The Pittsburgh Steelers, if nothing else, are at least attempting to field a winning team. Given the overall roster limitations, though, this team feels like another 10-7, one-and-done squad, as fans have been accustomed to seeing.
Ideally, the Steelers somehow figure out how to develop one of Will Howard or Drew Allar in 2026 while Aaron Rodgers starts. General Manager Omar Khan worked to improve the supporting cast for Rodgers for what appears to be one final ride in 2026.
Two notable additions came at wide receiver, with Germie Bernard in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, and a trade for a former Indianapolis Colts pass-catcher...
The Pittsburgh Steelers new addition is dubbed a breakout candidate for 2026
For CBS Sports, Tyler Sullivan dubbed Michael Pittman Jr. a potential under-the-radar breakout candidate for the team in 2026
"Did you even remember that Michael Pittman Jr. was traded to Pittsburgh? With all the big trades that have gone down, the Steelers landing Pittman has certainly flown under the radar. The veteran pass catcher gives Pittsburgh the secondary receiver option that they've been starved for, even after trading for D.K. Metcalf last offseason.
In 2025, Metcalf led the Steelers with 850 receiving yards, while the next most-productive wide receiver was Calvin Austin III with 372 receiving yards. Pittman now gives them a solid go-to option opposite Metcalf, hauling in 80 passes for 784 yards and seven touchdowns last season in Indianapolis. He could be a difference-maker in what is slated to be Aaron Rodgers' final season."
This would be quite the development in the room, and it would make Khan look like a total genius. Pittman was traded by the Colts for a sixth-round pick, so the move didn't cost the team much of anything. Indy clearly made the move due to financial constraints, and it's not like Pittman was a throwaway player—he's a productive receiver and could fit perfectly into this room.
Through six years, Pittman has amassed 485 receptions for 5,254 yards and 25 touchdowns. He finished with 784 yards in 2025, but did so with a career-high seven touchdowns. He has two 1,000-yard seasons in his career and has not been below that 784-yard total since his second year in the NFL.
Diving deeper, Pittman has caught 68.4 percent of his career targets, and, according to Pro Football Reference, had a 93.8 career passer rating when targeted. Not quite the athlete or as big as DK Metcalf, Pittman does bring high-end value as a WR2.
Very much a possession-type receiver with solid physical traits, Pittman pairs up with Metcalf to form one of the more physically imposing duos in the NFL. It's very likely that Metcalf would continue seeing matchups from opposing CB1s, which, logically, would mean that Pittman sees matchups against a CB2.
Adding Bernard into the mix, who can be a functional slot receiver, and suddenly, the Steelers have a well-rounded room. Reliable is a good word to describe Pittman, and he's now sharing a room with two other receivers who could help him flourish with his one-on-one matchups.
It really isn't a stretch to think that Pittman, who is only set to play in his age-29 season in 2026, could reach that 1,000-yard mark in 2026. With Rodgers being in his last year and also being reunited with Mike McCarthy, that duo could have even more motivation to go out with a bang.
Sure, that might not necessarily mean much of anything, but Rodgers and McCarthy enjoyed a ton of high-end success together in Green Bay, so there's reason to believe reuniting in Pittsburgh could help those two turn back the clock.
Pittman could quickly find a legitimate role in the offense as the go-to third-down target, and while secondaries already have their hands full with Metcalf and Bernard in the slot, Pittman could turn into a catalyst for that unit in 2026.
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