Brooke Pryor
PITTSBURGH — 4 hours earlier than the 2025 NFL commerce deadline Tuesday, Mike Tomlin responded to a query from the media concerning the Pittsburgh Steelers being “consumers” with a smile.
“We'll see what occurs,” he stated. “I like purchasing.”
Seems, the 53-year-old coach meant window-shopping.
The Steelers did not make any further strikes earlier than Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET lower off, leaving security Kyle Dugger, whom they acquired in a late-round decide swap with the New England Patriots final week, as their lone in-season commerce.
A yr in the past, Tomlin referred to as the strikes made across the league's midseason commerce deadline an “arms race” as Pittsburgh landed huge receiver Mike Williams and go rusher Preston Smith. Neither, although, had a major, lasting influence past their debut sport in opposition to the Washington Commanders, and the strikes value the Steelers fifth- and seventh-round picks. This time round, although, the Steelers principally stayed pat, unwilling to half with vital draft capital to additional improve their secondary or improve their huge receiver corps.
In doing so, the Steelers signaled that they are not making drastic strikes to go all-in to win a Tremendous Bowl — at the least not this yr — and never with the league's second-oldest roster (behind the Commanders).
“I simply know that in case you're trending in the correct path, in case you've bought the need to be on this factor, because the highway will get slender, normally you are open to including expertise that may help you, whether or not it is attrition-based or whether or not it is simply areas the place you fall brief,” Tomlin stated Tuesday when requested if he thought there was a development of groups turning into extra aggressive on the commerce deadline. “And that is one thing that I believe a few of the aggressive groups are interested by yr in and yr out. It is only a pure part of this factor.”
As a substitute of utilizing the commerce market so as to add that expertise, the Steelers held on to precious draft capital with an eye fixed on the 2026 draft (which can be hosted in Pittsburgh), the place they might use these picks to make a major transfer up the draft board to land their quarterback of the longer term or a premium huge receiver to pair with DK Metcalf.
As at the moment constructed, this growing old roster has plain weaknesses. Accidents have decimated the safeties. The spring commerce that despatched George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys left the huge receivers and not using a bonafide No. 2. Veteran nook Darius Slay, 34, has proven his age at factors early within the season. And although the line of defense added first-round decide Derrick Harmon, the depth of the group has been examined with accidents to Isaiahh Loudermilk, Daniel Ekuale and Dean Lowry.
However within the week main as much as deadline, the Steelers solely added Dugger — who was an immediate increase to the secondary and performed practically the entire snaps within the Steelers' Week 9 win in opposition to the Indianapolis Colts, 27-20 — and signed huge receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, a former teammate of Aaron Rodgers' in Inexperienced Bay, and several other different gamers to the follow squad.
Pittsburgh was concerned in discussions to commerce for Las Vegas huge receiver Jakobi Meyers, sources informed ESPN's Adam Schefter, however had been in the end outbid by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jacksonville landed Meyers, who has just some months left on his rookie deal, for a fourth- and sixth-round decide. New Orleans Saints huge receiver Rashid Shaheed was obtainable, too, in the end going to the Seattle Seahawks for fourth- and fifth-round picks.
It does not imply the AFC North main Steelers (5-3) aren't aggressive this season or that they do not have playoff aspirations. Calvin Austin III, who led the workforce in receiving yards (56) in opposition to the Colts, continues to emerge as an explosive offensive goal. And the variety of the workforce's tight ends has given Rodgers a number of dependable targets. On the opposite aspect of the ball, Jalen Ramsey's versatility has plugged a number of holes within the secondary with industrial-strength duct tape.
Even so, the workforce seemingly signaled by not making strikes on the commerce deadline a recognition that the pure ceiling of this roster would possibly fall wanting the group's seventh Vince Lombardi Trophy. As a substitute, a profitable season may appear like merely ending practically a decade of playoff futility — assuming the defensive points that plagued them by the higher a part of the primary seven video games are behind them after executing a simplified, but strong sport plan in opposition to the Colts.
The Steelers are a workforce in transition, at the same time as Rodgers outperforms exterior expectations and exhibits flashes of his classic kind as he nears his forty second birthday on Dec. 2. Rodgers signed a one-year, $13.65 million deal this offseason, and whereas there are eventualities the place he may return to Pittsburgh in 2026, the workforce will nonetheless want a franchise quarterback within the close to future. By retaining picks on the deadline, the Steelers give themselves optimum flexibility to both make a transfer on this yr's draft, commerce for a free agent, or proceed to construct towards drafting a quarterback in 2027.
A company that constructed its prior success by drafting and creating its personal gamers had an uncharacteristic offseason by buying and selling for Metcalf, defensive again Jalen Ramsey and tight finish Jonnu Smith and by signing Rodgers and Slay. However as they made these strikes, the Steelers nonetheless prevented giving up vital draft capital. Metcalf value them a second-rounder and a late-round decide swap, whereas Smith's and Ramsey's compensation got here from the 2027 draft.
Because it at the moment stands, the Steelers' 2026 picks are poised to incorporate their unique picks within the first, third and fourth rounds, however they might additionally add compensatory picks within the third and fourth rounds. There may be a handful of late-round compensatory picks from the departure of quarterback Russell Wilson and cornerback Donte Jackson, in accordance with Over the Cap.
By staying quiet on the commerce deadline, the Steelers are enjoying the lengthy sport, and maybe most significantly, are merging their new-found aggression with their old-school mentality to kind their id of the longer term.
