The Pittsburgh Steelers generally fared pretty well in the various media grades following the 2025 NFL Draft, but how did they do when looking at the totality of their offseason?
According to Pro Football Focus analysts Dalton Wasserman and Trevor Sikkema, their overall report card is closer to the level of academic probation than the Dean’s List. They gave the Steelers a C- grade for their overall offseason.
“They need to have conversations about what they want to be organizationally on offense. I don’t think those conversations happen at all,” Wasserman said in a video on PFF’s YouTube. “It just feels like the same old approach that we’re getting outta the Steelers that we’ve gotten the last decade where it’s, ‘Hey, if we have the best defense in football, we can beat anybody and we can squeak it out in the fourth quarter and win 17-13.’ Football is not played like that anymore in the NFL.”
When comparing the offense to the defense over the last several years, the former has clearly been the biggest culprit of the team’s failures. One glance at the Steelers’ offseason moves and it’s understandable to question their approach. Three of their first four draft selections were on defense and most of their free agent signings were on defense as well with Daniel Ekuale, Brandin Echols, Darius Slay and Malik Harrison all being on defense.
That said, the Steelers did make the big blockbuster trade for WR DK Metcalf and then secured him for the next five seasons on a big-money deal. And the majority of their previous two draft classes were focused on offense. The offensive line alone dominated the draft investments of the previous two years.
In the end, nobody is going to look favorably on the Steelers’ offseason if they don’t make strides towards figuring out their quarterback situation. Most national analysts who are assigning grades won’t look at it this way, but the Steelers did make strides toward figuring out their quarterback situation.
Omar Khan stated their FA strategy was heavily informed by the compensatory pick system for the 2026 draft, and they managed to keep all of their 2026 draft picks while adding to their stockpile with the George Pickens trade. If they want a quarterback next year, they can definitely package something together to move up and get one.
In the meantime, Aaron Rodgers is dragging his feet and therefore dragging the Steelers’ offseason grade down.
“If they aren’t able to bring in Aaron Rodgers, and even if they do, what version of Aaron Rodgers will they get here,” Sikkema said. “And so a lot of eggs in this basket that are kind of an explosive basket. I don’t really love that here for the Steelers.”
Rodgers would be the bridge to the future to make sure they remain competitive this season. If he signs, which it seems like he eventually will, the Steelers at least have some upside with an otherwise improving offensive roster.
I don’t blame anybody for giving them a C- grade for the offseason, but there was an overall strategy at play with potential for a brighter future if you look hard enough.
