Pittsburgh’s 2026 offseason is lining up like a classic Steelers problem: the foundation is still defense, the margins are still offense, and the quickest way to get back to being feared is to stop living drive-to-drive on hard mode. That pressure is showing up in the draft conversation too, with ESPN’s Field Yates projecting Alabama QB Ty Simpson as a potential Steelers landing spot in a recent mock, even after a notable second-half slide, because his profile still checks boxes: accuracy, pocket improvisation, and enough arm to drive the ball downfield.
The roster needs are clear across local and national coverage. Wide receiver help is on the front burner, cornerback depth remains a priority, and the middle of the defense needs to get faster and more reliable snap-to-snap. The good lane is where the Steelers usually do their best work anyway. Not the splashiest name on the market, but the guy whose traits translate in the AFC North and whose role is obvious the moment you watch two series of film. We're gonna talk about them right now.
Rashid Shaheed could help the Pits
Start with Rashid Shaheed. He’s the kind of receiver Pittsburgh has lacked for stretches, with real speed that changes spacing. Shaheed can win vertically, he can flip field position on special teams, and he forces safeties to respect the deep third instead of creeping into the intermediate windows.
Even when he isn’t getting 10 targets, he affects how defenses align. He also fits what the Steelers have needed since the Pickens era ended: a receiver who can create explosives without needing everything to be perfect around him.
Shaheed’s name has been treated as one of the notable options in the 2026 WR market, with the added value that he can help in the return game, too.
Jauan Jennings to the Steelers?
Then there’s Jauan Jennings, who is almost the opposite style-wise, and that’s why he makes sense. Pittsburgh’s passing game has too many stretches where every completion feels like a fight, and Jennings is built for fights. He’s a big, physical possession target who lives on leverage, contact balance, and late hands.
He blocks like he’s trying to earn a helmet sticker, which matters in an AFC North offense that still wants to run the ball when it’s cold and ugly. Jennings gives a quarterback an honest third-down option, the kind of receiver who can sit down in zones, wall off defenders, and turn a 6-yard throw into a first down.
He’s also one of those receivers that defensive backs hate because the rep doesn’t end when the ball arrives.
Jaylen Watson as a secondary need
The secondary need is real, and it’s not just about finding a star, but making the corner room functional across a season. Joey Porter Jr. can be a true No. 1, but Pittsburgh still needs more playable snaps around him. A name that fits that “quietly valuable” description is Jaylen Watson. He’s long, he’s competitive at the catch point, and he has the temperament for press-man reps.
The appeal is role clarity: he can play outside, he can survive in aggressive coverage calls, and he doesn’t require a defense to hide him. In a division where quarterbacks will hunt weak corners until the game breaks, that matters.
Watson has also been consistently grouped among the better corner options available in the 2026 free-agent class. He could probably be a premium piece for the Pits.
Quay Walker could be a good LB for the Steelers
Linebacker is the other spot where Pittsburgh can fix a lot of downstream problems with one good signing. The Steelers have invested in athleticism there, but the unit still needs a linebacker who can handle modern offenses: fit the run with violence, carry tight ends, and close throwing lanes in hook zones without drifting. Quay Walker is the name for that.
He’s a rangy second-level defender with real speed, and when he’s playing decisively, he looks like the type who can erase perimeter runs and clean up the middle easily. There’s a reason he’s being discussed as a realistic target for Pittsburgh; the profile matches what they need next to a young, fast linebacker core.
Kamren Curl as a surprise?
Now for the underrated glue piece: Kamren Curl. Pittsburgh’s defense asks a lot of its safeties, and the unit always looks better when there’s a safety who can tackle cleanly, rotate down into the box, and still play disciplined coverage when the offense tries to bait mistakes. Curl’s value is that he plays like a professional: he’s around the ball, reliable in space, and gives the defense flexibility in sub-packages because he can do more than one job.
That need for stability is also why the coaching staff matters, and Pittsburgh’s 2026 group is now set for Mike McCarthy’s first season, with McCarthy calling plays, Brian Angelichio as offensive coordinator, Patrick Graham running the defense, and James Campen handling the offensive line.
Put those all together, and you get a very specific Steelers team, absolutely ready for the next season. None of this requires Pittsburgh to reinvent itself. It’s still defense-first football, still a team that wants to win field position, still a team that believes in finishing drives and making the other offense earn every yard.
These are the additions that make that identity easier to sustain for 17 games, and more importantly, easier to sustain in a year where any team can be Super Bowl champions.
But they are craving to bring that trophy back to Pittsburgh, and they will do everything for it.
