The Pittsburgh Steelers still very much want to be a team that builds through the draft but scouting or development failures have forced them to radically shift the way they keep their roster competitive. Just 26 players who were active against the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card playoff loss made the 2025 initial 53-man roster (h/t TribLive Joe Rutter). And that significant roster churn isn’t a one-year anomaly.
The Steelers believe they are capable of competing deep into the playoffs every year and maneuver their roster accordingly. This year, that meant becoming one of the oldest rosters in the NFL. One former GM doesn’t like the shift in strategy.
“You’re really basically saying, the names that are out there that have performed in the past, we’re banking on them playing at that level for 17 games in their 30s and 40s. And guess what? If they do? Great. But where’s the foundation for future success?” Doug Whaley said Wednesday via 93.7 The Fan’s Morning Show. “To me, you’re looking at a Steeler team and franchise that is going to be a year-to-year endeavor until they find that quarterback. But more importantly, until they find that formula to be able to draft, develop and retain.
“Where’s the longevity in that?”
It’s hard to criticize the Steelers’ current strategy. The alternative would have been blowing things up and wasting the last chance with future Hall of Famers like T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward on the roster. But it’s difficult to unravel that strategy once a commitment has been made.
With that in mind, I think they’ve done a decent job laying the foundation for the next era to soften the landing once they pull the plug on the aging core of the team. They have some young offensive and defensive linemen with promise, and players like Joey Porter Jr., Payton Wilson, Nick Herbig, and Darnell Washington to help transition into the next era.
There’s a much better recipe for success for their next young quarterback than Kenny Pickett ever had in Pittsburgh.
Whaley’s critique is fair, but we all know the Steelers will never settle for being a bad football team entering a season. They have made the best of a bad situation and have a chance to compete in the AFC playoff landscape. And their projected 12 draft picks next offseason can kick-start the youth movement in Pittsburgh.