The Steelers offense ranked 9th in interception rate and 13th in rushing yards per game last year. On the flipside, they were 27th in the red zone and in points per game. The addition of Aaron Rodgers is an upgrade of the post-Roethlisberger era QBs of Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, Mason Rudolph, and Justin Fields, but at this stage of their careers, on par with Russell Wilson.
QB: Aaron Rodgers
This isn’t the same Rodgers from 2008-2021 that averaged 32 TDs / 7 INTs and 3,900+ passing yards, despite having 2 seasons during that span where he missed around half of the year. The way Rodgers limited his interceptions used to be a staple of his identity but since 2022, he’s gone from a guy that would average around a 4.5-to-1 TD-to-INT ratio to about 2.5.
RB: Kaleb Johnson
Despite his 6 ‘1 / 224 pound frame, Johnson is more of a patient, zone rusher than a physical power back. He has much better vision than Najee Harris and can find the opening in blocking.
He’s D.O.A. versus backfield penetration and when running parallel to the line, looking to get outside of the blocking. He’s at his hardest to tackle when finding space and running 45 degrees to the oncoming tacklers.
RB: Jaylen Warren
Warren missed 2 games last year. He received 29 carries and 27 targets less than 2023 and saw his receptions drop from 61 to 38, his rushing TDs down from 4 to 1 and yards per carry down a full yard from 5.3 to 4.3. Despite 127 receptions in 3 years for almost 900 yards, he’s yet to find the endzone in the passing game.
WR: DK Metcalf
The Steelers moved George Pickens due more to personality issues than on-field play, so they brought in…checks notes…Metcalf. The reasoning is a bit spotty, especially to pair with a quarterback in Rodgers that has his own personality issues. What could go wrong?
Metcalf has been up and down throughout his career with his catch rate rising or falling year-over-year by around 5-8%. He’s still managed to put up 58-90 receptions for 900-1,300 yards for 6 straight seasons since entering the NFL.
WR: Calvin Austin III
Austin played in 17 games for the 2nd straight year but his starts increased from 1 as a rookie to 8 last year. His catch rate went up by around 5.5% despite his yards per reception also rising by a little over 4.5 yards in 2024. He finished last year with 36 / 548 / 4.
WR: Roman Wilson
Wilson suffered multiple injuries in his rookie season and was only able to get on the field for 5 snaps. He’ll look to stay healthy in 2025 and make up for lost time as he’s among the top players in talent at the receiver position behind Metcalf.
TE: Pat Freiermuth
Coming off a season in which he missed 5 games, Freiermuth had his first full season, playing 17 games with 11 starts. He entered the year with a 69% catch rate and shattered his career-high by catching over 83% of his targets for 65 / 653 / 7. The receptions were the most in his 4 year career and the TDs tied his personal best set during his rookie season.
TE: Jonnu Smith
The Steelers pulled off a trade with the Miami Dolphins to add Smith, who’s coming off an insane season. Last year Smith led all Dolphins, including Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and De’Von Achane in receptions and TDs. His receptions were 15th most in the entire NFL.
His 8 TDs tied for 12th in the NFL and tied his own career-high that he set back in 2020, which was the last season he and Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith were both with the Tennessee Titans.
BREAKOUT PLAYER: Kaleb Johnson
Johnson will be the lead back for the Steelers and go over the 1,000 yard mark as a rookie. He’ll chip in 20+ receptions and finish with a combined 7 TDs.
BUST: Calvin Austin III
Talk this offseason was about who would be the #2 receiver for Pittsburgh. Austin became a hot name. Pittsburgh then traded for tight end Jonnu Smith to pair with Pat Freiermuth after each combined for 65+ receptions, 650+ receiving yards and 7+ TDs last year, albeit on separate teams.
Despite being a tight end, Smith will be the 2nd option in the Steelers passing attack and Freiermuth 3rd. Austin will struggle to even match his totals from 2024.
SLEEPER: Roman Wilson
While there should be a ton of 12-personnel (1-RB / 2-TE / 2-WR) for the Steelers in 2025 and substantial buzz surrounding Austin and his ability to step up, Wilson and Austin will finish this season with similar stats hovering around 30 / 350 / 2.
BOLD PREDICTION: Jonnu Smith & Pat Freiermuth
In 2011 the New England Patriots set the record for the most receptions among 2 tight end teammates in 1 season with 169. Rob Gronkowski had 90 and Aaron Hernandez had 79. The duo of Smith and Friermuth will combine for 170+ receptions in 2025 and break the mark.
