Subscribe
Follow Us
Mike Tomlin’s Steelers have built their reputation on letting iron sharpen iron. Now, 2025 is shaping up as Pittsburgh’s most compelling test of that creed in years. A bumper rookie class has arrived with the clear mandate of pushing entrenched veterans for snaps. That's just as quarterback Aaron Rodgers sets foot on the South Side practice fields. The result: every OTA rep suddenly feels like a referendum on the future of a perennial AFC North contender.
Offseason & OTA Snapshot
After months of polite flirtation, Aaron Rodgers sealed a one-year, $13.6 million deal on Thursday. He should report to minicamp, shifting Steelers talk from “Will he?” to “What’s left in his arm?” For now, Mason Rudolph—fresh off a two-year reunion deal—and sixth-round pick Will Howard are splitting first-team OTA work while Rodgers ramps up. The wide-receiver depth chart is still in flux after Diontae Johnson’s departure, but Tomlin insists that Arthur Smith’s offense will lean heavily on the ground game and defense. Each of those units now features blue-chip rookies who could force their way past proven names.
Here we'll try to look at the Pittsburgh Steelers veteran players whose roles will be pushed by rookies in the 2025 NFL season.
1. Thunder & Lightning in the Backfield
Jaylen Warren is nobody’s idea of a placeholder. The 2020 UDFA has ridden hard-nosed running and underrated receiving chops to back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. Yet the Steelers tipped their hand on draft weekend by selecting Kaleb Johnson in Round 3. The former Iowa star owns a 220-pound frame and a 1,500-yard college season. He also has the kind of north-south explosion that reminds scouts of Najee Harris—minus Harris’ mileage.
Johnson isn’t polished in pass protection, though. As such, Warren’s third-down role is safe—for now. However, Pitssburgh's outside-zone scheme will ask backs to read one cut and go. That seems like a perfect fit for Johnson’s vision and acceleration. If he shows he can keep Rodgers upright on blitz pick-ups, Johnson’s ceiling could tilt the snap-count scale before Halloween. Warren’s margin for error shrank the moment the Commissioner read Johnson’s name.
2. Slot Corner Survival
Beanie Bishop fought from undrafted free agent to eight-game starter last year. He flashed sticky man coverage and feisty run support. He also surrendered a sub-optimal 105.8 passer rating when targeted. That opened the door for competition. Pittsburgh added veteran Brandin Echols in free agency and spent a seventh-round pick on Central Michigan’s Donte Kent.
Article Continues Below
Kent’s draft slot belies his polish. Senior-Bowl evaluators praised his mirror ability. In OTAs, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin has already cycled Kent into nickel reps with the starters. Bishop admits he feels “a target on my back,” and the Steelers are happy to keep it there. Joey Porter Jr and Darius Slay lock down the boundary. The slot, however, is wide open. Kent’s ball skills (nine college interceptions) give him a puncher’s chance to steal it before Week 1.
3. Edge Depth or Future Starter?
Alex Highsmith signed his lucrative extension last summer to remain TJ Watt’s bookend. Still, Pittsburgh’s front office keeps stacking lottery tickets behind him. Enter Jack Sawyer. He is the Round-4 pick from Ohio State whose 6'4, 260-pound frame and converted-quarterback acumen make him this year’s developmental darling. With Watt and Highsmith entrenched, the rookie will begin as OLB 4.. That said, coaches are already whispering about a third-and-long “NASCAR” package featuring Watt, Highsmith sliding inside, Herbig standing up, and Sawyer screaming off the edge.
Note that Highsmith’s snap count ballooned to 1,007 last year. The Steelers blamed late-season fatigue for a dip in his pressure rate. Sawyer’s arrival provides legitimate rotational relief. If the rookie proves he can anchor against the run, Tomlin will not hesitate to carve out 20 defensive snaps a game for him by mid-season. Long term, Sawyer’s rookie contract gives Pittsburgh financial leverage when Highsmith’s cap hits spike in 2026. Competition today could be succession planning tomorrow.
The Bottom Line
Rodgers’ stardom commands the national spotlight, but the real story in Latrobe this summer will be whether a trio of motivated rookies can erode the safety nets around three veteran starters. Jaylen Warren, Beanie Bishop, and Alex Highsmith each earned their stripes the hard way; they know how quickly Pittsburgh hands opportunity to the next hungry face. If Kaleb Johnson, Donte Kent, and Jack Sawyer seize their windows, the Steelers’ 2025 ceiling rises—both now and in the post-Rodgers era looming just over the horizon. Either way, the crucible of camp promises to be must-watch theater in the Steel City.
