The Pittsburgh Steelers have been desperate for consistent high-end talent in quite a few positions for a while now. One of those areas was wide receiver, but that may be a concern of the past now. Pittsburgh acquired Michael Pittman Jr. via trade to pair with DK Metcalf and form a cohesive wideout room for the first time a long time. They are also expected to address the position more, whether it be in another trade, free agency, the 2026 NFL Draft, or any combination of those three. Reinforcements are likely on the way.
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Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf (4) during a regular season matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills.
While hosting an episode of Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger, former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was asked about this being similar in terms of pure talent to the receiver room that he had when Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster were on the team. He thought about it for a bit before giving his honest opinion.
"This has the potential now," Roethlisberger said. "And then you got Pat [Freiermuth] working the middle. I still think they're going to add someone else, especially since you talk about West Coast systems. You got to have multiple guys; you got to have three/four/five-wide receiver sets."
Everything that Roethlisberger said about the Steelers' receiver plans are true. They are going to add at least one extra wide receiver, especially since Mike McCarthy won't be running an insanely high number of multi-tight end sets like Arthur Smith did. Ben Skowronek was a good blocking receiver, but in a big-play moment where you need lots of receivers, the Steelers will likely look to bring in another piece.
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Mike McCarthy celebrating with quarterback Dak Prescott in Dallas during his time as the Cowboys head coach.
The Steelers are expected to use a first-round pick on a wide receiver, which will only add to the talent already in the room. They will most likely either sign a free agent or double-up on that position in the draft. McCarthy's system is super reliant on wideouts, so he needs to make sure that that group is very deep and talented. If it is, the 2017 offense could come back in full swing with Metcalf and Pittman leading the charge.
Roman Wilson was the only wideout that had any sort of consistent ability to separate in 2025. If he gets out of the doghouse and back on the field, he could show off his true potential as well, which would give McCarthy and the Steelers an extra weapon to rely on, especially in obvious passing situations.
Steelers' New Scheme And Players Will Allow Passing Game To Thrive
It starts at the very top, with Metcalf and Pittman working off of each other and playing at a high level. Defenses can't double-cover both players on the same play, so whichever one is single-covered will get plenty of chances to make a play. If they are both taken out of the play by double-coverage, it becomes a 9-on-7 game, and with all the weapons the Steelers are expected to have, that should be an easy win for them.
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Newly acquired Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. walking off the field after an NFL game with the Indianapolis Colts in December of 2023.
The Steelers also don't have to worry about the middle of the field being restricted like it was heavily under every coordinator Mike Tomlin hired in recent years. That opens up the slot receiver to get more passes up the seam, and Pat Freiermuth can finally see his true potential as Roethlisberger mentioned -- showing why the Penn State standout got paid in the first place with an extension. If this is done right, Pittsburgh could have an exciting offense for the first time since Brown and Smith-Schuster were teammates.
What do you think about Roethlisberger comparing the possible 2026 Steelers' offense to the one he had back in 2017? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB. I will respond and follow back.
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