Big Revelation Comes To Light As Steelers' 2025 Free Agency Plans Are Expected To Be Aggressive

The Pittsburgh Steelers have some holes to address throughout the roster, and not all of them can be fixed in the 2025 NFL Draft. The franchise doesn't have any extra picks in the first couple of rounds, which will lead to some intense decision-making from the front office and coaching staff. The defensive line, cornerback, wide receiver and running back positions are expected to be a focus throughout the pre-draft process. Several factors will come into play in regards to free agency and the amount of money General Manager Omar Khan will have to play with, but it is expected to be a lot.

Khan was the mastermind behind the Steelers' highest external free agency contract in franchise history when Patrick Queen was brought in roughly a year ago on a three-year, $41 million contract. It's quite possible that someone exceeds that in 2025, especially because the roster has so many areas that need to be updated. Fans should be preparing for an extremely busy March.

Speculation will run rampant in the coming weeks and months after another disappointing early playoff exit, and one player that will hear his name mentioned often is George Pickens. The seemingly disgruntled pass-catcher may not be in the Steel City for much longer, a trend that fans have become accustomed to seeing with talented wideouts.

During a fan chat on Wednesday, Steelers insider Gerry Dulac from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was asked about his expectation for free agency, as it comes before the draft. When questioned about Khan's aggressiveness in 2025, he was simple in his response.

"Yes I do. A WR for starters," Dulac wrote.

It would be a breath of fresh air for Pittsburgh to try and build a championship roster thanks to financial freedom in relation to cap space. If the team decides to cut some players and restructure some contracts, there could be roughly $100 million to play with come March. There are intricacies that lead to that not being the firm number, but regardless, Khan could have plenty in his pockets to dish out.

Big targets include Tee Higgins and Chris Godwin, among others, but the Steelers can't miss this time around. In 2024, a ton of focus was on Brandon Aiyuk, only for that potential trade never coming to fruition. The first task handed to Khan by ownership once the new league year begins should have nothing to do with anything other than wide receiver.

Pittsburgh will have the money to make a splash, and as Dulac suggested, it's almost already expected. Cornerback will be another area of focus, but even if Pickens manages to remain on the roster, the organization saw throughout 2024 how detrimental it was not to have a legitimate second option in the passing game. The spurts of offense from Calvin Austin III and Pat Freiermuth were nice, but not nearly enough.

The Steelers will be tested in 2025 well before training camp gets underway. It is pivotal to find answers to problems in free agency because the draft is not going to turn the team into a contender immediately, especially because tradition says that rookies aren't going to play that much unless absolutely necessary. Pittsburgh needs to open up the checkbook and sign several dynamic play-makers on both sides of the ball.

Steelers' 2025 Quarterback Decision Could Affect Cap Space Significantly

It's unlikely that the decision is made to extend Russell Wilson on an expensive deal based on how the final five games of the year went. This leaves an interesting situation based on certain free agents such as Sam Darnold. The most clear solution is to re-sign Justin Fields and draft a signal-caller in 2025 or 2026. Overall, the ability to spend in free agency could be hinging on which quarterback signs what contract.

Do you think that the Steelers are going to be big-time spenders in 2025 free agency? Let us know in the comments below!

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