With the 2025 offseason underway, the Pittsburgh Steelers need to dial in on how to improve their roster this year. Mike Tomlin's efforts fell short once again during the postseason as his team continued an eight-year drought without a playoff win.
Now it's time to identify the biggest weaknesses on the team and work on resolving the greatest issues. With over $40 million in salary caps space and eight total draft picks to work with, the Steelers have resources at their disposal. But how should they prioritize roster needs in 2025?
There is no shortage of paths this team could take toward improvement. Here are the five biggest needs on the Steelers' roster entering the offseason.
5. Cornerback
No position on the Steelers was more up-and-down during the 2024 season than cornerback. At times, Joey Porter Jr. looked like a star in the making, then the next moment, he looked like a CB who deserved to be benched. The same can be said about Donte Jackson, who recorded five interceptions but was wildly inconsistent in coverage.
Now Jackson is no longer under contract. Cory Trice Jr. looked promising in limited action, but his scary injury history suggests he can't be counted on. The problem doesn't only lie at boundary cornerback. In the slot, Cam Sutton was pitiful in 2024, while Beanie Bishop still has a long way to go.
Even with all of the inconsistencies at the position, there are other more pressing needs on the team, but the Steelers should add at least two players to the CB room—perhaps one in free agency and one in the 2025 NFL Draft.
4. Running back
It's hard not to label running back as one of the biggest roster holes this year when we could see an entirely new room in 2025. Najee Harris is an unrestricted free agent this offseason and is expected to find a new home. Meanwhile, the Steelers could cut Cordarrelle Patterson to save $2.8 million after the veteran RB offered almost nothing to the team in 2024.
Jalen Warren is the most likely running back to stay, as he's a restricted free agent, but his presence alone isn't nearly enough and Warren's injury history proves he can't handle the workload. The Steelers will need to shore up the position with more youth and speed. The 2025 draft class is loaded at the running back position, and Pittsburgh should take advantage as early as Day 2 of the draft.
3. Interior defender
You better believe the Pittsburgh Steelers will invest in an interior defender this offseason after allowing the Ravens to run for 299 yards during the despicable playoff loss. Some would argue that defensive tackle would be the top need for this team in 2024, but there are others that are in even worse shape right now.
Regardless, the Steelers need both talent and depth at the position. Keeanu Benton isn't a nose tackle, and playing him there for a third season would be coaching malpractice. A dominant run stuffer is just what the doctor ordered, but those types of players are in short supply these days.
Expect Pittsburgh to add multiple interior defenders this offseason through the draft or free agency, and don't rule out the possibility of the Steelers going with a defensive lineman with the 21st overall pick in the draft this year. There's a reason Pittsburgh's brass had their eyes glued to the DL group at the Senior Bowl.
2. Wide receiver
To many Steelers fans, wide receiver is the number one priority this year... and I get it. The Pittsburgh Steelers didn't have anyone they could count on in 2024—including George Pickens. The team's top wideout missed time with a hamstring injury late in the season, had a zero-yard, three-drop performance on six targets against the Bengals in Week 18, and showcased lackluster effort at times.
Even with his inconsistencies, Pickens is only a fraction of the problem. Calvin Austin III showed flashes, but wasn't an impact player from game to game, while Van Jefferson and Mike Williams can't create separation and weren't worth throwing to.
Jefferson and Williams have expiring contracts and won't be back in 2025. The Steelers do have Roman Wilson to look forward to, but the third-round pick played just five snaps as a rookie and it's hard to say what he will offer. Pittsburgh needs a reliable go-to wide receiver the quarterback can pepper with targets.
1. Quarterback
As big as the Steelers' needs are at wide receiver and defensive line, their need for a quarterback is even greater. Though fans were optimistic about the combination of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields in 2024, neither quarterback got the job done. Fields was benched after Week 6 and Wilson crumbled down the stretch—losing five straight games while averaging 14 points per game.
Right now Skylar Thompson is the only quarterback under contract, and bringing back the same group would be futile. This team can't survive the AFC gauntlet with subpar quarterback play. Until they find a solution, nothing they do is going to matter.