Steelers Report Card: Grading the surprises, standouts, and disappointments from the first third of the 2025 season
The good, the bad, and the concerning from the first third of the Steelers season.
We are on to Week 7 in the league, which means we are one-third of the way through the 2025 NFL season. Mimicking how elementary schools give out grades (or at least when I was in school), today we will give the Pittsburgh Steelers a trimester report card.
The first of three: today marks the beginning of our series, which we will revisit after Week 12 and again after Week 18. Let’s hop in.
Offensive superlatives
MVP: Aaron Rodgers
Look, the numbers won’t blow you away, but Rodgers has been everything the Steelers could have asked for and then some. Despite all the rumors and hearsay about him as a teammate, he has assimilated into the Steelers’ culture.
The accountability he holds everyone to is something that has been missing for a long time. It’s not a coincidence that Rodgers comes in, and all the talk about distractions and maturity in recent years is gone. So forget the fact that Rodgers has been efficient, his arm looks fantastic, and he’s taking care of the football; his it factor has changed the Steelers and certainly the offense.
Glue guy: DK Metcalf
Metcalf has been the best skill player on the Steelers roster. He leads the teams in targets, receptions, receiving yards, yards after the catch, and yards from scrimmage. Metcalf and Rodgers have formed a rapport, and their chemistry continues to develop every week.
He undoubtedly brings the whole offense together.
Biggest surprise: Kenny Gainwell
Kenny Gainwell had to start against the Minnesota Vikings in Ireland, and he literally and figuratively ran with the opportunity. A career day where he accounted for 99 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, whether it’s been as the starter or as a relief player, Gainwell has been impressive.
Biggest disappointment: Pat Freiermuth
Muth could have fallen under the biggest surprise category as well. Still, for what the Steelers are paying him and for what his role within the offense was supposed to be, he is certainly the biggest disappointment through the first trimester. He has just eight receptions in five games. Mike Tomlin says his time is coming, but it certainly hasn’t looked like it.
Turning point of the last six weeks: Vikings game
You will see in the letter grade below that my overall report card was balanced to include what happened in the first three weeks of the season. Because if we graded just the last two games for the Steelers, starting with Minnesota, the offense would have received an A.
It seemed like the Vikings game flipped a switch for the offensive line, as the last two games have seen the Steelers go for over 100 yards on the ground. We’ll see if they can keep it up.
Offense overall grade: B
Defensive superlatives
MVP: Jalen Ramsey
You would think that on a defense headlined by T.J. Watt, and with players like Cam Heyward and Patrick Queen, Jalen Ramsey would have a tough time being in the MVP race.
In reality, he is the runaway favorite. He has played everywhere from safety to corner to linebacker and has a negative EPA at all three. He has forced turnovers, created pass breakups, and been a willing tackler. As Tomlin would say, he’s been varsity.
Glue guy: Patrick Queen
After a little bit of a slow start in Pittsburgh last season, Patrick Queen has come on like gangbusters in 2025. He looks faster than ever, and he has received the second-year bump in Pittsburgh.
He leads the team in tackles again through the first third of the season, but he has looked more comfortable in coverage as well.
Biggest surprise: Nick Herbig
This one may be surprising (no pun intended) because Nick Herbig has quietly been building up to what looks to be his breakout in 2025, but Herbig’s level of play right now is Pro Bowl caliber. It’s wild to think that about a player who had to be introduced as a 12th starter on Sunday. Herbig has 4.5 sacks in four games of action. He had 5.5 all of last season.
Biggest disappointment: Payton Wilson
Wilson started the season as the starting inside backer alongside Queen in base personnel, but he has seen his role diminish in the last few games, with Cole Holcomb taking more snaps on early downs. Wilson has struggled to stay clean in the run game, and he’s even had a few blunders in pass coverage communication.
Turning point of the last six weeks: Patriots game
It was in Week 3 that the Steelers defense came out and turned the Patriots over five times, forcing Drake Maye into the leading rusher role. The caveat is that the Steelers’ defense didn’t play well before that game, and they have faced two injured or poor offenses since. But you can only play your schedule, and the defense has thrived in three of their five contests.
Defense overall grade: A-
2025 draft class superlatives
Overachiever: Derrick Harmon
Harmon already has two sacks, and he’s made a valuable play in every game he’s participated in. That would have been good if he were a top-five pick who had a perfect offseason, much less a rookie from the latter portion of round one who missed time with injury.
Rookie we need to see more from: Jack Sawyer
Sawyer hasn’t seen the field much, but it’s hard to break through when you have the pass-rushing trio that the Steelers employ up top. He recorded a sack in his first trimester, so I would like to see how he looks with more time on task.
Underachiever: Kaleb Johnson
Johnson has seen his snap share increase after being benched entirely following his blunder against the Seahawks, but he still has yet to live up to much of the hype he had coming into camp.
It’s been a learning process for the rookie every step of the way, and he has virtually no shot of unseating Jaylen Warren this season, but he still has the makings of a franchise back.
Draft class overall grade: C-
Coaching report card
The Steelers’ ability to adjust on defense in recent weeks has been impressive, and Arthur Smith is on a heater at the play-calling position.
That being said, communication, clock management, and fourth-down decision-making issues still persist, so the coaches have to take a little bit of a bump. Time will tell how all of these grades evolve.
Grade: B+
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