2025 Pittsburgh Steelers Preview

The Steelers continue to post winning records while still searching for the next franchise quarterback. Mike Tomlin extended his streak of not having a losing season to 18 years. He has a 183-107-2 career record with less success in the postseason (8-11). Pittsburgh won the Super Bowl in 2008, in his second season as their head coach. Only 11 other coaches have more wins than Tomlin, and he sits four victories away from the most in Steelers’ history.

After three failed seasons as the head coach for Atlanta (21-30), Arthur Smith took over Pittsburgh’s offensive coordinator job in 2024. He’s been coaching in the NFL since 2021, with 10 years coming in the Titans’ system. The Steelers’ offense ranked 16th in points scored (380) and 23rd in offensive yards in 2024.

Their defense has been led by Teryl Austin since 2022. He started his NFL coaching career in 2003 with the Seattle Seahawks (defensive backs coach). Austin also ran the Lions and Bengals’ defenses from 2014 to 2018. Pittsburgh ranked 10th, 6th, and 8th in points allowed over the past three years, with lower finishes in yards allowed (13th, 21st, and 12th).

Offense

The Steelers finished 11th in rushing yards (2,166) while gaining 4.1 yards per rush with 14 scores on the ground. They averaged 31.4 carries per game. Pittsburgh didn’t have one run of 40 yards or more.

They passed for 3,607 yards (26th) with 21 touchdowns and six interceptions. The Steelers’ offensive line allowed 49 sacks.

Quarterbacks

Will Howard, PIT

Howard is another college quarterback who struggled before hitting his stride with a premier powerhouse offense. Over his first four seasons at Kansas State, he went 15-12 with 5,786 passing yards, 48 passing touchdowns, and 25 interceptions while also showing success as a runner (226/921/19 yards).

Last year, Howard set career highs in completions (309), passing attempts (423), passing yards (4,010), passing touchdowns (35), and completion percentage (73.0) with Ohio State, earning him a National Championship Title (14-2 record) and the MVP Award (288 combined yards with two touchdowns).

On the year, he rushed for 226 yards on 105 carries with seven scores. Over the first three games of the college postseason, Howard passed for 919 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions.

His supporting cast with the Buckeyes significantly contributed to his impressive jump in play and statistics. However, winning a championship at the highest level does require talent and moxie, and Howard demonstrated both in 2024.

He has a good feel for the pocket with the wheels to make plays with his legs. Howard receives criticism for his questionable arm and whether he has the mindset to improve at reading defenses and utilizing his third and fourth options in the passing game. Outside passes and drive-throws will be in question in the NFL.

Initially, I expected Howard to have many more sacks at Kansas State, highlighting the difference between their offensive line and Ohio State's. Over his 16 starts last year, defenses put him to the dirt 16 times, compared to 33 over 34 games with the Wildcats. Howard gets the ball out quickly and can extend the passing window with his legs. His reliance on his early reads was shaped by his receiving talent's success on many plays, an area that will likely change the NFL.

Fantasy Outlook: Despite his sixth-round 2025 NFL Draft pedigree, Howard’s run/pass skill set may give Pittsburgh the best chance of winning this year. He’ll have a learning curve for sure, and a downturn in accuracy should be expected. The Steelers could also add a veteran quarterback, pushing their rookie passer into clipboard mode.

Mason Rudolph, PIT

Over his first three seasons with the Steelers, Rudolph played in 17 games, leading to 2,477 combined yards with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He gained only 6.2 yards per pass attempt with minimal value running the ball (33/89 – 2.7 yards per carry).

Pittsburgh gave Rudolph four starts (including the postseason) to end 2023. He went 3-1 with success in his completion rate (68.2) and yards per pass attempt (8.6). On the downside, Pittsburgh averaged only 27.5 passes in his games, resulting in 969 combined yards and five scores.

Last season, the Titans gave Rudolph five starts over eight games, leading to a 1-4 record. He threw nine touchdowns and nine interceptions, with his best results coming in Week 8 (24.20 fantasy points). His completion rate (64.0) was a career-best while also setting a new top in his rushing production (25/106/1).

Fantasy Outlook: Rudolph will turn 30 in July, with a 9-8-1 career record. He doesn’t project as Pittsburgh's future quarterback or a player to lead the Steelers to another winning year. The waiver wire will be his home in 2025, with a minimal chance of helping fantasy teams.

Other Options: Skylar Thompson

Running Backs

Over the past three seasons, the Steelers gave their running backs almost the same opportunity in rushing attempts (426, 419, and 428). They finished with a three-year low in yards per carry (4.0) and rushing scores (7). Pittsburgh’s backs did find better spacing catching the ball, highlighted by an uptick in receiving yards (673) and yards per catch (7.83 – 6.0 in 2023).

Kaleb Johnson, PIT

After a productive freshman season (151/779/6 with four catches for 21 yards), Johnson suffered an ankle injury in 2023, costing him three games with underwhelming results (117/463/3 – 4.0 yards per carry with three catches for 25 yards). His play was significantly improved last season, resulting in career highs in rushing attempts (240), rushing yards (1,537), and touchdowns (21). He gained 6.0 yards per carry with an uptick in value as a receiver (22/188/2).

Johnson is a power runner with size (6’1” and 225 Lbs.). His 40-yard dash time (4.57) was well below that of the best running backs in this year’s draft class. He projects as an early-down runner with minimal value on passing downs. His pass protection isn’t ready to handle a third-down role.

Surprisingly, Johnson is more of a rhythm runner than an inside banger. He runs with patience and vision while having wide holes in college to finish some of his carries with big plays. His style appears confident, and he possesses the tools to excel in short-yardage situations and at the goal line. Over the long field, defenders have a significant edge over him in terms of speed.

Fantasy Outlook: The Steelers should be a good match for Johnson after losing Najee Harris to free agency in the offseason. Pittsburgh added him in the third round of last year’s draft, with a goal of leading their team in rushing attempts and scoring. Johnson ranked 26th at running back in late May. The Steelers should give him 250 rushing attempts and about 20 catches. I’ll set his bar at 1,200 yards with about seven scores, which will translate to about 200.00 fantasy points in PPR formats.

Jaylen Warren, PIT

Pittsburgh signed Warren as an undrafted free agent in 2022 after showing growth in his play in his final year at Oklahoma State (256/1,216/11 with 25 catches for 225 yards).

The Steelers gave him a minimal role in his rookie season over his first four games (77 combined yards and seven catches on 17 touches) before showing a spark in a chaser game vs. the Bills (63 yards and four catches). Warren gained over 75 combined yards in Week 8 and Week 10 with six catches. His season ended with a bump in touches (43) over the final four matchups (35/173/1 and eight catches for 47 yards). Pittsburgh had Warren on the field for 29.4% of their plays compared to 65.7% by Najee Harris.

In 2023, Warren earned an active role in the passing game (61/370), but he gained only 6.1 yards per catch. His explosiveness shined in the run game (149/784/4 – 5.3 yards per carry). Warren gained more than 20 yards on six rushes. His best fantasy value came in Week 11 (9/129/1 with three catches for 13 yards). From Week 14 to Week 18, he had a floor of four catches over five matchups (4, 5, 5, 4, and 5). Pittsburgh had him on the field for 48.1% of their plays.

The Steelers gave Warren fewer touches (158) last season, while missing two games early in the year with a knee issue. He was worthless to the fantasy market over Pittsburgh’s first eight matchups (41/151 – 3.7 yards per rush with 12 catches for 67 yards). Warren scored between 10.00 and 16.50 fantasy points in six of his final nine games, with a high in touches (17) coming in Week 16. He only has six scores over 48 games.

Fantasy Outlook: The lack of excitement in this offense should carry over to the fantasy potential for Warren in 2025. He brings pass-catching value, helping his floor, but Pittsburgh won’t give him many goal-line chances if Kalen Johnson performs as expected. He draws a mid-tier RB3 rating in early drafts. At best, Warren is a steady replacement-type running back who will offer a low number of impact showings.

Kenneth Gainwell, PHI

In his rookie season, Gainwell struggled to get consistent snaps from game to game. As a result, he finished with starting fantasy value in six contests (12.30, 20.90, 15.10, 19.70, 18.70, and 16.50 fantasy points in PPR leagues). Over his other 12 games, Gainwell only had 27 rushes for 71 yards and one touchdown, plus 12 catches for 115 yards. He finished 2021 with 544 combined yards with six touchdowns and 33 catches.

With the Eagles abandoning the running back position in the passing game in 2022, Gainwell finished with 409 combined yards with four touchdowns and 23 catches. His only fantasy game of value (12/112/1 with one catch for nine yards) came in the first round of the postseason.

Philadelphia gave Gainwell a career-high 114 touches in 2023, leading to 547 combined yards with two touchdowns and 30 catches. Unfortunately, he scored more than 10.00 fantasy points in only two games (11.40 and 10.90).

Last year, Gainwell had a career-low 91 touches and yards per rush (3.9). He’s gained 20 yards or more only five times in his career. His season ended with no playable outcomes.

Fantasy Outlook: Gainwell gives Pittsburgh insurance for Jaylen Warren while having a fading floor.

Other Options: Trey Sermon, Cordarrelle Patterson, Jonathan Ward

Wide Receivers

The emptiness in the Steelers’ passing game is highlighted by their league-low 139 catches and 229 targets. Their wideouts accounted for 43.3% of their receiving yards. Pittsburgh rated well in yards per catch (14.4).

DK Metcalf, SEA

Metcalf set a career-high in catches (90) and targets (141) in 2022 while gaining more than 1,000 yards for the second time. Seattle used him closer to the line of scrimmage, leading to 11.6 yards per catch (14.7 over his first three seasons). His best success came in four matchups (7/149, 11/90, 8/127/1, and 10/136/2), with the latter coming in the postseason. He had a floor of seven catches in seven of his 19 games played.

Seattle shifted Metcalf back to a deep passing option (16.9 yards per catch) in 2023, resulting in regression in his catch rate (55.5 – 63.8 in 2022). He gained over 1,000 yards again, highlighted by three contests (6/112, 6/134/3, and 5/106). The Seahawks gave him double-digit targets in only two games (14 and 12).

Over the final five weeks, Metcalf averaged only 6.2 targets. He missed Week 7 due to a rib injury while battling hip, toe, and back issues over the final two months. His final stats (66/1,114/8) ranked him 21st in PPR formats in wide receiver fantasy points (225.40).

2024 didn’t go well for Metcalf. He missed two midseason games with a knee injury while playing through a shoulder issue late in the year. After a dull Week 1 (3/29), Metcalf gained over 100 yards in three consecutive contests (10/129/1, 4/104/1, and 7/104). His only other game of value came in Week 7 (4/99/1). After his knee issue, he averaged only 10.68 FPPG in PPR formats over eight games.

Fantasy Outlook: Pittsburgh will slide Metcalf into George Pickens' role in 2025, which led to WR4 (52/801/4), WR3 (63/1,140/5), and WR4 (59/900/3) seasons. His ceiling should be higher, but he also needs the Steelers to throw more passes. A borderline backend WR2 ranking this draft season could be optimistic, but Metcalf does have the resume to support better results.

Calvin Austin, PIT

Pittsburgh added Austin in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He brought an undersized skill set (5’8” and 170 lbs.) to the NFL. Over his final two seasons at Memphis, Austin delivered two productive years (63/1,053/11 and 74/1,149/8), while benefiting from numerous targets (119 and 127).

Austin ran a 4.32 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine while excelling in the three-cone drill (6.65 seconds). He projects a potential slot player with a gimmick feel. His speed will test a defense deep, but Austin will struggle to catch the ball in tight coverage.

In 2023, he caught 17 of his 30 targets for 180 yards and one score while adding some value in the run game (11/57/1). Austin only offered fantasy value in one matchup (2/72/1). He missed his rookie season with a foot injury.

Pittsburgh gave Austin WR3 snaps last season, leading to career highs in catches (36), receiving yards (548), touchdowns (4), and targets (58). He teased in Week 3 (4/95/1) while offering three other playable games (3/54/1, 3/78/1, and 5/65). The Steelers gave him five targets or fewer in 17 of his 18 contests.

Fantasy Outlook: Austin falls into the flash player category this season due to his success driven by scoring on big plays. Growth should be expected, but the Steelers won’t give him enough targets to be fantasy-relevant.

Roman Wilson, PIT

Wilson is another wideout on the Steelers with sub-4.40 40-yard speed. Pittsburgh added him in the third round of the 2024 Draft. His route running is in the early stages of development. His movements have a winning rhythm, with the wheels to take the top off a defense. Wilson will catch most balls thrown his way, with the ability to make defenders miss in space. Early in his career, his opportunities will be low due to minimal chances over the short areas of the field. He’ll struggle vs. physical defenders, especially vs. press coverage.

Over four seasons at Michigan, Wilson caught 107 passes for 1,707 yards and 20 touchdowns with some chance to run the ball (7/117/2). His best output (48/789/12) came in 2024 in an offense that averaged only 22 passes per game. He only had 12 catches for 200 yards and two touchdowns over his final six contests.

Wilson was only on the field for five plays last season due to a bad hamstring injury.

Fantasy Outlook: Wilson looks like the second-best wide receiver on the Steelers. He lacks size (5’11” and 185 lbs.), but his overall skill set projects well over the second and third levels of defenses. His lack of an NFL resume pushes Wilson into the free agent pool at the start of 2025.

Other Options: Robert Woods, Scotty Miller, Ben Skowronek, Lance McCutcheon, Brandon Johnson

Tight Ends

The tight end position for Pittsburgh was active again last year. They caught 29.3% of the team’s completions while gaining 26% of their receiving yards.

Pat Freiermuth, PIT

Despite a missed game and two zero outcomes in Week 15 and Week 18, Freiermuth set career-highs in catches (63), receiving yards (732), and targets (98) in 2023 while bumping his yards per catch to 11.6 yards (3.3 yards more than 2021). He had four games (7/85, 8/75, 8/79, and 7/66) with seven catches or more, but eight matchups with six targets or fewer.

In 2024, Freiermuth only had eight catches for 53 yards and two touchdowns over his first four starts on 13 targets. He missed the next six weeks due to a hamstring injury. After another dull showing (1/7), Freiermuth surprised in Week 12 (9/120). Unfortunately, his game lacked a fantasy pulse over his final six games in the regular season (14/128 on 22 targets). His second-best output (5/76) came in the playoffs.

Over the first 11 games last season, Freiermuth scored fewer than 10.00 fantasy points in eight matchups. Pittsburgh upped his usage in five (6/68/1, 3/48/1, 3/22/1, 7/60, and 8/85/1) in six of his final six contests. He ranked ninth in tight end scoring (170.30) in PPR formats despite averaging only 4.6 targets. Freiermuth set a career high in catches (65).

Fantasy Outlook: His 60-catch floor over three seasons in the NFL paints a playable floor over a 17-game schedule. Veteran quarterback play helped Freiermuth last season, suggesting a regression in scoring this year. The early fantasy market views him as an early TE2 option while drawing the 14th ranking at his position. I’m seeing about 50 catches for 550 yards and three to five touchdowns.

Darnell Washington, PIT

Washington was Pittsburgh’s choice in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He offered size (6’7 and 265 lbs.) and speed (4.64 40-yard dash at the NFL combine) for the tight end position. His overall blocking technique isn’t where it needs to be, but his strength already creates an edge in the run game. I don’t expect a high-volume pass-catching opportunity, but Washington has the wheels to beat a defense deep and the hands to score at the goal line.

The Georgia Bulldogs gave Washington minimal chances over his first two seasons (7/166 and 10/154/1). In his final year, he upped his production to 28 catches for 454 yards and two touchdowns on 41 targets. His 17.2 yards per catch in college highlights his ability to beat a defense deep. Washington will see the field on many running plays, creating some scoring on play-action passes at the goal line.

In his rookie season, he caught seven of his 10 targets for 61 yards. The Steelers gave him 25 targets last year, leading to 19 catches for 200 yards and one score.

Fantasy Outlook: Washington has talent, but his opportunity remains in question until he develops in the Steelers’ offense. He won’t be drafted in any format.

Other Options: Donald Parham, J.J. Galbreath

Kicker

Chris Boswell, PIT

In his 10 years in the NFL, Boswell made at least 90% of his field goals in seven seasons. He comes off his best year of his career (41-for-44), helped by his success from 50 yards or more (13-for-15). Over the past five seasons, Boswell missed seven of his 148 extra points. His leg has been elite from 50 yards or more (34-for-40) over the past four years.

Fantasy Outlook: Boswell ranked 2nd in fantasy scoring (202.70) last season while scoring double-digit fantasy points in seven matchups (27.80, 19.40, 14.60, 14.10, 25.30, 16.40, and 11.40). Pittsburgh won’t be a high-scoring team again in 2025, which could be a win for field goal chances for their rising kicker. Boswell is the third-ranked kicker in the early draft season.

Defense

Pittsburgh finished sixth last season in rushing yards allowed (1,678). They gave up 4.1 yards per rush with 14 scores on the ground. Offenses averaged 24.2 carries.

The Steelers slipped to 26th in passing yards (4,151), with quarterbacks tossing 23 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. Their defense had 40 sacks.