In 2024, the Pittsburgh Steelers weren’t good enough at wide receiver. George Pickens played well, but he also caused his share of drama. Now, the Steelers have added DK Metcalf to that room. That could signal Pickens’ time in Pittsburgh is coming to an end. He’ll be a free agent after the 2025 season, and it seems unlikely that the Steelers will pay big money to two receivers. Therefore, they could decide to trade Pickens this offseason. Even if they do that, Yahoo Sports analyst Matt Harmon thinks the Steelers’ offense can be really good.
“I think [Pickens is] not coming back in 2026 and beyond,” Harmon said recently on the Yahoo Fantasy Forecast podcast. “That’s why I thought, even before the Metcalf thing, it made sense to trade him. Whether it’s a good move or not is a whole separate discussion.
“I think it’s probably going to happen. Even if it’s just Metcalf, and you’ve got an offensive line here. You add [Aaron] Rodgers. [Pat] Freiermuth’s a good player, I think. If you can take a running back somewhere in this draft class, then I think this offense is set up to cook.”
Harmon is correct that the Steelers need to make a few other moves to solidify their offense. The biggest question mark for them at the moment is who their starting quarterback will be. It seems like they’re content to wait for Rodgers, but there’s no guarantee they’ll land him. However, if they do, he still looks like he can be a solid player.
The Steelers shouldn’t be done adding to their offense even if they sign Rodgers. They likely need to add a running back to replace Najee Harris. Jaylen Warren is a good player, but he might not be suited to being the Steelers’ lead back.
Luckily, running back is one of the biggest strengths of this draft class. While the Steelers don’t have a second-round pick, there should still be quality players available at that position further down the board. They could also choose to address the position in the first round, although that might not be the best decision.
Of course, that’s not the end of their issues on offense. If the Steelers do trade Pickens, receiver will become a major need again. They also need to beef up depth along their offensive line. They’ve made strides on that side of the ball, but the Steelers still have work to do.
However, that doesn’t mean Harmon is wrong. If the Steelers make the right moves, their offense could be the best it’s been in years. They did a good job acquiring some building blocks last year. If their young pieces continue to develop, they could field a more stable offense.
While it might not be one of the best in the league, the offense could finally complement the Steelers’ defense. That could make them dangerous.
