Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in good company regarding one of the biggest trades of the NFL’s 2026 offseason
There have been a lot of major NFL trades this offseason, including as late as last week. The Pittsburgh Steelers were a part of that news cycle, and they may have made one of the more underrated moves.
For the Pittsburgh Steelers and soon-to-be 31 other teams, the offseason has come to an end. The OTAs are done or will be done, and the mandatory minicamps are coming to a close. For the next six weeks, the Steelers will be on vacation until their 2026 season begins in earnest with the start of training camp in late July.
So now is the time to both preview what is to come for the Steelers in 2026, while being mindful of what the team has done since their season ended against the Texans in January. One move has CBS Sports’ attention, and it puts the Steelers in good company.
Key Steelers offseason additions
- RB Rico Dowdle (free agency).
- OT Max Iheanachor (NFL Draft).
- CB Jamel Dean (free agency).
Steelers trade for WR Michael Pittman named one of the most impactful of the offseason
“It went under the radar, but the Steelers have a new starter out wide — and they didn’t have to give up much for him either. Pittsburgh sent a sixth-round pick to the Colts for wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., plus a seventh-round pick. Adding a new target for Aaron Rodgers was necessary, as DK Metcalf accounted for almost half of the wide receiving corps’ yards last season (850 to 866). Pittman caught a career-high seven touchdowns in 2025 and has two 1,000-yard campaigns to his name.” – Jordan Dajani, CBS Sports
Will Michael Pittman Jr. actually be impactful for the Steelers in 2026?
The addition of Michael Pittman Jr. completely changes the math for the Steelers offense, in my opinion. Defenses will have gone from worrying about staying over the top and double teaming DK Metcalf, to having to worry about his vertical presence alongside a tremendous route runner like Pittman Jr.
This is a player who thrives on deep overs, posts, and dig routes, all of which are staples in the West Coast offense that Mike McCarthy will govern this season. If teams sell out to play Metcalf over the top, you have to worry about getting diced up over the middle with someone like Pittman Jr.
Oh, and the man throwing the ball, well, he only has 13 years of experience in said offense, and he’s had very similar archetypes at WR in the past with the likes of Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, and Allen Lazard.
It may have been one of the “quieter” moves of the offseason, but it could be very loud in Pittsburgh if things work out the way the Steelers are hoping.