With a bunch of cap space entering the offseason and a lot of needs on the roster, the Pittsburgh Steelers under new head coach Mike McCarthy could be very busy in free agency.

Needs at wide receiver, cornerback, and quarterback are among the biggest for the Steelers this offseason. Quarterback could be taken care of depending on what decision Aaron Rodgers makes this offseason.

But receiver and cornerback are major needs, especially coming off the 2025 season where the Steelers tried to hold things together behind the likes of DK Metcalf and Joey Porter Jr. at the positions. It didn’t work out all that well, and now it’s back to the starting block for Pittsburgh.

Fortunately, there are plenty of options available in free agency that could entice the Steelers.

For CBS Sports’ Zachary Pereles, there are three players in free agency for whom he listed the Steelers as potential suitors. That would be wide receivers Alec Pierce and Deebo Samuel, and cornerback Jamel Dean. The key will be quarterback though.

In his piece, Pereles predicts Rodgers to retire, rather than sign up for another season with the Steelers and reunite with McCarthy. But, if he does return, Pereles believes Rodgers will have some suitors outside of the Steelers, something Rodgers believed at the end of the season, too.

“If Rodgers does surprisingly stick around, it will be interesting to see who shows interest in a 42-year-old quarterback who has been either injured or below average the last three years,” Pereles writes. “Rodgers still takes care of the ball well, but he isn’t mobile, nor does he stand strong in the pocket and deliver downfield like he used to.”

Rodgers did a nice job in 2025 for the Steelers. He took care of the football and was a good leader. He demanded accountability on offense and had teammates raving about his leadership and preparation weekly. He showed how it’s supposed to be done in the NFL.

He might not be what he once was, but there’s still a good quarterback in there, one with a great arm and the ability to make good decisions with the football. It would make sense for him to reunite with McCarthy for one final season and take another shot at it in Pittsburgh.

Outside of Rodgers though, the free agents Pereles highlighted for the Steelers are intriguing.

Pierce is ranked as the No. 6 player set to hit free agency. He’s coming off a monster season for the Colts, hauling in 47 passes for 1,003 yards and six touchdowns and an absurd 21.3 yards per reception. He had just two 100-yard games last season, but he consistently hit the home run for Indianapolis in the passing game.

Alec Pierce has been the league’s best deep ball receiver over the past 2 seasons. Back to back seasons averaging over 20 yards per reception. Contested catch monster that is insanely explosive

If he gets inside position on a deep ball, it’s closer to an 80/20 than a 50/50 ball pic.twitter.com/6oN91NTOq0

— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) January 28, 2026

He’s a player who has long made sense for the Black and Gold due to his speed and the interest the Steelers showed in him coming out of Cincinnati in the 2022 NFL Draft. Alex Kozora highlighted him as a trade candidate who made sense for Pittsburgh coming into the 2025 season, too.

But his big season might have priced him out of Pittsburgh. Pierce was listed as fits for not only the Steelers, but the Washington Commanders, Las Vegas Raiders and Buffalo Bills in free agency.

With Samuel, the Steelers once tried to pursue him in trade talks with the San Francisco 49ers during the Brandon Aiyuk saga. Instead, Samuel was traded to the Commanders, where he had a rough season in the nation’s capital.

Samuel hauled in just 72 passes for 727 yards and five touchdowns, recording a career-low 10.1 yards per reception. He also added 17 rushes for 75 yards and a score.

Samuel played in 16 games, which was the most he’s played in a season since 2021, but his performance left a lot to be desired. He turned 30 in January, too.

Outside of the Steelers, Pereles listed the Chargers, 49ers, and Cardinals as potential suitors for Samuel.

Then, there’s Dean.

The veteran cornerback will turn 30 years old in September, but he’s coming off arguably his best season in the NFL. Last year with the Buccaneers, Dean recorded three interceptions and returned one for a touchdown. He also had nine pass breakups, forced two fumbles and recorded his first career sack.

He’s a physical player on the boundary with quite a bit of production across seven seasons with Tampa Bay. But now he’s set for free agency and could cash in.

Pairing a player like Dean with Porter could solidify the Steelers’ cornerback room for the next few years as their roster and coaching staff undergoes changes. The Steelers will be without defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander moving forward as he took a job with the Vikings. 

The free agent additions of Darius Slay and Asante Samuel Jr. didn’t move the needle for the Steelers last season, either. They need help at the position, and Dean makes sense. Besides Pittsburgh, Pereles tabbed the Packers, Jets and 49ers as potential suitors for Dean.

Elsewhere, Pereles tabbed the Carolina Panthers as the best landing spot for Steelers offensive guard and pending free agent Isaac Seumalo, ranking the veteran left guard as the No. 42 free agent in football.