While the results of the Steelers 2025 free agency have underwhelmed a lot of fans, it has been a historic offseason for rule-breaking. Pittsburgh has, for the longest time, kept themselves in check with certain precedents when it comes to free agents, contracts, and the draft.
Some of those walls are finally tumbling down.
While the hope was that Omar Khan would take away some of these archaic rules, that never materialized. For the most part, the team stood pat and continued on as usual.
This offseason has seen some early signs that rules are meant to be broken. It started with the D.K. Metcalf trade. While sending a high pick for a player isn’t breaking a rule for a player, the contract they gave out certainly did.
And how about free agency? While the haul this team has gotten hasn’t been incredible, the style of contract is certainly worth noting.
What rules the Pittsburgh Steelers broke
Metcalf was given a deal that made him the highest earning player on the Steelers roster. He surpassed the top names like T.J. Watt (although his impending extension will top that), Cam Heyward, and Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Pittsburgh tends to like to keep that hierarchy intact, but they broke that mold with Metcalf. This opens the door for future free agents to sign at a top price.
That isn’t the only part of this deal that is notable. Metcalf also got his second year salary fully guaranteed. That is something that the team has reserved for quarterbacks and players that sign for the highest average per year at their position. Metcalf is neither.
On the flip side, had Pittsburgh not done this, Metcalf almost certainly would have vetoed this trade. This makes the Steelers a more competitive player in acquiring top talent, something they have lacked for the longest time.
Now, handing out big guarantees is a risk as well. Just ask the Browns. But in order to attract big-name players for your team, you need to find a middle ground. Ultimately, you should be signing these players expecting them to play at least two years, so promising that second-year money makes sense.
The team has also given out numerous one-year deals. In the past, a one-year deal would only be for the minimum. They broke that rule with Larry Ogunjobi initially but never followed up on it and restored the rule right after.
We have already seen Darius Slay and Kennith Gainwell sign one-year deals worth more than the minimum. While the Slay deal is the more jarring of the two, both indicate that the Steelers are changing their ways when it comes to contracts. One year deals can also be beneficial when it comes to the compensatory formula, as players you cut don’t qualify for future comp picks.
What rules should the Pittsburgh Steelers break next?
While some of the rules in place are there to protect the team from adding the wrong player or being stuck in a horrible contract, two rules that this team has held dear to its heart need to be the next to go.
For starters, the way this team goes about undrafted free agency has to change. They are uncompetitive and rarely, if ever, attract the top names that fall out of the draft.
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The Steelers have only given out signing bonuses as an incentive to come to Pittsburgh (and mediocre bonuses at that). The rest of the league will guarantee some of the rookies contract to entice them to come to their team.
While most undrafted rookies don’t pan out and this leads to an uptick in dead money, that number is miniscule. If this leads to an extra undrafted free agent or two sticking around, it is well worth the cost.
The next rule to fall should be their first-round trading policy. Sure, we have seen this team make small moves up, but more often than not, the team appears content to just let the board fall as is in the first round.
In a year with limited picks and a slew of draftable defensive linemen, trading back makes a lot of sense for the team. Next year, a trade up for a quarterback may be needed, and it won’t be cheap. This team can’t let their track record of low-risk trades dominate their draft.
Does this mean that every year, they need to make massive moves in the first round? Of course not, but acquiring extra picks when you can and giving some up to land your top player should be viable strategies.
We have seen some big rules fall this offseason, and it will greatly change the Steelers way for the long-term. That said, there are still a few rules that this team needs to get away from to remain as a top team in the league.