The new league year is about to begin for the NFL, and the Steelers are eagerly waiting to confirm some major free-agent additions. With an ample amount of cap space, this team should be looking for some of the more notable names in this market.
The expectations from the fans, while varying, seem to land on some consistent themes. This team should be targeting some bigger names at cornerback and receiver, while they can certainly fill in the depth at a wide variety of other spots.
No matter what, it should be an exciting couple of weeks for the Steelers.
Bold predictions are hard for free agency. Most players are glorified dart throws in terms of who the team will target, but I could see some surprising changes from what many fans are considering the status quo. Here are three bold predictions for the Steelers ahead of free agency.
Pittsburgh Steelers bold predictions for free agency
1. Steelers add a notable veteran free agent running back
While I am all aboard the Jaylen Warren train and believe this team should be building around him as their primary back, this team needs to have some names to mix in behind him. There is the expectation that the Steelers will draft someone, but I think, in addition to that, the team will add a viable veteran in free agency.
No, they won’t spend money on the top names like Najee Harris, Aaron Jones, or JK Dobbins (nor should they), but that second wave has some interesting names. I’ve circled Javonte Williams for the longest time as a potential fit.
Beyond him, you could see a name like Nick Chubb or Kareem Hunt brought in to provide stability to the room. They could even do their homework on recent cap casualties like Raheem Mostert or Jamaal Williams. These names won’t be top of the market, but they also will cost more than the minimum.
It makes sense to add some cheap insurance. You have the money to do it, and Warren does his best work in a rotation. Even if he sees an uptick in snaps, having capable names to carry half the burden makes sense. You can (and should) still draft a running back, but I won’t be shocked to see a mid-tier running back signing.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers break the bank for a cornerback
The Steelers do things a particular way, and they always have. Even when a free agent is added, it usually doesn’t disturb the hierarchy of the current salaries. The team prefers to pay free agents less than their current stars.
Take Patrick Queen last year. He broke the Steelers record for the largest free-agent contract in Steelers history, but he still came in below some of the most notable names on the team’s salaries.
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Patrick Queen now makes up the bottom of this tier with a $13.67 million salary. Cameron Heyward is just above him at $14.5. With the Steelers being linked to top veteran cornerbacks like D.J. Reed, Charvarius Ward, or Carlton Davis, that precedent will have to change.
At a minimum, $14 million a season seems like the floor for any of those names, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see each of these players eclipse $15 million a year on the open market. That would certainly move ahead of Queen, and it could even go above Heyward’s number.
Given the ample cap space, this team finally changes this standard and adds an outside free agent above some of their current stalwarts. It is a minor note with a potential ripple effect on how this team does deals.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers don’t land a top receiver
The linked names seem endless, but there is a firm expectation that the Steelers will add a top free-agent receiver to compliment George Pickens. As this process has gone along, I have become less convinced that this team makes a major splash at receiver.
For starters, the Arthur Smith offense doesn’t rely heavily on a second receiver. Of course, you need someone to compliment your star in Pickens, and you want better depth in case he is injured, but you don’t need multiple superstars in an offense like this.
It is hard to justify spending top money on a second receiver who won’t make a major impact in 2025. That doesn’t mean they won’t add a receiver; they almost certainly will, but it will likely be a less notable name that lacks the star power you and I may want in a free-agent addition.
I think the top name for the team is Darius Slayton, considering his standing as a prototypical second receiver. After that, Josh Palmer makes a lot of sense, as could Tyler Lockett. Just don’t be shocked when the free-agent prize isn’t one of the top names on the market.