The Steelers face an important offseason in 2025. After years of mediocre play that has resulted in predictable and disappointing runs in the postseason, this franchise needs a bit of a facelift. While we won’t see the entire roster turnover, there will be quite a few new faces on the team and even a few from this year who won’t be around anymore.
Making the choice of who stays and who goes is a tough one though. Sure, the team has veterans like Preston Smith who are clear and obvious cap casualties, but once you get past those names, the water becomes murkier. Here are the five toughest choices that the Steelers have to make during the 2025 offseason.
Do the Steelers keep Larry Ogunjobi?
Larry Ogunjobi was brought in to be a one-for-one replacement after Stephon Tuitt decided to retire a few years ago. The hope was to maintain the pass rush success that Tuitt had with the team, as Ogunjobi was an accomplished lineman in that regard. His first season was mediocre, and he had some nagging injuries that made the team feel like they could get more out of him, so they inked him to another deal that offseason.
The results have been mostly the same. While there will be streaks of games where Ogunjobi looks like a viable starter, he has even longer streaks where he disappears from games. With his contract easily cuttable given he is about to enter his final year on the deal, it would make sense on paper to just part ways with him given his middling play.
The issue is that Ogunjobi signed his contract before the recent run on defensive linemen. Now, his contract actually looks decent despite the fact that he isn’t a great starter. Is that enough of a reason to keep him? We should know early in the offseason as he has a bonus due. This could really go either way right now.
Do the Steelers keep Patrick Queen?
In a similar vein as Ogunjobi, Patrick Queen also has a hefty bonus due at the start of the new league year. If he were to get it, he is playing on the Steelers no matter what. This was a smart structure to the deal, as while Queen became the biggest free agent signing in team history, his deal essentially works as a prove-it deal.
Did he earn his deal for 2025? There is a real argument for no. He wasn’t horrible, but he had a few bad stretches and his highlights didn’t make up for it. His contract is set to balloon, so the team has to be confident that he can be their guy. If not, they will have to once again look to add a notable name to round out the room.
How do the Steelers treat the quarterback room?
Had you asked me this question a month and a half ago, there would have been no question as to what the plan was at quarterback. Russell Wilson had provided a shot of adrenaline to this team and propelled them to a lot of success. However, the end of the season was nothing short of a disaster, as the team lost five games straight and exited with yet another playoff loss.
Wilson wasn’t the only person at fault, but his play trailed off in a massive way. Considering his age, it could be wise to look elsewhere at quarterback. Justin Fields could be back in the mix, or they may be forced to go with someone completely new again. Wilson could also still be the plan. Who they pick will go a long way in determining just what kind of a season the team can pull off in 2025.
Can the Steelers afford to keep Minkah Fitzpatrick?
At one point in time, Minkah Fitzpatrick was regarded as the best free safety in the league and a defender that you had to gameplan around. A stretch of injuries and a regression in play have toppled him off that list. No, he isn’t a horrible player, but his splash plays and elite coverage haven’t been here for a few seasons. At his salary, it may be hard to justify keeping him.
READ MORE: 4 players who robbed the Pittsburgh Steelers blind in 2024
The safety market has seen a big crash as of late. Highly paid options were cut, and the market was flooded with options for teams to choose from. You can get really good safety play for a fraction of what you are paying Fitzpatrick. Again, he is a fine starter and provides you with decent play on the field, but at his cost, it may be hard to justify keeping him this year.
Do the Steelers trade George Pickens?
What will easily be the biggest headline of the summer, the Steelers have the unenviable decision on what to do with George Pickens. On one hand, he is a dynamic receiver and your best offensive weapon. On the other hand, he needs an extension to play, and he has proven to be extremely immature and hard to manage.
Giving a player like that a mega deal is risky, as they could implode at any moment. Likewise, trading away your best offensive weapon on a team that struggled to move the ball also seems unwise. At the end of the day, there is no great answer here, and whatever choice they come away with will likely be the hardest decision of the entire offseason.