Pittsburgh Steelers

With just $5.2M in room ranked 31st and a negative outlook next season, Pittsburgh is in a cap emergency that makes releasing Aaron Rodgers for $22.0M in savings the single most important front-office decision of the offseason.

31 contracts expiring

Madden Tools Analysis

Five starting spots have weak depth behind the starter.

Pittsburgh's top strength is a defense rated 78 overall led by multiple X Factor and Superstar playmakers, while the weakest spot is an offense rated 74 overall that is dragged down by one of the league's most porous offensive lines.

• RThigh

  Jack Driscoll starts at right tackle at just 65 overall, making this a high-severity vulnerability where opposing pass rushers will look to exploit every snap.

• LShigh
• RGmedium

  Gennings Dunker (72 overall) holds the starting RG spot but is a young, developing player at a position that could use a higher-rated presence to protect the quarterback.

• Pmedium

  Cameron Johnston handles punting duties at 70 overall, a below-average option that leaves field position as a recurring vulnerability on a team with limited offensive margin for error.

• LTlow

  Max Iheanachor starts at left tackle despite his 75 overall, meaning the blindside protection is adequate for now but warrants monitoring as the line develops.

• Multiple Zone RunoffensivePassable

  A zone-run scheme plays to the strengths of Rico Dowdle and Jaylen Warren behind a developing interior line anchored by the reliable Zach Frazier at center.

• [EA] Base 4-3defensiveGood

  The Base 4-3 is a natural home for Cam Heyward and a deep defensive tackle rotation, with T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith thriving as the primary edge rushers off the edges.

• 66Mason RudolphQBMason Rudolph sits third on the depth chart behind Rodgers and Allar, making his $3.0M in cap savings well worth the $1.6M in dead money for a roster this tight on space.Frees $3.0M · $1.6M dead
• 79Aaron RodgersQBReleasing Aaron Rodgers frees $22.0M against only $500K in dead money, which is by far the most impactful single roster move available to a team with just $5.2M in cap room.Frees $22.0M · $500.0K dead
• 73Malik HarrisonMIKEMalik Harrison functions as a MIKE backup and SAM third-stringer, and cutting him frees $4.8M while leaving only $2.0M in dead money, a worthwhile savings given his depth role.Frees $4.8M · $2.0M dead
• 54Ryan McCollumCRyan McCollum is the third-string center behind Frazier and Crippen at just 54 overall, and his release frees $1.1M against just $180K in dead money.Frees $1.1M · $180.0K dead
• 70Ben SkowronekWRBen Skowronek is the fourth receiver on a roster with DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman, and Germie Bernard ahead of him, and cutting him frees $2.3M against only $540K in dead money.Frees $2.3M · $540.0K dead

The Pittsburgh Steelers carry a defense capable of winning games on its own, led by Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt, Jalen Ramsey, and Alex Highsmith, but both Heyward and Watt are in the late stages of their careers and will need successors sooner rather than later. On offense, DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman give Aaron Rodgers legitimate weapons, but Rodgers himself is an aging starter whose window is narrow, and the offensive line in front of him is a genuine liability, particularly at right tackle where Jack Driscoll starts at just 65 overall. The cap picture is severe, with only $5.2M in room this season (31st in the league), committed costs of $335.3M next season, and a negative projected cap room of -$900K the year after, which will force difficult roster decisions before the team can meaningfully improve through free agency. Pittsburgh's best path forward is maximizing the current defensive core while developing young pieces like Zach Frazier, Joey Porter, and Derrick Harmon, and trimming cap inefficiencies like Aaron Rodgers to create financial runway.

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.