Pittsburgh Steelers

Cap room ranks 25th of 32 at $1615.4M with commitments rising sharply to $327.0M next season, but $16.9M in rollover ranked 8th provides a near-term cushion for targeted moves.

17 contracts expiring

Madden Tools Analysis

Six starting spots have weak depth behind the starter.

Pittsburgh holds seven picks including five in the first five rounds and three first-rounders, giving the rebuild genuine resources to attack multiple roster holes in a single draft.

• Acquired: Round 5 from Cowboys, this draft
• Acquired: Round 7 from Dolphins, this draft
• Traded away: Round 6 to Cowboys, this draft
• Traded away: Round 5 to Dolphins, this draft

The roster's top strength is an elite defensive front and secondary headlined by multiple star-tier players, while the weakest spot is an offensive line that is undersized in overall and thin in proven depth, especially at right guard.

• RGhigh

  The starting RG slot (Gennings Dunker, 72 overall) ranks 30th of 32 among starters league-wide, making interior offensive line the team's most urgent upgrade target.

• LTmedium

  Troy Fautanu (76 overall) starts at LT but the position ranks 25th of 32 at the starter level, and depth behind him is thin at 24th of 32.

• MIKElow

  Patrick Queen (80 overall) holds the MIKE spot but the unit ranks 21st of 32 among starters and the depth chart is extremely thin league-wide at 25th of 32.

• RTlow

  Max Iheanachor (75 overall) starts at RT and ranks 21st of 32, a position that warrants monitoring given the overall offensive line concerns.

• WILLlow

  Payton Wilson (75 overall) starts at WILL where depth ranks 3rd of 32, making this a low-severity need despite a middling starter rank.

• 67Mason RudolphQBMason Rudolph sits third on the QB depth chart behind Rodgers and Allar, and cutting him frees $3.0M against only $1.6M in dead money, making him a clean cap save with no meaningful depth-chart impact.Frees $3.0M · $1.6M dead
• 79Aaron RodgersQBAaron Rodgers is the depth-chart starter and carries enormous cap implications, but if the team decides to transition to Drew Allar, releasing him frees $22.0M while leaving only $500K in dead money.Frees $22.0M · $500.0K dead
• 54Ryan McCollumCRyan McCollum is a 54-overall backup center who sits second on the depth chart behind Zach Frazier, and releasing him frees $1.1M against just $180K in dead money with minimal roster consequence.Frees $1.1M · $180.0K dead
• 70Ben SkowronekWRBen Skowronek is a 70-overall receiver sitting third at WR behind Metcalf and Pittman with Germie Bernard also on the roster, and cutting him frees $2.3M against $540K in dead money.Frees $2.3M · $540.0K dead
• 67Robert TonyanTERobert Tonyan is a 67-overall tight end listed second on the TE depth chart behind Pat Freiermuth, and releasing him is a clean cut that frees $1.1M with zero dead money.Frees $1.1M · $0 dead

Pittsburgh enters this window as a defense-first team capable of competing immediately, built around the exceptional pass-rush tandem of T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith and backstopped by Jalen Ramsey at free safety. Cam Heyward is a dominant interior force but is well into the late stage of his career, and planning for life without him at DT is a near-term necessity. Aaron Rodgers gives the offense a veteran presence at quarterback, but given where he is in his career, Drew Allar looms as the long-term answer and needs reps and development. The offensive line is the roster's clearest weakness, with right guard ranking near the bottom of the league and left tackle carrying thin depth, and those holes must be addressed before the offense can consistently support the defense. The cap room sits at $1615.4M ranked 25th of 32 with commitments rising to $327.0M next season, so aggressive spending requires discipline, but $16.9M in rollover ranked 8th of 32 provides some near-term flexibility. If the offensive line is shored up and Allar develops into a reliable starter, Pittsburgh has the defensive infrastructure to contend for multiple seasons.

The Steelers were founded on July 8, 1933, by Art Rooney, who paid a $2,500 NFL franchise fee and named the team the Pittsburgh Pirates after the city's baseball club. For nearly four decades the franchise was among the NFL's most futile, posting just one playoff appearance (a 1947 loss to Philadelphia) through 1971. The name changed to "Steelers" in 1940 to honor the region's steel industry; the team briefly merged with Philadelphia (the 1943 "Steagles") and the Chicago Cardinals (1944's winless "Card-Pitt") during World War II player shortages. The turning point came when Chuck Noll was hired in 1969. Through a remarkable run of drafts, Noll assembled a dynasty: the "Immaculate Reception", Franco Harris's miraculous catch in a December 23, 1972 playoff win over Oakland, gave the franchise its first-ever postseason victory and launched a golden era. Behind the "Steel Curtain" defense, the Steelers won four Super Bowls in six years (IX, X, XIII, XIV), becoming the first team to win four titles and the only one to win back-to-back Super Bowls twice. After a fallow 1980s, Bill Cowher (hired 1992) returned the team to contention, reaching Super Bowl XXX after the 1995 season. The Steelers won their fifth title in Super Bowl XL (February 2006) as a No. 6 seed, the first sixth seed to win a Super Bowl. Mike Tomlin took over in 2007 and won Super Bowl XLIII (February 2009), the franchise's sixth championship, making Pittsburgh the first team to six Super Bowl wins. Tomlin never had a losing season in 19 years but did not win a playoff game after the 2016 season; he stepped down in January 2026, and Pittsburgh native Mike McCarthy was hired as the franchise's 17th head coach.