With the 2026 season about to begin, the Pittsburgh Steelers have their 53-man roster set to begin the year. On paper, Mike McCarthy's first Steelers roster looks stronger than the roster we saw in the final year of Mike Tomlin in 2025. But looks can be deceiving, and the wide receiver position might be the perfect example.
A year after trading for Seahawks Pro Bowl receiver DK Metcalf, the Steelers' general manager made a low-risk trade ahead of free agency to acquire veteran receiver Michael Pittman Jr. from the Indianapolis Colts. From there, they went on to trade up to the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft for Alabama's Germie Bernard.
Meanwhile, the Steelers had spent a third-round pick on Roman Wilson in 2024—who is searching for a breakout year—while veteran Ben Skowronek is returning and 2026 fourth-round pick Kaden Wetjen joined the squad this year.
But despite Khan's proactive approach at the position, the Steelers are thinner at the wide receiver position than most realize.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are quietly thin at the wide receiver position
Metcalf and Pittman have been around the league long enough that we have a good idea of what the Steelers are getting in these two veterans. However, outside of this big WR pairing, the Steelers currently don't have a player they can count on at the position.
To begin the year, Wilson is expected to earn duties as the primary slot receiver and third receiver on the field in 11 personnel. Unfortunately, it's hard to have much trust in a receiver who has recorded a mere 12 receptions on 21 targets in his first two NFL seasons combined. It's even more concerning that Wilson continued to experience mental errors that resulted in interceptions during practice.
The hope is that Bernard could eventually fill this role, but that's a lot to ask of a rookie, and he might not get a shot right away. Even if he does, it might not be smooth sailing for the second-round pick from the gate.
The final two receivers on the team are less receivers and more special teams players. Skowronek does his best work as a special teams gunner, while Wetjen—who had almost no college production as a wide receiver—was drafted to be the kick and punt return specialist for Pittsburgh. We can't count on either for any sort of consistent contributions on offense.
The fact of the matter is that, outside of Metcalf and Pittman, the Steelers don't have another receiver on the team they can trust when throwing the football to at this point in time. Pittsburgh's third, fourth, fifth, and sixth receivers on the depth chart have a combined 29 catches on 44 targets since 2023 (and most of these came from Skowronek).
Skowronek is now 29 years old, and we know who he is at this stage of his career. He's not about to revolutionize his game.
Of course, this doesn't mean that Wilson, Bernard, or Wetjen can't prove they're guys who can step into a big role offensively for Pittsburgh; the jury is still out.
The harsh reality is that the Steelers are quietly thin when it comes to production and experience outside of their top two options at the wide receiver position. Let's hope someone else from that group can step up and prove to be a quality option in the passing game this season.
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