that the Steelers could field a secondary with Darius Slay and Joey Porter Jr. at cornerback, Elliott at strong safety, and Ramsey at free, until they need to run with five in the secondary, in which case Ramsey would shift up into the nickel or outside cornerback role, allowing Thornhill to come in at safety. Or, perhaps, Ramsey stays at safety, and the fifth defensive back is last year’s primary nickelback, Beanie Bishop.

There are many possible solutions to this equation. Adding Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith to the roster certainly made the team better, albeit a bit older and more expensive. Pittsburgh has had a busy offseason buying several new (used) toys from Aaron Rodgers to DK Metcalf to Robert Woods to Slay and Ramsey. Now it’s up to the league’s longest-tenured head coach to make sure all his new toys play well together.

Aaron Rodgers Cites D.K. Metcalf As A Reason For Joining Steelers; FA Tyler Boyd Would Welcome Pittsbugh Deal

June 29th, 2025 at 10:19pm CST by Rory Parks

Although he may not have had much by way of realistic landing spots in 2025, new Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers still had to think highly enough of the situation in Pittsburgh to join the team and put off retirement for one more year. Having previously cited head coach Mike Tomlin as a factor in his decision, Rodgers also pointed to another new Steeler, trade acquisition D.K. Metcalf.

Rodgers, 41, said Metcalf is a “big part of the reason” he joined the Steelers (via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor). He went on to say Metcalf is “a really solid human being.”

The Steelers’ decision to trade former WR1 George Pickens after acquiring and extending Metcalf is in keeping with their modus operandi, as Pickens is entering his walk year, and Pittsburgh does not make a habit of rostering two wideouts on top-dollar deals. That said, the club was also wary of pairing Pickens and his history of maturity issues with the notoriously prickly Rodgers, a concern that may have helped grease the trade wheels.

By contrast, the throwing sessions that Rodgers and Metcalf had this offseason – before Rodgers officially joined the team – apparently helped sell the future Hall of Fame signal-caller on his new top target. Still, losing a talent like Pickens is a big blow to Pittsburgh’s offense, so the team is reportedly continuing to seek a veteran wideout despite having added Robert Woods in late April.

Pro Bowl stalwarts like Keenan Allen and Amari Cooper remain on the market and thus have been connected to Pittsburgh, at least speculatively. While finances are likely not a major factor in the Steelers’ calculus at this point since they have roughly $19MM in cap room, a less expensive option like Tyler Boyd may also make sense.

Boyd, 30, spent the first eight years of his career as a key part of the Bengals’ passing attack and topped 1,000 receiving yards in the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Even in his last season in Cincinnati in 2023, Boyd saw 98 targets. However, the team’s decision to use the franchise tag on Tee Higgins and the specter of a record-setting extension for Ja’Marr Chase led Boyd out of the Queen City last offseason.

The Pittsburgh native and University of Pittsburgh product was interested in joining his hometown Steelers in 2024, and the interest was reportedly mutual. But the parties could not find common ground on contract terms, so Boyd ultimately inked a one-year deal with the Titans.

As Tennessee slogged through a forgettable year with second-year passer Will Levis and veteran Mason Rudolph (now back with Pittsburgh) at the controls, Boyd put up an underwhelming stat line. Excluding the 2017 campaign, in which he appeared in just 10 games, Boyd tied or set career lows with 57 targets, 39 catches, 390 receiving yards, and a 10.0 yards-per-catch rate. He also failed to find the endzone for the first time in his career.

Of course, he had done much better with different quarterback situations, and he represents an intriguing buy-low candidate for teams in need of receiving help. For the second year in a row, he is hoping to head home to western Pennsylvania.

At this youth camp on Saturday, Boyd was asked by Pittsburgh Sports Now if he would like to sign with the Steelers.

“Absolutely,” he said (via Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports; h/t Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). “You know, all my family is here. I’d be able to have the majority of them be able to support me.”

Like many players, Boyd has a fondness for Tomlin.

“I’m real cool with Tomlin,” he added. “He’s always been a good person. … When I was at Pitt, we had a good relationship. After practice, I’d walk over there, talk to [Antonio Brown] and those guys, talk to Tomlin, and he’d just pick at different things, where I could get better and get some guidance. I think we had a great friendship.”

There have been no public reports of interest in Boyd’s services in 2025. It remains to be seen if the Steelers will reciprocate his interest this time around.

Steelers Likely Out On CB Jalen Ramsey

June 29th, 2025 at 5:30pm CST by Ely Allen

Speculation continues as the Dolphins work to trade veteran cornerback Jalen Ramsey. In an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network claimed that he doesn’t believe Pittsburgh is a trade destination for the three-time All-Pro.

Since 2022, the Steelers secondary has been uncharacteristically average, while last year saw them become even less characteristically porous, as they finished the season having given up the eighth-most passing yards in the NFL. Safeties Minkah Fitzpatrick and DeShon Elliott are reliable veterans in the defensive backfield, but the team’s cornerbacks had a disappointing showing in 2024.

The Steelers exchanged veterans in free agency, watching Donte Jackson walk while signing Darius Slay to a one-year, $10MM deal. Slay instantly becomes the best cornerback on the roster, though at 34 years old, there’s always a chance that this is the year his effectiveness begins to dip. Slay should start across from Joey Porter Jr., who saw a bit of decline in his sophomore campaign. Porter allowed completions on nearly 63 percent of the passes in which he was the primary defender, and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded him as the 99th-best cornerback in the league out of 116 graded players.

The next two cornerbacks on the depth chart are James Pierre and Cory Trice, who both graded out better than Porter in 2024, but neither player played in more that 16 percent of the team’s defensive snaps last year. While Beanie Bishop and Cameron Sutton are also available, they play almost exclusively in the slot for Pittsburgh. Plus, PFF wasn’t too kind to them either.

With this all in mind, it would make perfect sense for the Steelers to inquire about acquiring Ramsey, like they did with Fitzpatrick six years ago. But Rapoport made it clear to McAfee and company that that’s not a likely scenario. Instead, he continues to push the narrative that a return to the Rams makes “the most sense” for Ramsey. Rapoport posits that the money involved in this deal is the thing that has consistently been keeping it from getting done.

Pittsburgh, though, will move forward with its current group. The team will hope to see developed improvement from young impact players like Porter and Bishop, while also hoping that this year’s veteran, Slay, can help foster more success in the position room.

Contract Details: Metcalf, Chubb, Joseph

June 28th, 2025 at 12:56pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

D.K. Metcalf‘s four-year, $132MM extension with the Steelers is “really a two-year commitment,” according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano.

The 27-year-old’s deal only includes $60MM in guaranteed money, made up of a $30MM signing bonus and $30MM in guaranteed salary over the next two years, per OverTheCap. After 2026, he has no guaranteed money with his financial security instead tied to roster bonuses – $6.5MM in 2027 and $5M in 2028 and 2029 – all due on the third day of the league year. That will force the Steelers to make a decision on Metcalf’s future early in the offseason for the last three years of his deal.

The earliest potential split will be the 2027 offseason. The Steelers can release Metcalf before his roster bonus is due with just $18MM of his signing bonus prorations as dead money. As a result, Metcalf will have to produce in Pittsburgh, and he seems to know it. The star wide receiver added a smiley face to his signature on the page of his contract including the 2027 roster bonus language (and only that page), per Graziano.

Here are a few other contract updates from around the league.

Nick Chubb‘s deal with the Texans includes $1.5MM in guarantees, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, with a $575k signing bonus and $925k in guaranteed salary. The veteran running back can earn another $425k in per-game roster bonuses over the course of the season with $25k available for each appearance.
Lions safety Kerby Joseph received fully guaranteed money into the third year of his recent contract extension. $1.26MM of his 2027 salary is fully guaranteed at signing, per Graziano. The contract also includes more guaranteed money that vests early in the 2026 and 2027 league years, according to OverTheCap.
The Seahawks once again made Michael Dickson the highest-paid punter in the NFL with a base value of $16.2MM over four years, or $4.05MM per year. The deal also includes $10.2MM in guaranteed money, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson, with a maximum value of $16.7MM.

Steelers Planning 2026 First-Round QB Investment

June 26th, 2025 at 10:11pm CST by Adam La Rose

Earlier this offseason, Steelers owner Art Rooney II made it clear the team would prioritize selecting a quarterback early in the 2025 or ’26 draft. GM Omar Khan and Co. then waited until the sixth-round to add a passer (Will Howard) in April while awaiting a commitment on the part of Aaron Rodgers.

In time for minicamp, Rodgers did indeed ink a one-year deal with the Steelers. The future Hall of Famer views the coming campaign as his last in the NFL, so the team will once again be on the lookout for a new starter next year. It would come as no surprise if the draft was used as a means of filling that vacancy.

Indeed, Mark Kaboly of the Pat McAfee Show notes the Steelers still plan on using their first-round pick in 2026 on a signal-caller. Plenty of time remains for things to change on that front, but a Rodgers retirement would leave Pittsburgh with Howard and Mason Rudolph in place. The latter has been viewed as a backup through much of his Steelers tenure, and upon reuniting with the team in March he was informed of Pittsburgh’s intentions regarding a starting-caliber addition.

Howard’s rookie contract runs through 2028, while Rudolph’s second Steelers stint came about as a result of the two-year deal he signed this spring. Both passers represent reasonable backup options for this season and the next, but free agency and/or the trade market will present opportunities for a veteran QB1 move. Pittsburgh was among the teams interested in Matthew Stafford earlier this offseason and – until it became clear a Rodgers deal was set to take place – Kirk Cousins.

A short-term veteran acquisition could certainly be feasible depending on how the quarterback landscape takes shape next spring. Still, adding a QB via the draft could set the Steelers up for long-term stability and thus provide them with a true Ben Roethlisberger successor. Rodgers is set to become the seventh different Pittsburgh starter since Roethlisberger’s retirement, and even raising the team’s floor on offense in a one-and-done campaign would still leave the need for an eighth in 2026.

Pittsburgh will host next year’s draft, and the possibility of a new starting quarterback being selected would certainly add intrigue regarding the Steelers’ approach to the event. Over the course of the coming campaign, it will be interesting to see if the team’s plans deviate.

Steelers’ Aaron Rodgers Expects To Retire After 2025 Season

June 24th, 2025 at 9:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

Retirement was floated as an option for much of the 2025 offseason in Aaron Rodgers‘ case. The future Hall of Famer will suit up for the Steelers this year, but it would come as a surprise if he did so in Pittsburgh or anywhere else after that.

During his latest appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers said he is “pretty sure” 2025 will be his final NFL season (video link). At the age of 41, he expectedly took a one-year pact earlier this month to take over starting duties with the Steelers. Today’s remarks all-but confirm the third chapter of his career will be a one-and-done endeavor.

“It’s been a long run and I’ve enjoyed it,” Rodgers added. “What better place to finish than in one of the cornerstone franchises of the NFL?”

2025 will mark Rodgers’ 21st season in the NFL and his 18th as a starting quarterback. A four-time MVP during his Packers tenure, things did not go according to plan upon being traded to the Jets. Rodgers suffered an Achilles tear four snaps into his New York debut, and a comeback attempt proved unnecessary with the team out of postseason contention in December. 2024 brought about a full slate of games, although he struggled with a number of ailments while only managing a partial return to his previous form.

Not long after the replacements for the Robert Saleh-Joe Douglas regime arrived, the decision was made to proceed with a Rodgers release. Conversations between team and player on that front did not result in an amicable parting of ways, but if left Rodgers free to contemplate his next opportunity. The Super Bowl winner spoke with the Giants and Vikings while also giving thought to ending his career. In the end, though, connections with the Steelers resulted in a visit and a long-running expectation a deal would be worked out. Pittsburgh remained patient, waiting until after the draft concluded and OTAs took place to finalize his pact.

As a result, Rodgers will become the Steelers’ seventh different signal-caller to start a game since Ben Roethlisberger retired. The team’s efforts to find a genuine successor have not yielded much in the way of success, and the Rodgers investment is of course a short-term bid to elevate Pittsburgh’s ceiling on offense. Even if this latest move works out well, a new long-term investment will be needed at the position next spring.

The Steelers reunited with Mason Rudolph in free agency, but he was informed at the time a starting-caliber addition was still being sought out. With no agreement being reached to keep 2024 passers Justin Fields or Russell Wilson in the fold, an outside addition proved necessary. Other veterans – such as Matthew Stafford – were higher on Pittsburgh’s priority list, but as expected he worked out a new Rams arrangement. Rodgers thus represented one of the preferable options regarding a one-year experiment.

The 10-time Pro Bowler is now three years removed from his most recent MVP campaign, and mobility will be an obvious area of concern for his debut Pittsburgh season. A healthy run of games could provide the Steelers with the chance to end their drought regarding playoff wins, though. Regardless of how things play out, a retirement announcement following the 2025 season is even likelier now than it already was.

Steelers Were Wary Of Aaron Rodgers/George Pickens Pairing

June 23rd, 2025 at 8:56pm CST by Ben Levine

When George Pickens was dealt to the Cowboys last month, reporters cited a number of reasons for the move. Primarily, the trade was attributed to finances, as the Steelers neither had the budget nor the willingness to extend the receiver (especially following the acquisition of high-priced WR D.K. Metcalf). We also heard stories of Pickens’ lack of maturity, a common theme throughout the wideout’s career.

While the Steelers were still a month away from settling their QB situation, the team’s expected acquisition of Aaron Rodgers may have had an influence on the front office’s thinking. As ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes, the Steelers were wary that Pickens and the veteran QB “probably would not hit it off.”

While Rodgers has traditionally iced out younger receivers, he still clearly values high-impact targets. It’s also not completely unfounded that the future Hall of Famer may not mesh with a top WR. Even before Rodgers’ ouster in New York, there were rumblings of tension with Garrett Wilson, and the relationship didn’t get any better when Davante Adams started stealing targets.

While Pickens’ surely could have embraced some QB consistency, the Steelers clearly didn’t want to take any chances, especially since the WR clashed with past QBs. In fact, Pickens had made it known that he strongly preferred Russell Wilson remain in place as a starter, an option that clearly wasn’t prioritized by Pittsburgh’s decision makers. With Metcalf on the books and Robert Woods also joining the depth chart, the Steelers felt comfortable enough moving on from the former second-round pick.

Pickens’ anticipated/hypothetical issues with Rodgers is yet another public anecdote that puts a spotlight on the player’s maturity (or lack thereof). Even if the Steelers weren’t going after the veteran QB, it seemed like Pickens’ stint in Pittsburgh was likely coming to an end. We heard that multiple Steelers players became “fed up” with the WR over his three years in Pittsburgh, with several of these players believing it’d be “counterproductive” to keep him around.

Of course, there was also the financial aspect, as Pickens is entering the final season of his rookie contract. Metcalf is on a lucrative deal that could last through the 2029 season, and that Steelers/Seahawks trade all but ended Pickens’ chances of earning a Steelers extension. While Pittsburgh could have kept the WR around during a prove-it season, the team ultimately decided to bail early.

Most likely, it was a combination of all these factors that resulted in Pickens’ departure. Still, it’s interesting that the Steelers front office was considering the WR’s fit with Rodgers…even before the QB inked his deal.

NFL Minor Transactions: 6/23/25

June 23rd, 2025 at 8:04pm CST by Ben Levine

One minor move to pass along:

Pittsburgh Steelers

To sign: LS Tucker Addington

The Steelers are adding a veteran long snapper to their roster in Tucker Addington, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. This will represent the 27-year-old’s seventh NFL stop (not including multiple stints with one team), and he’s managed to get into 10 regular-season contests since 2022. This includes a 2024 campaign when he got into four total games with the Patriots and Dolphins.

Addington inked a reserve/futures deal with the Texans this offseason, but now he’ll have a chance to compete for a roster spot in Pittsburgh. The team still has Christian Kuntz atop the depth chart, but the team’s recent auditions at the position indicate they may be pursuing a preseason battle.

OL Jesse Davis Announces Retirement

June 23rd, 2025 at 5:01pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Former Dolphins offensive lineman Jesse Davis announced his retirement from the NFL in an Instagram post (via Pro Football Talk’s Charean Williams).

Davis put together an impressive career for an undrafted player, appearing in 95 games with 72 starts across his seven NFL seasons. He logged multiple starts at every offensive line position except center in his career, though he primarily lined up at right guard and right tackle in Miami. That versatility allowed the Dolphins to move him around their offensive line as needed to weather injuries.

Davis played college football at the University of Idaho and was not selected in the 2015 NFL Draft. He did not make a regular-season roster until he signed with the Dolphins and emerged as a starter in 2017. He played a rotational role at the beginning of the season before taking over a starting job – first at left guard, then at right tackle – before settling in at right guard for the last six games of the season, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Davis retained his starting gig into 2018 and started the entire season at left guard, earning a three-year, $15MM extension in September 2019. He started at both left and right tackle over the next two years before returning to right guard to finish the 2020 season. Davis moved around once again in 2021, starting 14 games at right tackle and two at left guard.

The Dolphins released Davis after the 2021 season, and he didn’t play another regular-season snap on offense for the rest of his career. He appeared in 14 games for the Steelers in 2022 and one for the 49ers in 2023 but only saw the field for special teams work. Davis retires with career earnings of $16.4MM, per OverTheCap.

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