The Steelers are heading into their opener with a problem that could linger well beyond September 13: their revamped receiver group hasn’t had nearly enough time together.
On paper, Pittsburgh looks much better at wideout than it did a year ago. This time last season, the two starters alongside DK Metcalf - Roman Wilson and Calvin Austin III - had combined for just 728 career receiving yards, and that number didn’t grow much by the end of the year.
Now the setup is different, with Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr., who has 5,254 career receiving yards, expected to give the Steelers a real top-end pairing. Either Wilson or rookie Germie Bernard is supposed to fill out the starting group, and in theory that should be enough to help even a 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers.
The catch is that Metcalf and Pittman spent nearly all of training camp sidelined by undisclosed injuries. From August 8th’s Saturday Night Lights practice until just this past week, neither top target was able to practice in any capacity. That leaves the Steelers trying to build timing and trust right as the games start counting.
That lack of camp reps matters even more because this offense is already changing under new head coach Mike McCarthy. Rodgers is back as the starter, but the system is not the same as it was under Arthur Smith. Metcalf had trouble getting on the same page with Rodgers last season, and Pittman will have barely worked with him before the two are asked to produce together.
If the starters are slow to come around, the ripple effect could be a real issue. Wilson or Bernard may be pushed into a bigger role sooner than planned, and neither has much NFL experience handling that kind of load.
Bernard is a rookie, while Wilson has never been targeted more than five times in a game. Behind them, Kaden Wetjen and Ben Skowronek are more special teams pieces than full-time receiving options right now.
That would leave a heavier burden on Pat Freiermuth and the backfield tandem of Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle. But after watching Rodgers lean on check-downs to Kenneth Gainwell in 2025, there’s reason to worry about the offense drifting into the same pattern again. More work for Freiermuth would help, but even his supporters would admit he shouldn’t be the centerpiece of a strong passing attack.
The Steelers can still beat the Falcons if Metcalf and Pittman are slow to get rolling. It just gets a lot trickier that way, and after a month of limited work together, full-speed chemistry in Week 1 feels like a big ask.
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For Pittsburgh, the issue is less about which name is eventually announced than the preparation problem that comes with not knowing. The Falcons are the only team in the league without a starter set entering the regular season, which leaves the Steelers waiting on a key detail that should have been settled long before opening weekend. That kind of uncertainty can change how a defense studies film, plans its pressures and spends the final days before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
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Slayton brings a long track record of NFL production, with 296 catches, 4,435 yards and 22 touchdowns across 106 games. Whether Pittsburgh turns that past interest into a real pursuit now is the open question, but a veteran pass catcher with that kind of experience suddenly available always has a way of drawing attention this close to Week 1. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Are Watching A Young Quarterback With One Complicated Catch
The Steelers are already keeping an eye on the 2026 quarterback landscape, and Mississippi State sophomore Kamario Taylor has quickly become one of the names worth tracking. Pittsburgh currently has four quarterbacks on its roster for the 2026 season, but that has not stopped the team from monitoring NCAA passers who could shape the future of the position, especially those who can threaten defenses with both their arm and their legs.
Taylors season-opening performance helped explain why NFL teams are paying attention. He showed the kind of dual-threat ability that can change the feel of a game, and that sort of upside is hard to ignore from a quarterback-needy team like Pittsburgh. The complication is just as clear, though: Taylor is still very early in his college career, with eligibility left to spend, so any real NFL timeline remains a moving target. [Read more 🡒]