NFL Notebook: 2025 Pittsburgh Steelers Preview

Mike Tomlin keeps churning along. Over 18 years as head coach of the Steelers, Tomlin has never finished under .500 and made the playoffs 12 times. He has made the postseason four of the last five years. But “churning along” also includes racking up early playoff exits. Pittsburgh has not reached the Divisional Round since 2017. Tomlin’s Super Bowl ring from 2008 and his last Super Bowl appearance in 2010 seem like several lifetimes ago. The Steelers are hungry for more and they acted like it with an aggressive offseason aimed at winning now.

THE ARRIVAL OF RODGERS

The most high-profile move was the decision to sign 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. Rodgers’ two-year tenure with the Jets was disappointing, the first season lost to injury and a mediocre performance last year.

This has the feel of desperation—that Pittsburgh might have been better off just letting Justin Fields keep developing. But in fairness to Rodgers, his grades at Pro Football Focus last year were better than his traditional stats, suggesting that the supporting cast may have been the problem. Moving from the Jets to the Steelers is a pretty significant upgrade in terms of organizational support.

A DEFENSE BUILT TO DOMINATE

With Pittsburgh, the supporting cast for the quarterback starts with the fact that the QB just doesn’t have to do a lot. The defense was good last year, and it stands to be even better in 2025.

The Steelers have great players on the edges of their 3-4 scheme. T.J. Watt is a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate, and Alex Highsmith deserves to be in that conversation. Cameron Heyward plays at an elite level at defensive end, still going strong at age 36.

Pittsburgh’s decision to use a first-round pick in this area of strength raised some eyebrows, given their issues on the other side of the ball. But before criticizing, consider three things:

*Oregon defensive end Derrick Harmon might have simply been the best player on the board. It’s always better to just get a guy who can play and worry about the big picture later.

*Harmon is an insurance against the decline of Heyward, which can now happen at any time.

*Most notable, there’s still a lot of room for the Steeler defense to get better. They ranked eighth in the NFL for points allowed last year. That’s obviously good, but if they can elevate it to great, that will cover for even more offensive weaknesses.

And the chances of this defense reaching “great” status are strong. Pittsburgh strengthened their corners, trading for Jalen Ramsey and signing Darius Slay. Giving up Minkah Fitzpatrick in the Ramsey deal was no great loss—Juan Thornhill and DeShon Elliott are both above average players at the safety position, as capable as Fitzpatrick was.

Pittsburgh can rush the passer and stop the run, just like last year. Now, they can cover on the corners.

REMAKING THE OFFENSE

The offensive overhaul didn’t stop at quarterback. Pittsburgh let 1,000-yard rusher Najee Harris leave in free agency and they traded wide receiver George Pickens. The latter was an explosive talent on the field but was apparently no less explosive in the clubhouse. Pittsburgh addressed the on-field loss by dealing a second-round draft pick to Seattle for D.K. Metcalf.

Tight end, already a position of strength with Pat Freiermuth, got even better when Jonnu Smith came from Miami as part of the Ramsey deal. Calvin Austin III averaged 15 yards a catch in the slot receiver spot, a position that the precision short-passing of Rodgers will likely make good use of. Jaylen Warren was a respectable change-of-pace running back last year and will get the chance to go full-time with Harris gone.

If Rodgers is healthy, there are enough weapons to win, particularly given the quality of the defense.

AN O-LINE AS X-FACTOR

Keeping the quarterback healthy and letting a new running back emerge ultimately comes down to the offensive line. This is the big question mark in Pittsburgh. The unit has a lot of issues. It boils down to this—three players, Mason McCormick at guard, and tackles Broderick Jones and Troy Fautana are entering their second or third year in the league. They have to come into their own. If they don’t, the offense will struggle to do anything beyond completing a few short passes.

OUTLOOK

The most mysterious number I’ve seen yet is the Steelers’ Over/Under being 8.5. That’s an up-or-down vote on whether the team will have a winning season. In what world does Mike Tomlin not have winning seasons? I don’t have any problem saying right here and now that they’ll win more than they lose. But for the expectations that Pittsburgh fans really have, in this year that’s the last shot for Rodgers and perhaps Tomlin? I have to defer a decision there until our final preseason preview.