The Pittsburgh Steelers are already undergoing an offseason marked by a lot of change. With all the news from the head coach search, and now the ensuing search to fill the rest of Mike McCarthy’s staff, it’s easy to forget that free agency is just a month and some change away. And while the Steelers won’t lose any critical free agents this offseason, some key role players from 2025 will hit the open market.
One player the Steelers really need to hold onto, according to Ben Roethlisberger, is Isaac Seumalo.
“I would try to bring him back on just a one or two-year,” Roethlisberger said Tuesday on his Footbahlin podcast. “I think you still need to have another year more of that veteran. He’s the veteran guy there. I would try for another year or two, personally.”
At 32, Seumalo is starting to get a bit older. But he still put together a solid season in 2025. A triceps injury forced him to miss a few games, and it lingered a little while longer after. But he still played well, arguably being the team’s most consistent lineman at times throughout the year.
Perhaps what’s most impressive is how he helped the youth around him. Zach Frazier has plenty of talent, but he surely benefits from having a veteran in Seumalo next to him. And after Broderick Jones went down, the Steelers had to cycle through offensive tackles on his side of the ball. They eventually landed on Dylan Cook, who finished the year on a strong note.
Another of the pending free agents Roethlisberger wants the Steelers to keep is Kenneth Gainwell.
“You’ve got Warren, and I would do everything I could to bring Gainwell back, short of like, breaking the bank. But I think he’s a great weapon,” Roethlisberger said.
We’re all well aware of the impact Gainwell had. He was well worth the small contract Pittsburgh signed him to, as he led the team in receptions. Dump-offs from Rodgers to Gainwell out of the backfield became essentially extended handoffs at times, but he was a real threat with the ball in his hands. Gainwell even made some big plays out wide as a receiver.
The Steelers do have Kaleb Johnson waiting in the wings, but Gainwell’s versatility would make sense for the offense McCarthy desires. It certainly wouldn’t be a bad idea to reunite him with Jaylen Warren again.
Finally, Roethlisberger also wants Calvin Austin III back in Pittsburgh.
“I would try and bring Austin back… I think he plays bigger than he is. He’s a good player, he’s a stretch-the-field [player],” Roethlisberger said. “No disrespect, he played really good. He’s not a true two. He would be like one of the best threes in the game, if you could put a one, a two, and then put him in there.”
Austin had a chance to hold onto the WR2 role this year, but was unable to. He did make some big plays, including the go-ahead touchdown to send the Steelers to the playoffs in Week 18. But injuries hurt his momentum, and he just became a non-factor too often.
That said, it was hard for any receiver aside from Metcalf to get open consistently. If the Steelers bring in a solid second option, Austin could thrive as the third receiver.
The Steelers have a ton of decisions to make this offseason, and Roethlisberger wants that to include an effort to keep these pending free agents.