"Looking To Add": Steelers Are Somehow Still Not Done In Free Agency

It has been a hectic 2026 offseason for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The organization went through its first head-coaching change since 2007, and that didn't stop the front office from being aggressive in free agency or on the trade market. Additionally, the team selected 10 rookies in the NFL Draft. It was not a joke when Art Rooney II told reporters that he sees no point in spending a year trying to avoid winning for tanking purposes. Aaron Rodgers didn't return to hope that he can flirt with a record of .500 or better; the overall goal is to get into the playoffs and make a deep run if at all possible.

The wide receiving corps has been revamped, certain players are getting big-time extensions, and the defense remains heavily compensated. Some of the approach has stayed the same; however, with a new staff in town, schematics and game-planning is going to be mixed up drastically. General Manager Omar Khan brought in Mike McCarthy to institute some change, and that's exactly what is happening.

In a recent piece published to The Athletic, beat writer Mike DeFabo went into detail about how the defense is changing under Patrick Graham. It was noted that defensive backs coach Jason Simmons was open about discussing how the Steelers will consistently play from a two-high shell. DeFabo mentioned that it will give the unit options with DeShon Elliott and newcomer Jaquan Brisker.

"Playing this way schematically means that DeShon Elliott and Jaquan Brisker will be interchangeable," DeFabo noted. "Post-snap, sometimes Elliott will be in the box with Brisker deep. Sometimes vice versa."

Despite the addition of Brisker, Elliott is coming off of a pretty serious injury and surgery. The depth at the safety spot might be a little concerning, especially if Jalen Ramsey isn't going to be playing there all that often. DeFabo encouraged the Steelers to make yet another free-agency move to bolster the unit, despite the recent signing of Darnell Savage.

"While they both have the skill set to fit this scheme, the Steelers still should be looking to add some more depth to this position group," DeFabo wrote. "Because Elliott might not yet be 100 percent, Sebastian Castro (a UDFA last year out of Iowa) got plenty of run with the first-team defense while filling in for the veteran."

There are some options out there if Khan and co. do want to pursue another player in the backend of the defense. The reporting from the beat writer does suggest that the Steelers are making a multitude of changes. It's exactly what the fan base wanted to see with new decision-makers and a revamped collective altogether.

Pittsburgh will have to really prove itself right out of the game. Training camp will be a crucial time for everyone to get one the same page, and it appears as if the Steelers might not be done adding to the roster in free agency. With the amount of money currently being given out via extensions, it will be interesting to see how all of the dollars pan out for 2026 cap space.

Any newcomer at this point would likely get a simple one-year deal without much money on the table, so if the front office is looking to add, as DeFabo suggested, it would probably be doable because no one on the market would command that much of a financial commitment at this point in time.

Steelers Not Messing Around In The McCarthy Era

Nearly a decade without a postseason victory is not acceptable in Pittsburgh. When McCarthy was hired and Rodgers was mulling over returning, it was always a full go for the Steelers. Now, the decision-makers might not be done. The cornerback room is pretty solid, as is the front seven. if one more signing has to occur to solidify the safety spot, the team is not going to stop now when it comes to filling out the roster.

#SteelerNation