The Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to have a complete offensive turnaround with new head coach Mike McCarthy running things. The constant use of multi-tight end sets will most likely go out the window as he will opt to go with a more basic 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end) base package. On top of that, he has left the door wide open for Aaron Rodgers to return for one more ride, and he prefers veterans over rookies, so Pittsburgh could bring in a couple of free agent wideouts to help him out.
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Steelers' Aaron Rodgers throws to DK Metcalf during a win over the Cleveland Browns during the 2025 season.
The Steelers have been targeting Jauan Jennings for about a year now, but they couldn't get a trade done with the San Francisco 49ers. Now, he is expected to walk away in free agency, which Pittsburgh can get him without forfeiting any draft capital. Even better, they could probably snag him up for cheap, as injuries severely limited his ability all season long in 2025. When he's healthy, he can be electric.
Jennings did play 15 games despite suffering sprains in both ankles and broken ribs. Despite being held back in that regard, he had nine touchdowns after coming off of a 975-yard season the year before. Him being healthy could lead to his first ever 1,000-yard season. Because of the fact that he only had 643 yards in 2025, he could be brought back at a very reasonable price that could allow the team to pay up for a stud player elsewhere.
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49ers' Jauan Jennings looks on while getting his body warmed up before a home game in San Francisco.
Speaking of players that the Steelers have been targeting for a while now, Christian Kirk will be available. Their desire to grab him was proven to be justified when he lit Pittsburgh up for eight receptions, 144 yards, and a touchdown while helping to fill in for the injured Nico Collins. If McCarthy can get that version of Kirk on his team, especially for cheap, there would be no complaints from Steelers fans.
Like with Jennings, Kirk dealt with injuries throughout the season. On top of that, quarterback play was worse than expected as the offense started leaning on the run more. If he can stay healthy, he should have more opportunities to thrive in an 11-personnel offense with a head coach that is supposedly a quarterback whisperer helping to get him the ball in the slot.
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There might not be a more lowkey big-play threat in the league than Jahan Dotson. He has struggled with being a regular contributor, but when he catches the ball, he gets chunk plays that could help set the team up for a score, He had 14.6 yards per reception in 2025, which was second in his career only to his rookie season. He had receptions of 34, 40, and 51 yards, as more than half of his catches resulted in first downs.
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Jahan Dotson celebrates as a member of the Washington Commanders.
Dotson also started working out at punt returner, which the Steelers do need as well. If he works out well for the offense, he can be a starter. If not, they can continue developing him on returns while bringing him into the huddle for big-play situations. Having that kind of deep threat on the field forces the defense to adjust, even if his stats are not all that impressive. If defenses ignore him, he will burn them down the sideline.
There are other fun options, like a Mike Evans or JuJu Smith-Schuster. However, those are more unrealistic options unfortunately, especially since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would most likely try to do everything they possibly could to keep the face of their franchise happy in Evans.
What do you think about the Steelers' wide receiver options? Who do you want the team to sign? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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