Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The Pittsburgh Steelers and general manager Omar Khan have been very active in the first week of NFL free agency, taking care of many of the Steelers’ needs through several key signings and one big trade for wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr.
But the Steelers do still have some needs remaining, and with the free agent pool drying up, there aren’t a ton of places left for Khan to make an impact.
In particular, left guard and slot wide receiver have not been addressed by the Steelers so far this offseason, with 2025 starters Isaac Seumalo (Arizona Cardinals) and Calvin Austin III (New York Giants) both departing in free agency.
So who is left on the free agent market that the Steelers could still target in the second week of free agency?
Today, we’re going to look at the guards remaining on the free agent market, and tomorrow, unless the Steelers sign one, we’ll take a look at the slot receivers.
STEELERS FREE AGENT GUARD TARGETS IN SECOND WEEK OF FREE AGENCY
Joel Bitonio
Cleveland Browns captain Joel Bitonio blocks for quarterback Dillion Gabriel in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Oct. 12, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
It seems most likely that Joel Bitonio will decide to retire, now that the Cleveland Browns have voided his contract, filled both guard spots and blocked a return for the 12-year veteran who has spent his entire career in Cleveland.
Bitonio is old. He’ll turn 35 years old next season. But he’s also still been very productive, and as long as he’s not looking for a long-term commitment from a team, could be a very good fit.
Even though he’s older, Bitonio has been super reliable. He’s missed two NFL games since 2016, and he’s routinely graded as one of the best pass-blocking linemen in the league. It would definitely be a bit weird for a longtime Browns captain to join the Steelers, but it’s hard to argue he’d be a bad fit.
Wyatt Teller
Cleveland Browns right guard Wyatt Teller during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 19, 2023. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
A June 1 release by the Browns, Bitonio’s longtime running mate in Cleveland Wyatt Teller is also available to the Steelers.
Teller is younger at 31, and didn’t spend his entire career in Cleveland, first being drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 2018 before a 2019 trade, but he has spent seven years with the Browns.
Teller hasn’t played left guard since his rookie season, and while he certainly could do it, it’s unclear whether he’d want to make that transition this late in his career. He also hasn’t been as good of a pass protector as Bitonio, allowing three sacks and 24 pressures last season, per PFF.
Mekhi Becton
Philadelphia Eagles guard Mekhi Becton blocks against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 15, 2024. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
A misstep of first-round pick by the New York Jets at offensive tackle in 2020, Mekhi Becton resurrected his career at guard with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024, starting 15 games on the way to a Super Bowl LIX win.
He turned that performance into a two-year, $20 million contract with the Los Angeles Chargers. Things did not go particularly well, with LA’s entire offensive line struggling, and Becton was released.
Picking up a player who was cut loose by one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL is generally not a great tactic, but he was very good with Philadelphia in 2024. There is clearly talent there, but this would be a bet on veteran offensive line coach James Campen’s ability to get the most out of Becton where many other have failed.
James Daniels
Pittsburgh Steelers right guard James Daniels in a game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 24, 2024. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
A familiar name to Steelers fans, James Daniels was the team’s starting right guard from 2022 to the early part of the 2024 season, when an Achilles injury ended his season and his time in Pittsburgh.
Last year, he signed with the Miami Dolphins and was their starter at right guard, as well, but just for one week before a torn pectoral muscle ended his season. He was released by Miami in February.
The Warren, Ohio native was well-liked in the Pittsburgh locker room and could probably be brought back at a significant discount thanks to two straight unlucky injury seasons.
Brady Christensen
Carolina Panthers offensive lineman Brady Christensen (70) against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium Sep 7, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA.. — Morgan Tencza / Imagn ImagesCredit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images
Another player coming off a season-ending injury, Brady Christensen was probably was probably having his best season for the Carolina Panthers before his Achilles injury in Week 8 last fall.
The late date of his injury means that Christensen might wait a while to be ready to sign, but because the Steelers have Spencer Anderson in place as a stop-gap, they can probably afford to wait a while to make their signing here.
Christensen has played all five offensive line positions, so he provides versatility in addition to strong run-blocking bona fides. A former third-round pick out of BYU, he still should have plenty of juice in the tank at 29 years old.
Best of the rest
The Steelers have reportedly, and then un-reportedly, connected to Brock Hoffman … Kevin Zeitler has been above-average for a long time, but is 36 years old. … Daniel Faalele and Trevor Penning are two more players drafted as tackles that have had mixed success at guard. … Alex Cappa has been cut in back-to-back offseasons, but has had good performances in the past. … Former Miami Dolphins second-round Liam Eichenberg never lived up to his draft hype, but does have some untapped potential. … Greg Van Roten is probably more of a backup at this stage of his career.
Mentioned In This Article: Brady Christensen Cleveland Browns James Daniels Joel Bitonio Mekhi Becton Pittsburgh Steelers Steelers top Wyatt Teller