Steelers unanswered questions ahead of OTAs: Who is WR2? Will Aaron Rodgers show?

Sports

add

When Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan acquired DK Metcalf in a blockbuster trade in March, it appeared for a minute that he had taken one of the thinnest position groups on the team and turned it into a strength.

Even as speculation swirled and Khan was asked repeatedly about a possible George Pickens trade, Khan maintained throughout the offseason that Metcalf’s addition had no impact on Pickens’ future.

“We’re glad we have George and DK here,” Khan said ahead of the NFL Draft. “I think they’re going to be exciting for everyone to watch.”

Just over a week later, Khan traded Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2026 third-round pick (plus a late-round pick swap in 2027).

In many ways, the trade was necessary, maybe even inevitable. Considering the Steelers weren’t going to pay two high-level receivers (at least not one like Pickens, who repeatedly got wrapped up in on-field antics and off-field immaturities), it made sense in the bigger picture to trade the young receiver while he still had value and acquire additional draft capital that might be used to address the quarterback position in 2026.

That said, it also puts the Steelers back in a similar position to where they started this offseason: with one Pro Bowl-caliber No. 1 receiver and a lot of question marks behind him. That’s not how Khan sees it.

“We wouldn’t have done this if we didn’t feel good about the receiver situation, about our depth there,” Khan said. “I know people make a comparison about last year. It’s not even close to being the same.”

“Obviously, we made the investment with DK,” the GM continued. “We’ve had another year with some of the young guys and gotten to know them, watch them develop. We added Robert Woods. Roman (Wilson is) healthy. I’ve seen him the last couple of weeks out here, and how he’s doing and saw how he was progressing at the end of last year. Obviously, he didn’t get the chance to get on the field, but there was some excitement there. But we have a good group.”

When the Steelers begin OTAs Tuesday at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, it will be the first chance for a young receiving corps to prove it’s deeper than many believe. So, who is the No. 2 receiver? And, maybe more importantly, are the Steelers — whose 2024 season went into a tailspin around the time Pickens was injured — any better positioned to handle an injury to their No. 1 receiver?

These questions put three players under the microscope: Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson and Robert Woods.

As Khan alluded to, Calvin Austin III emerged last season in what was essentially his second full season in the NFL (he missed his rookie season with a wrist injury). He caught 36 passes for 548 yards and four touchdowns. Though his size (5-8, 170 pounds) is a limitation, his speed (4.32) is an X-factor. How much can he continue to grow?

Wilson injured his ankle in the first padded practice of training camp. That began a disappointing rookie season in which he essentially redshirted. When the Steelers selected Wilson in the third round of the 2024 draft, the team was looking forward to the Michigan product bringing production over the middle of the field. If he can hit the ground running in Year 2, the depth chart will look much more complete.

Woods, meanwhile, is a stylistic fit in Arthur Smith’s offense as a big-bodied receiver and willing blocker. He eclipsed the 1,000-yard plateau in 2018 and 2019. However, he’s 33 and coming off a 20-reception, 203-yard season with no touchdowns in Houston. What does he have left?

During the nine practices open to the media over the next three weeks, we’ll keep a close eye on this group. Here’s more of what we’ll be watching at OTAs:

Will Aaron Rodgers show up?

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has said repeatedly that there’s no timeline for Aaron Rodgers to make his decision, and the team is not planning to give him a deadline. But Tuesday marks an important time on the calendar, as the team begins voluntary on-field workouts.

Asked ahead of the draft if he’d be all right with Rodgers missing OTAs and then signing ahead of training camp, Tomlin said he hadn’t “pondered” that. The time for pondering might be coming.

It seems the Steelers are already preparing in case Rodgers doesn’t show. A year ago, Tomlin talked about how it was important to have a QB1 in “pole position,” not only for formal workouts but also to arrange informal throwing sessions. He’s changed his tune this offseason.

“In the spring, it’s about teaching and learning and getting familiar with players and making sure they get familiar with some of the things that we value,” Tomlin said at the NFL’s annual league meetings. “It’s not an evaluation time of the year for us. It’s certainly not a time of the year where we’re focused on readying ourselves for the game action. Certainly, training camp would kind of be a line of demarcation in terms of that discussion.”

If Rodgers doesn’t sign ahead of OTAs, the Steelers will be missing out on opportunities to build chemistry with their new QB and establish an offensive identity. However, the silver lining is that a potential Rodgers’ absence would present opportunities for the other two quarterbacks.

Mason Rudolph, who threw nine touchdowns and nine interceptions for a passer rating of 80.4 last year in Tennessee, would likely lead the first-team offense. The Steelers have thrown their support behind Rudolph often this offseason. Meanwhile, rookie Will Howard would probably also see more meaningful reps with the second team (and even some first-team reps) if Rodgers doesn’t sign in the next couple of days.

We’ll see if their performance makes the Steelers rethink how patient they’re willing to be.

Will T.J. Watt bring attention to his contract situation?

Last offseason, Cameron Heyward brought attention to his unsettled contract situation by skipping a handful of voluntary workouts. This year, will his defensive co-captain follow the same game plan?

In 2021, Watt signed a four-year contract extension worth more than $112 million ($28 million annually), making him the highest-paid defensive player in the league. During the life of that contract, as salaries have grown for all players, edge rushers in particular have cashed in. Rarely does a player entering his ninth season reset the market with his third contract. However, that’s exactly what Myles Garrett did this offseason.

The Browns’ top edge rusher is atop his position at $40 million annually, according to Over the Cap. The Texans’ Danielle Hunter ($35.6M), Raiders’ Maxx Crosby ($35.5M), 49ers’ Nick Bosa ($34M), Jaguars’ Josh Hines-Allen ($28.25M) and Giants’ Brian Burns ($28.2M) have all surpassed Watt, who entered the league the same year as Garrett (2017) but is a year older (Watt turns 31 in October; Garrett turns 30 in December).

Khan has said repeatedly he’d like Watt to end his career where it started, in Pittsburgh. We’ll see if this is an easy negotiation or if it lingers through training camp.

Who takes an early lead in the nickel competition?

Beanie Bishop, an undrafted rookie out of West Virginia, flashed his ball-hawking prowess in his first season. He intercepted four passes, including two against Rodgers and the Jets. However, he was also in the middle of several miscommunications, and when Cameron Sutton returned from suspension, the rookie slid down the depth chart.

In Year 2, Bishop could take a step forward to seize that gig full-time. However, there is no shortage of candidates to compete for the spot.

Brandin Echols, a former Jet who signed with the Steelers in free agency, can play inside or outside. Per TruMedia, Echols has played 445 coverage snaps at right corner, 199 at left corner and about 150 in the slot in his four-year career. Rookie Donte Kent, who was selected in the seventh round, also has plenty of experience and might need to thrive inside if he’s going to stick long term.

The Steelers also signed Juan Thornhill this offseason. As a versatile safety, he would seem to fit nicely into the “big nickel” role, which features three safeties on the field, including one aligned over the slot receiver. Undrafted rookie safety Sebastian Castro could also be in the conversation in both the regular and big nickel. He played the “Cash” position at Iowa, serving as a hybrid linebacker/defensive back. That makes him a candidate as a backup in the three-safety packages and a possible contender for a job in the regular nickel.

That’s a lot of names. In three weeks, we’ll have a better idea of how they stack up.

What’s the inside linebacker rotation?

Patrick Queen joined the Steelers last offseason and immediately stepped into a role as an all-situations, all-packages inside linebacker, playing 100 percent of the snaps. But who lines up next to him, and in what packages?

It appears former Raven Malik Harrison will step into Elandon Roberts’ old role as the run-stuffer on early downs. Payton Wilson earned most of his playing time as a rookie in the nickel defense, but his reps should grow in other packages in Year 2.

So what does that mean for Cole Holcomb, who is now healthy after battling back from a devastating knee injury in 2023? And how does seventh-round rookie Carson Bruener fit?

Which under-the-radar players will emerge?

Rodgers and Watt might be the biggest storylines this time of year, but OTAs are also a great opportunity for under-the-radar players to make their cases. Two intriguing players to watch are tight end JJ Galbreath and fullback/tight end DJ Thomas-Jones.

Galbreath wowed at his pro day, producing numbers that would have been near the top of all combine participants at his position. The Steelers feature the tight end often, but they also have plenty of depth there with Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Connor Heyward and Donald Parham Jr. Can Galbreath bump one of those players out?

Meanwhile, the Steelers didn’t carry a true fullback last year, instead opting for the hybrid route with Heyward. If they’re looking for a more traditional, downhill blocker, Thomas-Jones has an outside shot to earn a roster spot.

(Photos of Roman Wilson, left, and Aaron Rodgers: Joe Sargent, Cooper Neill / Getty Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

Share on

email

Previous

trending_flat

Rangers mailbag, Part 2: Offer-sheet situations? The next captain? Mike Sullivan’s system?

Sports

Next

trending_flat

Panthers at Hurricanes Game 2 picks, odds, schedule: Carolina narrow favorite, down 1-0

Sports