Historically, the Pittsburgh Steelers have preferred patience over proactive, let alone aggressive, roster-building. That’s all changed under general manager Omar Khan. Last offseason, the personnel chief overhauled his entire quarterback room. This offseason, Khan has gone even further, not only pushing his chips onto a 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers but making some high-profile trades on both sides of the ball.
The latest activity: Monday’s sudden blockbuster swap with the Miami Dolphins, in which the Steelers added both Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith in exchange for All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a swap of late-round draft picks. Pittsburgh had been linked to Smith in the weeks prior, but few anticipated Khan engineering a multi-player deal, especially one involving a defensive mainstay like Fitzpatrick.
Will all the splashy moves be enough to reverse the Steelers’ recent fortunes as a scrappy, if mercurial, playoff hopeful? Or is this merely a big-name shuffling of the chairs for a franchise sorely lacking an identity? Only time will tell. In the meantime, here’s how we’d grade each of the team’s biggest gambles during the 2025 offseason:
Signing Aaron Rodgers
Everything hinges on this one, doesn’t it? The Steelers can make all the glitzy deals they want, but if they want to snap their eight-year streak of no playoff wins, they need their new quarterback to both 1.) stay upright and 2.) revert to at least a fraction of his Green Bay Packers self. His two-year slog with the New York Jets was discouraging not just because of that franchise’s dysfunction but because Rodgers also looked his age in the pocket. Still, our belief is that he’s got enough arm sizzle and savvy touch to get Steel City back to the postseason and maybe even win a game in January. Does that solve Pittsburgh’s greater crisis of identifying a long-term offensive plan? Not really. Is it an upgrade on the Steelers’ last quarterback gambles? Probably. This is a 2025 play; that’s it. But at least there’s some tangible excitement here.
Grade: B
It’s hard to separate Metcalf’s arrival from the subsequent jettisoning of George Pickens, as the Steelers basically swapped one gifted young wideout for another. So let’s do our best to count the cost of landing Metcalf himself: This is a physical freak, to be sure, bringing an imposing element to Pittsburgh’s pass-catching corps. It’s not hard to envision Metcalf setting career marks catching passes from Rodgers. Still, he’s produced more like a top-tier No. 2 than a bona fide No. 1 over the course of his career, failing to clear 1,000 yards in three of his five seasons. And odds are he’ll have a heavier burden in Pittsburgh, where there isn’t yet a clearly established counterpart out wide. Again, Metcalf’s supersized athleticism may make him an instant fan favorite, but on a new deal paying top-five receiver money, he almost has to be elite.
Grade: B-
Trading George Pickens
Like the Metcalf deal, which will inevitably be tied to Pickens’ move, this one is complicated. On one hand, it’s not hard to see why Pittsburgh was motivated to deal Pickens: With a notoriously volatile temperament, the former Georgia standout was all but a lock to leave town at the conclusion of his rookie contract; the Steelers are pros at drafting and developing outspoken pass-catchers before shipping them elsewhere. Getting a third-rounder in return is also decent. The most concerning thing about his exit, of course, is the fact the Steelers are now leaning on mostly replacement-level reserves like Robert Woods and Scotty Miller, to round out the receiver depth opposite Metcalf. Unless a youngster like Calvin Austin III makes a grand leap, the Steelers’ all-in efforts could be damaged by bailing on Pickens a few months too early.
Grade: B-
Acquiring Jonnu Smith and Jalen Ramsey
The most surprising Steelers move in terms of sheer player volume, the Dolphins package netted Pittsburgh a new pass-catcher in Smith, plus an added cover man in Ramsey. Both veterans also got slight pay bumps as part of the relocation. Dealing All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick back to Miami to seal the deal was something of a stunner, leaving Mike Tomlin’s defense without one of its most experienced starters. Fitzpatrick has lately struggled to replicate the ball-hawking production of his hot start in Pittsburgh, but still, swapping him out for an older defensive back is a risk. Still, a two-for-one is a two-for-one, and Smith’s 2024 breakout with the Dolphins suggests he could function as a quasi-wideout for Rodgers. The challenge with Ramsey will be finding proper homes for all the club’s veteran corners.
Grade: B+
Winners, losers from Steelers trade with Dolphins: Jalen Ramsey, Jonnu Smith dealt for Minkah Fitzpatrick
Tyler Sullivan
Everything starts in the trenches, they say, which is why our favorite move of the Steelers’ uncharacteristically bold offseason is actually the one that’s drawn the fewest headlines. Harmon isn’t a big-name veteran, but his entry as the club’s Day 1 draft pick could do more to impact the short- and long-term prospects of Tomlin’s defense than, well, anyone else who came aboard for big bucks. Working alongside a pro’s pro in Cameron Heyward, the Oregon product is well positioned to claim a do-it-all role up front. And if his positional versatility immediately elevates Pittsburgh’s line, that means aging cover men like Jalen Ramsey should be even better set up for success on the back end.
Grade: A-
His addition in free agency feels a touch redundant now that Jalen Ramsey is onboard along with third-year man Joey Porter Jr. But is that such a bad problem to have, considering the 34-year-old Slay has struggled to stay on the field for full games the last few seasons? More than Ramsey or Porter, the former Philadelphia Eagles veteran is almost exclusively a boundary cornerback. If he can rotate on and off the field in Tomlin’s secondary, he could be better equipped to last a full season. It’s not like he’s costing the Steelers a ton to play such a role, either. On a one-year deal that could mark Slay’s final NFL go-round, you could do a whole lot worse. His chipper personality is also a locker-room bonus.
Grade: B
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Author: Cody Benjamin
June 30, 2025 | 1:25 pm
