The Pittsburgh Steelers’ roster isn’t hopeless. That’s probably the most frustrating part.
This isn’t a team stuck at the bottom of the league with no young talent, no direction, and no reason to believe the next few years can be better. The Steelers have plenty of pieces worth liking. They’ve invested in premium positions, built up the trenches, and have a young defensive unit with real upside.
The problem is the same one that’s followed them since Ben Roethlisberger retired.
They can keep building a stronger roster around the quarterback position, but at some point, they’ve got to actually solve the quarterback position.
Pittsburgh can sell patience with Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Drew Allar, but patience only works when there’s a logical next step. But that next step isn’t clear enough. Rodgers is a short-term fix. Rudolph is a backup. Howard and Allar are developmental bets.
That makes Still Curtain’s look at the Steelers’ 10 most valuable future assets so interesting. It shows a roster that might be healthier than the national conversation suggests, but it also points right back to the one problem Pittsburgh can’t escape.
Pittsburgh Steelers have built the base, but not the answer
“The Steelers are one of those teams right now that don’t necessarily have a ton of star power,” Still Curtain managing editor Tommy Jaggi said on the "Still Curtain" podcast.
The Steelers may not have a roster loaded with obvious young superstars, but they do have a lot of players who matter at positions teams can’t fake.
“Their next tier of players, I think, is really strong, and it comes at really valuable positions like offensive tackle and interior line and defensive line,” Jaggi said.
That’s exactly what the Steelers have been trying to build. They’ve poured resources into the offensive line. They’ve added young pieces on defense. They’ve tried to create the kind of roster that doesn’t need a quarterback to be Superman every week.
Still Curtain co-editor Shayne Kubas summed up why that’s encouraging for Pittsburgh’s long-term outlook.
“They have the talent in place for this to be a really good baseline roster for you to put a quarterback into,” Kubas said.
That’s the good news. The Steelers aren’t asking some future quarterback to walk into a teardown. If they get the position right, the setup could be attractive quickly.
“Obviously, Steelers got to get the quarterback position right,” Jaggi added.
That’s where everything comes back around. Pittsburgh can get through 2026 with Rodgers, but getting through a season isn’t the same as solving the position. The Steelers have spent years trying to patch it together. Mitch Trubisky didn’t work. Kenny Pickett didn’t work. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields became one-year attempts.
Now Rodgers is in Pittsburgh for what he’s already said will be his final NFL season, leaving the Steelers with a roster that may be ready for its next era before the quarterback plan is.
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