New offensive schemes demand playmakers. Discover which free agent wideouts could finally ignite the Steelers' dormant passing game.
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense figures to change significantly next season, regardless of whether 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers decides to return for a second season as quarterback.
New coach Mike McCarthy plans to call the offensive plays. McCarthy’s proclivity to the West Coast offense means that the Steelers will employ more of a wide-open attack. That would run counter to the previous two seasons and to the conservative offense run by coordinator Arthur Smith, which relied heavily on tight ends and running backs.
McCarthy’s offense will require production from the wide receivers, which is something Pittsburgh didn’t get much of last season, despite winning the AFC North championship. DK Metcalf had 59 receptions for 850 yards and six touchdowns, but the rest of the Steelers' receivers had 77 catches for 866 yards and seven scores.
Thus, it would seem likely that Pittsburgh will have multiple new wide receivers next season for McCarthy’s debut. The free agent market could help boost the receiving corps. Here is a look at some of the top free agents that will be on the market when the legal tampering period begins on March 9.
George Pickens is set to hit the open market only one year after the Steelers traded him to the Dallas Cowboys. Former coach Mike Tomlin wanted to get rid of Pickens because of a bad attitude and diva-type tendencies.
Now that McCarthy is the coach, would Pittsburgh change its stance on Pickens? It’s doubtful, but the 24-year-old had a big year with the Cowboys with 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns.
Mike Evans is 32 and has spent 12 seasons in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Yet the Steelers are in win-now mode, and Evans had at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first 11 seasons before being limited to eight games last season because of a fractured collarbone and a concussion.
Evans is the kind of player that Pittsburgh might feel it can coax at least one more good season from.
Alec Pierce would give the Steelers a second deep threat to team with Metcalf after averaging an NFL-leading 21.3 yards per catch last year. The 25-year-old had 1,003 yards and six touchdowns on just 47 catches. Pierce also led the league with a 22.3 reception average in 2024, but has been inconsistent throughout his four-year career.
Romeo Doubs, 25, has been a solid receiver during his four seasons with the Green Bay Packers. Last year, he had 55 receptions for 724 yards and six touchdowns. The receptions and yards were career highs.
Christian Kirk seems to be slowing down, but the Steelers might be able to salvage the 29-year-old’s career after he had just 27 and 28 catches in the past two seasons for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans for a combined 618 yards and two TDs.
Kirk had to open Pittsburgh’s eyes during the Texans’ AFC Wild Card playoff win last season when he burned the Steelers for eight catches, 144 yards, and a touchdown.
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