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\u2019s staff, it\u2019s easy to forget that free agency is just a month and some change away. And while the Steelers won\u2019t lose any critical free agents this offseason, some key role players from 2025 will hit the open market.<\/p>\n
One player the Steelers really need to hold onto, according to Ben Roethlisberger, is Isaac Seumalo.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would try to bring him back on just a one or two-year,\u201d Roethlisberger said Tuesday on his Footbahlin podcast<\/a>. \u201cI think you still need to have another year more of that veteran. He\u2019s the veteran guy there. I would try for another year or two, personally.\u201d<\/p>\n 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\u2019s most consistent lineman at times throughout the year.<\/p>\n Perhaps what\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Another of the pending free agents Roethlisberger wants the Steelers to keep is Kenneth Gainwell.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve got Warren, and I would do everything I could to bring Gainwell back, short of like, breaking the bank. But I think he\u2019s a great weapon,\u201d Roethlisberger said.<\/p>\n We\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n The Steelers do have Kaleb Johnson waiting in the wings, but Gainwell\u2019s versatility would make sense for the offense McCarthy desires<\/a>. It certainly wouldn\u2019t be a bad idea to reunite him with Jaylen Warren again.<\/p>\n Finally, Roethlisberger also wants Calvin Austin III back in Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n \u201cI would try and bring Austin back\u2026 I think he plays bigger than he is. He\u2019s a good player, he\u2019s a stretch-the-field [player],\u201d Roethlisberger said. \u201cNo disrespect, he played really good. He\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n