{"id":165312,"date":"2026-03-17T01:52:47","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T01:52:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=165312"},"modified":"2026-03-17T01:52:47","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T01:52:47","slug":"biggest-mistake-steelers-made-in-week-1-of-2026-nfl-free-agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=165312","title":{"rendered":"Biggest mistake Steelers made in Week 1 of 2026 NFL free agency"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Joe<\/p>\n

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ wait for Aaron Rodgers is starting to look like the Rocky XXXVIII poster from the movie \u201cAirplane II: The Sequel.\u201d But it\u2019s not that the Steelers haven\u2019t done anything, as they made a key trade. But here is the biggest mistake the Steelers made in Week 1 of 2026 NFL free agency.<\/p>\n

Sure, the Steelers made the playoffs in 2025. But they did it in a dysfunctional division. The AFC North wasn\u2019t as bad as the NFC South, but that\u2019s a small consolation.<\/p>\n

The point is, the Steelers were not Super Bowl contenders in 2025. And they don\u2019t look like it for 2026, either. It\u2019s almost like the Steelers are still happy with that we-did-not-have-a-losing-season mindset. That’s pretty gross for a once-proud franchise.<\/p>\n

The Steelers didn\u2019t do enough in free agency<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Basically, the Steelers don\u2019t seem to understand what they do and don\u2019t have, according to a post on ESPN’s Get Up.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to be honest with yourself about what you have,\u201d Dan Graziano said. \u201cI think the Steelers overrate their roster the last couple of years. And think, oh, we\u2019re a quarterback away from contending, with the rest of this team. I don’t think the defense is that anymore.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat defense was getting old and played like an old defense last year. Are they going to make major changes on that side of the ball? It doesn\u2019t look like it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Steelers\u2019 defensive line graded out OK in 2025, according to Pro Football Focus. They ranked No. 3 with Cameron Heyward leading the way.<\/p>\n

However, Malik Harrison (55.1) and Patrick Queen (43.5) ranked near the bottom among the linebackers in the NFL.<\/p>\n

Yes, they signed cornerback Jamel Dean, and their secondary should be solid with him, Joey Porter Jr., and Asante Samuel Jr.<\/p>\n

But the Steelers needed an infusion for their defense. And here\u2019s why.<\/p>\n

Steelers can\u2019t count on the offense<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Yes, if Rodgers returns in 2026, the Steelers will be decent on offense. Having weapons like DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. will help Rodgers a lot. But Rodgers didn\u2019t do much in 2025. He had five games with fewer than 200 yards passing. Furthermore, he authored 13 games with under 250 yards in the air.<\/p>\n

Also, he had 10 games with either one touchdown pass or zero. It\u2019s simply not going to be a dynamic offense with a 42-year-old quarterback.<\/p>\n

Therefore, the defense needs to be dominant. The Steelers must control the game from the defensive side of the ball.<\/p>\n

Last year, they ranked No. 25 in yards allowed, giving up 356.9 per contest. There were times they looked awful. They were a little better in points allowed at No. 17. However, that is middle of the pack, not dominant.<\/p>\n

The lack of free-agent punch on that side of the ball seems to mean the Steelers think Dean is the answer to their problems. Dean seems to think he\u2019s that guy, according to Yahoo.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll we do is win here,\u201d Dean said. \u201cI\u2019m at the point of my career where I\u2019m trying to chase another Super Bowl.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt really comes to the little things. It\u2019s really all about getting to the playoffs. Once you get into the playoffs, it\u2019s a whole new season. For the most part, that\u2019s the time we got to come together and work our fundamentals and do what we do best.\u201d<\/p>\n

Time will tell, but for now, it looks like the Steelers\u2019 conservative approach to free agency will be their undoing for 2026.<\/p>\n

What could the Steelers have done?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

They could have made a move to improve their linebacker group. Devin Lloyd, Nakobe Dean, or Quay Walker would have looked good in the teeth of the Steelers’ defense.<\/p>\n

They could have also made things easier for TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith to do their thing on the edges. If Dean really pans out to make the secondary tough, a three-level success story would make this defense more like the Broncos were in 2025.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ wait for Aaron Rodgers is starting to look like the Rocky XXXVIII poster from the movie \u201cAirplane II: The Sequel.\u201d But it\u2019s not that… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":165317,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-165312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\nBiggest mistake Steelers made in Week 1 of 2026 NFL free agency - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=165312\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Biggest mistake Steelers made in Week 1 of 2026 NFL free agency - 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