Steelers’ 2025 Free Agents, Targets and Draft Needs After NFL Playoff Loss0 of 3
Steelers head coach Mike TomlinMark Alberti/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Steelers, who have never experienced a losing season under head coach Mike Tomlin, made it back to the playoffs for the second straight season. They did so, largely, by leaning on the same team strengths they had in 2023, namely, an aggressive and opportunistic defense.
However, Pittsburgh added a big wrinkle this year in the form of quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Both offseason acquisitions started games for the Steelers, and while neither provided truly elite quarterback play, the tandem was better than what the team has had since Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement.
Neither quarterback was signed beyond 2024, however, and Pittsburgh faces a lot of offseason work now that its playoff run is over. Tomlin and general manager Omar Khan aren’t going anywhere, but the Steelers have contracts to address and needs to fill ahead of the 2025 season.
Here’s a look at what fans can expect from Pittsburgh in the coming months.
Free Agents1 of 3
Steelers QB Russell WilsonJoe Sargent/Getty Images
Unrestricted Free Agents
QB Kyle Allen
G James Daniels
QB Justin Fields
RB Najee Harris
G Nate Herbig
CB Donte Jackson
WR Van Jefferson
S Damontae Kazee
DL Isaiahh Loudermilk
LB Tyler Matakevich
WR Scotty Miller
OT Dan Moore Jr.
TE MyCole Pruitt
LB Elandon Roberts
CB Cameron Sutton
WR Mike Williams
QB Russell Wilson
Restricted/Exclusive-Rights Free Agents
C Ryan McCollum
LB Jeremiah Moon
RB Jaylen Warren
The bad news is that Pittsburgh has several key players headed to free agency, including all three quarterbacks on the roster.
Re-signing Fields could make plenty of sense, given his upside and age—he’ll turn just 26 in March. Wilson played well enough to get Pittsburgh into the postseason, and he provided the veteran leadership Pittsburgh has lacked since Roethlisberger was in the lineup. However, his future may hinge on his contract demands.
According to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, Wilson wants to play “five to seven more years,” but the Steelers are unlikely to make that kind of commitment. Pittsburgh enjoyed having Wilson on a league-minimum contract this season, but it can expect him to want a significant raise in 2025.
Starting left tackle Dan Moore Jr. is also headed to free agency, though, the Steelers may be willing to let him walk. They used a first-round pick on Troy Fautanu in order to pair him with 2023 first-round pick Broderick Jones as bookend tackles. A knee injury ended Fautanu’s season after one appearance, but Pittsburgh may proceed with its tackle succession plan.
Starting running back Najee Harris has been a solid starter for the Steelers, though he’s done little to justify a top-of-the-market contract. A fine compiler of yards, Harris has hovered around 4.0 yards per carry as a pro and will turn 27 in March.
Cornerback Donte Jackson could lead to a difficult decision. Acquired from the Carolina Panthers in an offseason trade, Jackson has been a strong starter for the Steelers, allowing an opposing passer rating of only 69.9 in coverage. However, he played better early in the year and was slowed by a back injury toward the end of the season.
Jackson will turn 30 during the 2025 season.
Pittsburgh is projected to have $56.6 million in available cap space this spring, but retaining everyone probably isn’t feasible.
Potential Free-Agent/Trade Targets2 of 3
Vikings QB Sam DarnoldBrace Hemmelgarn/Getty Images
If the Steelers want to make a splash in the offseason, targeting Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold in free agency could be the way to do it. Darnold played splendidly while propelling Minnesota to Super Bowl contention. However, the Vikings only signed him to a one-year deal and used a first-round pick on Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy.
Trading in Wilson for the 27-year-old Darnold could be a brilliant long-term play for Pittsburgh.
The Steelers might also consider taking a flier on a former first-round bust like Mac Jones or Zach Wilson, hoping to get the same sort of career turnaround that Darnold experienced in Minnesota. If that’s the plan, though, simply keeping Fields might be the best option.
If Pittsburgh turns the page on Harris, it may consider a veteran free agent like Nick Chubb or Aaron Jones as a new complement to Warren. Cornerbacks like Carlton Davis, Rasul Douglas and Asante Samuel Jr. should be under heavy consideration, even if Jackson is retained.
If and when the Steelers make a quarterback decision, expect wide receiver to become the top priority. Even after trading for Mike Williams, the offense has struggled with receiver depth, and Pittsburgh hasn’t been shy about trying to address it.
Last offseason, Pittsburgh had a trade agreement in place to acquire Brandon Aiyuk from the San Francisco 49ers, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, though a deal was never finalized.
Don’t be surprised if Khan calls about 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel this offseason. San Francisco restructured Samuel’s contract over the summer, extended Aiyuk and used a first-round pick on Ricky Pearsall. Trading Samuel after June 1 would save the 49ers $5.2 million in 2025 cap space.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Pittsburgh was discussing a trade for Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk until he suffered a broken collarbone. Reengaging with Jacksonville once Kirk is healthy could make sense.
If the Steelers don’t trade for a receiver, impending free agents like Tee Higgins, Amari Cooper, Chris Godwin and Stefon Diggs will likely be high on their wish list.
Draft Targets3 of 3
Ohio State WR Emeka EgbukaIan Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Steelers may not draft highly enough to target a quarterback next April, which is why they’ll likely address the position before then. However, there’s a non-zero chance that Khan eschews top receivers in the free-agent and trade markets with the hopes of drafting one early.
Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka could be the perfect Round 1 target for the Steelers.
“Regardless of
who will be under center for the Steelers in 2025, their offense still
needs upgrades at wide receiver,” Dame Parson of the Bleacher Report Scouting Department said in November. “Egbuka is a savvy and
nuanced route-runner who will thrive as a quick-game receiver out of the
slot. He will move the chains and make timely plays in the red zone.”
The Steelers do have a history of waiting until Day 2 to target receivers, though, so wideouts like Isaiah Bond of Texas and Jalen Royals of Utah State may be firmly on the team’s radar.
If Pittsburgh doesn’t use a first-round pick on a wide receiver, a cornerback like Virginia Tech’s Mansoor Delane or Texas’ Jahdae Barron would be sensible. It wouldn’t be a complete surprise to see Khan build along the defensive interior and grab a lineman like Ohio State’s Tyleik Williams or an edge-rusher like Penn State’s Abdul Carter either.
The Steelers don’t need another pass-rusher with T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith on the roster, but Watt will turn 31 next season and is only signed through 2025. It couldn’t hurt to prepare for a possible future without Pittsburgh’s biggest star.
Pittsburgh probably won’t reach for a running back four years after taking Harris in Round 1. If he departs, however, backs like Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson and Penn State’s Nicholas Singleton could be considered on Day 2.
*Cap, contract and free-agent status information via Spotrac. Draft information via Tankathon
