Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan got a new contract on the heels of one of his busiest offseasons yet. The Steelers replaced their leading passer, rusher, receiver, and one of the biggest leaders on the defense this offseason with veterans who know how to win.
How quickly those new veterans mesh remains to be seen. There’s equal room for excitement and scepticism in the Steel City. Regardless of which side you take within the fanbase, though, it’s tough to dismiss the effort to do something completely different in Pittsburgh after years of mediocrity.
Khan may not be done yet, since the Steelers could still use a legitimate No. 2 wideout. But the moves he has made so far in 2025 are ranked below.
Ranking the Pittsburgh Steelers' best additions during the 2025 offseason
8. Running Back Kenneth Gainwell
It wouldn’t surprise me if some Steelers fans have forgotten about Kenneth Gainwell after all of the craziness this offseason has offered. Nonetheless, Gainwell is an exciting addition to the backfield who ought to carve out a role in the offense.
He’s coming off of his least productive season in Philadelphia, but he’s a tougher runner than his 5-foot-9, 200-pound frame would indicate. Whether he’s rotating in or stepping in on a short-term basis, Gainwell is a guy who can contribute to the Steelers' offense confidently, as he averages a first down every four touches.
7. Defensive Back Darius Slay
Two years ago, this would have been a much more exciting addition instead of Patrick Peterson. It was also a lot more exciting before Jalen Ramsey was brought into the fold.
Still, Slay was a cornerstone in the Eagles' locker room for five seasons and helped them reach two Super Bowls. At 34 years old, he’ll mentor Joey Porter Jr., though what his exact role will be with Ramsey in town is still unclear.
His 2024 season was his quietest yet, the first in his career since his rookie season to end without an interception. However, he only allowed 54% of passes in his area to be completed while giving up just two touchdowns. Both of those metrics outperform his averages during his time in Philly.
6. Defensive Lineman Derrick Harmon
Derrick Harmon deserves a nod as the Steelers continue to use their high draft picks in the trenches. The rookie out of Oregon has already secured a starting role on the defensive front and has a fan in veteran Cam Heyward.
Harmon had five sacks and 11 tackles for loss for the Ducks last year. Matching that in his rookie campaign would be more than successful. Even if he doesn’t, though, Steelers fans, coaches, and players liked what they saw out of him at minicamp.
5. Tight End Jonnu Smith
Jonnu Smith doesn’t rank lowly here for any nefarious reason; there are just more exciting names ahead. The reality is, Smith should fit into Pittsburgh’s offense well if he is indeed going to be a slot tight end who will see 100+ targets this season. I figure Acrisure Stadium will be filled with “NUUU” chants rather often this season.
Nonetheless, he is 30 years old, and the long-term implications of his being on the roster are hazy at best. But, Arthur Smith has a guy on the roster he loves that proved himself as a quality receiving threat last year in Miami.
4. Running Back Kaleb Johnson
Everyone who’s anyone is excited about Kaleb Johnson. An Iowa back who racked up over 1,725 scrimmage yards and 23 touchdowns in an offense that had few options beyond him is bound to be special in Pittsburgh. With all of the attention pointed at the big-name veterans debuting on the offense, it’ll be interesting to see what he can do when defenses don’t give him an 80% chance to touch the ball.
Still, it doesn’t seem likely that he’ll dominate the touches out of the backfield ahead of Jaylen Warren. At least not yet. Nonetheless, he displayed at Iowa and minicamp that he’s got the stuff Steelers fans love to see in a running back.
3. Wide Receiver DK Metcalf
After years of hoping George Pickens could develop into a player with the league standing of a D.K. Metcalf, the Steelers opted to sign the real thing instead. Metcalf offers all of the same excitement as Pickens with a fraction of the antics, plus he’s already a bona fide No. 1 receiving threat.
Metcalf’s production has teetered without a star quarterback. He had more touchdowns and typically more yards with Russell Wilson, though he had more targets and receptions with Geno Smith. Now he’s got a star quarterback in Aaron Rodgers once again, and there seems to be a ton of mutual respect between the two. It’s comforting to know there’s true chemistry between the quarterback and star receiver in Pittsburgh once again.
2. Defensive Back Jalen Ramsey
The fact that Jalen Ramsey is locked in as a Steeler for the next few years almost grants him the top spot. However, the uncertainty of what exact role he’ll play in Pittsburgh and what it took to get him still clouds some of the excitement.
Nonetheless, Ramsey is one of the four additions who have won a Super Bowl, and he’s worn the captain patch for the past few years in Miami and Los Angeles. At 31, he’s definitely lost a step, but it’s not as though his highlight reel from last year was disappointing.
His career also holds a promising pattern. In terms of coverage, after his worst season in Jacksonville allowing 66% of passes to be completed, he posted a career season in Los Angeles with 51% completed. After his worst season there at 63% completed, he posted the second-best mark of his career in his first season with Miami at 54%. There’s plenty of secondary help in Pittsburgh to help him repeat that trend yet again.
1. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers
Of course it's Aaron Rodgers at number one. He’s the quarterback, warts and all. For all the reasons to be sceptical about the move, there’s just as much reason to be excited. He’s two years removed from the Achilles injury and finished last season on a hot streak. But the biggest reason might be that the 41-year-old isn’t being tasked with reshaping the entire organization like he was in New York.
Sure, we just listed off all of the crazy moves Pittsburgh made to make a run in the lone season they’ll have Rodgers on the roster - but none of those guys are Rodgers’ guys. Rodgers hasn’t played with a single player on the Steelers’ roster. All of those guys have been successful elsewhere, both individually and in terms of team success.
Rodgers is the glue for this experiment. He has to deliver to make these drastic efforts seem worth it in the eyes of the fanbase.