Even in the post-Tom Brady era, the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to have a hard time keeping up with the New England Patriots. In 2025, the Patriots earned a remarkable 14-3 record in addition to earning three playoff wins and a Super Bowl appearance.
Unfortunately, it's not about to get any better for Pittsburgh.
On Monday, New England traded with the Philadelphia Eagles for three-time Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Brown. This move was a long time coming, as the Pats and Eagles have been in trade talks for Brown since the 2025 season, with more concrete framework building in March of this year.
The trade didn't come without a cost. In exchange for Brown, the Patriots surrendered a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick to land the star receiver.
But this AFC powerhouse just got more powerful, and it's just another obstacle standing in the Steelers' way.
The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to stay one step behind the top AFC competition
Brown is still just 28 years old and should have several more good years left in the tank. Though he hasn't been the same player he was at the peak of his career in 2023 and 2024, when he was earning over 1,400 yards per season, Brown has still earned over 1,000 yards in four straight years and has averaged 1,147 yards per season over his NFL career.
Brown joins ascending third-year quarterback Drake Maye, who finished second in MVP voting this past season. Giving Maye a lethal threat in the passing game will only help his development curve.
While the Steelers got better in their own right by adding weapons like Michael Pittman Jr. and Germie Bernard, they can't seem to get a leg up on the competition. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh underwent significant coaching and roster turnover this season.
Last offseason, Steelers general manager Omar Khan made a blockbuster trade move for Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (who was teammates with A.J. Brown in college at Ole Miss). Unfortunately, Metcalf disappointed. The veteran had the least productive season of his NFL career—earning just 59 receptions for 850 yards and six touchdowns.
The good news is that it's hardly reasonable to expect the Patriots to be a 14-win team again in 2026, even with the trade acquisition of Brown. New England seems destined to take a step back (though they will likely still be competing for a playoff spot).
As if it wasn't already looking hard enough to get past the Ravens and Bengals in the AFC North with a healthy Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow this year, now the Pittsburgh Steelers have to worry about the New England Patriots staying atop the conference after the A.J. Brown trade.
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