Pittsburgh Steelers News

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth is still easy to find on waiver wires, but Week 1 is not the spot to get cute. He caught 41 passes for 486 yards and four touchdowns on 54 targets last season, and while Jonnu Smith is gone, Pittsburgh added Michael Pittman Jr. to a group that already includes DK Metcalf and Roman Wilson. Freiermuth is still the starting tight end, so there is at least a path to more work than he saw in 2025. The matchup is the problem. Atlanta allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to tight ends last season, and the current Week 1 rankings have Freiermuth at TE25. He is rostered in only 6% of Yahoo leagues and is best viewed as a 14-team option for now. In a 10- or 12-team league, there are better tight ends to chase before Sunday.

Running back Rico Dowdle is listed as the No. 2 RB on the Pittsburgh Steelers' unofficial depth chart ahead of the team's Week 1 season opener against the Atlanta Falcons this Sunday, Sept. 13, according to PGH Steelers Now's Alan Saunders. Fantasy managers should not read too much into this, as Dowdle is fully expected to be head coach Mike McCarthy's preferred option out of the backfield on early downs in 2026, and if he stays healthy, the 28-year-old could have a path to a third straight 1,000-rushing season with his third different team in the last three years. Jaylen Warren is likely listed as the RB1 on the depth chart because he is the incumbent of Pittsburgh's backfield. Dowdle handled a career-high 236 carries for 1,076 yards and a career-high six rushing touchdowns in 17 regular-season games in 2025 with the Carolina Panthers, adding 39 receptions for 297 yards and an additional score through the air. As the Steelers' preferred early-down option, Dowdle will have more fantasy value in standard-scoring leagues as an RB3/flex going into the Week 1 tilt this Sunday against Atlanta.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren is listed as the team's RB1 on their unofficial depth chart heading into a Week 1 meeting against the Atlanta Falcons this Sunday, according to Alan Saunders of PGH Steelers Now. Newcomer Rico Dowdle is expected to be the leader on early downs in Pittsburgh's backfield, but Warren is the incumbent at the position. Fantasy managers should take the Steelers' latest depth chart with a grain of salt, as Dowdle should still have a sizeable role in his first year in the Steel City, with a path to a third straight 1,000-rushing season with his third team in the last three years if he can stay healthy. Warren, meanwhile, could be a sneaky low-end RB2/high-end RB3/flex in point-per-reception fantasy leagues as the Steelers' primary receiving back out of the backfield. The 27-year-old former undrafted free agent from Oklahoma State did have a career-high 61 receptions for 370 yards back in 2023 in his second year in the league, and he could be a staple in PPR leagues with quarterback Aaron Rodgers showing a high tendency for dump-offs and checkdowns in this offense. Last year, Warren had 40 receptions on 45 targets for 333 receiving yards and two touchdowns in 16 regular-season games, and that was with Kenny Gainwell catching a whopping 73 passes for 486 yards and three touchdowns as a receiver.

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy said on Monday that the team is healthy and there is not anyone that he expects to have trouble playing on Sunday in the Week 1 regular-season opener against the Atlanta Falcons, which includes defensive back Joey Porter Jr., according to Nick Farabaugh of Penn Live. It is good news for Pittsburgh's defense as they head into a favorable Week 1 matchup against Atlanta and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The 26-year-old Porter started training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list with a back injury and missed all of the preseason while also seeking a new contract. He has been involved in trade rumors since he and the Steelers have not agreed on an extension, but at least for now, it looks like Porter will stick with the team for the season opener this weekend. The former second-rounder from Penn State had 52 tackles (35 solo), his first career sack, an interception, and 14 pass breakups in 14 starts for the Steelers in his third year in the NFL in 2025.

Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver Germie Bernard impressed throughout the preseason, recording five catches (on eight targets) for 64 yards (12.8 yards per catch) and a touchdown during the preseason. Two of his five receptions went for first downs. Pittsburgh's depth chart currently lists DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr. and Roman Wilson as its starting wide receiver trio. Still, Bernard is expected to be involved in the passing game alongside quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers recently spoke about the process, including the mental aspects, that Bernard and the young receivers will need to learn as the 2026 season quickly approaches. Pittsburgh selected the 6-foot-1, 206-pound Bernard out of Alabama in the second round (47th overall pick) of the 2026 NFL Draft. Bernard is a strong dynasty league play, but he is currently rostered in just 2% of Yahoo leagues. Bernard ranks as RotoBaller's No. 80 receiver (Half-PPR).

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has emerged as a viable fantasy option in deeper leagues this season. Rodgers lacks true rushing upside, and he's certainly past his peak even as a passer. After all, he has confirmed that the 2026 season will be his last. Nevertheless, he continues to hold deep-league appeal, given the Steelers' improved wide receiver room. Pittsburgh made a diligent effort to improve its pass-catching unit this offseason, acquiring Michael Pittman Jr. from the Indianapolis Colts. Pittman is coming off a WR18 finish, fueled by 80 catches and seven touchdowns. The unit also features DK Metcalf, who is back for his second year in Pittsburgh after catching 59 passes for 850 yards and six touchdowns in 2025. Beyond the receiver room, Rodgers should also get support in the passing game from Jaylen Warren and Pat Freiermuth. As it stands, the veteran quarterback ranks as the QB27 in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings. He currently has an ADP of 218.7, which means he'll be available on the waiver wire in many leagues.

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth should have a little more room to operate after spending last season stuck in a crowded rotation. Freiermuth played just over half of Pittsburgh's offensive snaps and saw 54 targets, the exact same number as Jonnu Smith. Smith is gone now after being released in March, leaving Freiermuth, Darnell Washington and Robert Tonyan in the tight end room. That doesn't mean Washington disappears. He actually played slightly more snaps than Freiermuth last season and should remain heavily involved, especially as a blocker. There is still less competition than a year ago, when Freiermuth fell to 41 catches for 486 yards and four touchdowns after posting a 65-653-7 line in 2024. He also showed some early chemistry with Aaron Rodgers this summer, including a 23-yard touchdown during a two-minute drill in camp. DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. will command plenty of targets, but Smith's departure gives Freiermuth a better chance to stay on the field and get back into the TE2 conversation.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. is moving in the right direction after a hamstring injury took a chunk out of his training camp. Pittman had not practiced since Aug. 8 before getting back on the field Aug. 24, and he was still participating in team work this week as Pittsburgh began ramping up for the regular season. General manager Omar Khan has said Pittman is expected to be available for the Sept. 13 opener against Atlanta, although head coach Mike McCarthy made it clear the Steelers are still being smart with his workload. That matters after Pittman missed the entire preseason and lost valuable reps in a new offense. Pittsburgh brought him in this spring after he caught 80 passes for 784 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns with Indianapolis last year. DK Metcalf remains the top receiver, but Pittman should have a steady role underneath once he is fully up to speed. His summer took a hit, but the outlook is getting better now that Week 1 appears to be back on the table.

ESPN's Dan Graziano believes that Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren will still have a "significant" backfield role in 2026 after the team signed Rico Dowdle to a two-year, $12.25 million deal in free agency. New head coach Mike McCarthy will not be shy about giving Dowdle most of the early-down carries, but Graziano reminds us that Warren caught 61 passes on 74 targets in his second year in the league in Pittsburgh in 2023. His 61 receptions that year are 22 more than Dowdle has ever had in a season, and last year's pass-catching back in the Steel City, Kenny Gainwell, broke out with 73 catches. Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers is going to want to check the ball down some more to avoid sacks, and the recipient of those check-downs will be Warren in 2026. In his four-year NFL career, the 27-year-old Warren has 167 catches on 199 targets for 1,227 yards (7.3 yards per catch) and two touchdowns (both in 2025). He will be the team's primary pass-catching outlet, which will make him a PPR sleeper as an RB3/flex as he shares the backfield with Dowdle.

ESPN's Dan Graziano does not think anyone should be surprised if Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rico Dowdle has a third straight 1,000-yard rushing season in 2026 in his first year with the Steelers. Dowdle's first 1,000-yard season came in 2024 with the Dallas Cowboys, when Mike McCarthy was the head coach. He is now the Steelers' head coach, and he knows Dowdle can be his lead back. Graziano's understanding is that Dowdle "is more likely to get early-down work" ahead of Jaylen Warren. Graziano does not think McCarthy will be shy about giving Dowdle plenty of work after he averaged 20.3 carries per game over the final seven games of the 2024 season in Dallas. He had a combined 471 carries over the last two seasons with the Cowboys and Carolina Panthers, and he made it a point to sign a two-year, $12.25 million deal with Pittsburgh so that he could have a real chance to be the RB1. Warren will still have a significant role, mostly as a pass-catcher, which means that Dowdle will be a better low-end RB2/high-end RB3 target in standard-scoring fantasy leagues in 2026. The 28-year-old has back-to-back seasons of exactly 39 receptions, but that number should drop with Warren handling most of the pass-catching work in the Steel City.

Pittsburgh Steelers veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers said that wide receiver Roman Wilson "is a great kid" and that he "has had a fantastic camp," according to Brooke Pryor of ESPN. Rodgers went on to say that he has the "utmost confidence" in Wilson, who is "going to have to play a big role" in the offense in 2026. The future Hall of Fame QB has been clicking with Wilson in training camp and the preseason and appears to have developed a strong chemistry. The two did not click in 2025, as Wilson caught only 12 of 21 targets for 166 yards and two touchdowns in 13 regular-season games in Wilson's second year in the league. The 25-year-old former third-rounder from Michigan should be much more involved in new head coach Mike McCarthy's offense, but with DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. both ahead of him on the WR depth chart, Wilson is unlikely to see enough weekly volume to be a realistic starting option in most fantasy leagues. He is currently outside of RotoBaller's top-137 receiver rankings for 2026.

Pittsburgh Steelers veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers is ready to get the football to wide receiver DK Metcalf as much as possible in 2026, according to Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "We gotta get the ball to DK. He's our No. 1 for a reason," Rodgers said on Wednesday. The 28-year-old veteran receiver has missed the last several weeks of training camp with an undisclosed injury, but Metcalf is expected to be fine for Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons, and he could be targeted heavily right out of the gates. In his first year in the Steel City in 2025, Metcalf caught 59 of his 99 targets for 850 yards and six touchdowns in 15 regular-season starts. He is looking to bounce back in 2026, but the addition of veteran wideout Michael Pittman Jr. could pose a roadblock. The two-time All-Star should remain the focal point of the Steelers' passing game, but with the aging Rodgers running the show for one more year in an offense that could lean on the ground game, fantasy managers may want to temper expectations for Metcalf as more of a WR3/flex.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren isn't the flashiest name in fantasy football, but he has become a reliable option for managers in half-PPR and full-PPR leagues. Warren is one of just four running backs with 500+ rushing yards and 300+ rushing yards in each of the last three seasons. The other players who fit that description are Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Breece Hall. That's not a bad group to be associated with, and it's an indicator of both his versatile skill set and his ability to stay healthy. He has missed just three games over the last three years, and he should continue to carve out a sizable role this year despite the coaching shift from Mike Tomlin to Mike McCarthy. Furthermore, the Steelers did bring in Rico Dowdle, but he's more of a Kenny Gainwell replacement. Dowdle shouldn't threaten Warren's role any more or less than Gainwell did last year. As quarterback Aaron Rodgers gets older and his checkdown rate goes up, Warren stands to benefit. He has been a top-22 fantasy running back in two of the last three seasons, and he should be a fringe RB2/RB3 once again this year.

Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan said that the team will not hold contract extension negotiations with cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (back) during the regular season, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. When asked whether he would play without a deal getting done, Porter Jr. said, "I don't know," per Mike DeFabo of The Athletic. A second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Porter Jr. is entering the final year of his rookie contract with Pittsburgh. The 26-year-old has established himself as the Steelers' top cornerback, recording 120 solo tackles, 31 passes defensed, and three interceptions across 47 career games (41 starts). While the Steelers and Porter Jr. still have time to work out a deal before Week 1, his contract status and availability to Pittsburgh are worth monitoring extra closely now that the calendar has flipped to September.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rico Dowdle came out of final cuts with a cleaner path to touches. Pittsburgh traded Kaleb Johnson to Green Bay and moved on from Travis Homer and Lew Nichols, leaving Jaylen Warren and Dowdle as the only players listed strictly at running back on the initial 53-man roster. Eli Heidenreich remains as an RB/WR and is third on the depth chart, but the top of the room is clearly Warren and Dowdle. That matches what the Steelers said all summer. Offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio said both backs would be a big part of the offense, and Dowdle played 10 snaps to Warren's nine in the preseason game against the Jets. Dowdle also brings consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons, including 1,076 yards and six touchdowns on 236 carries for Carolina last year. Warren still sits first on the depth chart, so this is not a workhorse setup. The cuts do make Dowdle's share of the backfield feel a lot safer heading into Week 1.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (hamstring) will be eased in, but he is expected to be ready to go for Week 1 in a matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, according to ESPN's Brooke Pryor. The Steelers are expected to have both Pittman and DK Metcalf (undisclosed) available for the season opener, but they could both be on a snap count after missing a chunk of time in training camp this summer. The 28-year-old Pittman had a career-high seven touchdowns in 17 games in his final year with the Indianapolis Colts in 2025 before the Steelers traded for him in the offseason. He also had just 784 receiving yards on 80 receptions, his lowest yardage total since his rookie season in 2020. In his first year in Pittsburgh, the former second-rounder from USC will give quarterback Aaron Rodgers another experienced pass-catcher underneath. But in an offense that could remain a run-first unit, Pittman will be more of a WR4/flex target in fantasy football drafts while playing second fiddle to Metcalf. RotoBaller has Pittman ranked as the WR42 as he heads into his seventh NFL campaign.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf (undisclosed) is going to be eased in, but he is expected to be ready to go for the Week 1 regular-season opener against the Atlanta Falcons, according to Brooke Pryor of ESPN. Metcalf missed a good chunk of time in training camp this summer with an undisclosed ailment, but he was able to return to practice last week and should be active to kick off the regular season. Fantasy managers setting lineups for Week 1 do not exactly want to hear that the 28-year-old is being eased in, though, which means he could be on a snap count, along with Michael Pittman Jr. (hamstring). Not only will Metcalf be working with an aging quarterback in the final year of his career in 2026, but he will have added competition for targets from Pittman, so fantasy managers should not just assume he will bounce back from a 59-850-6 line in 15 regular-season games in 2025 in his first year in the Steel City. With a minor injury concern heading into his eighth year in the NFL, Metcalf is more of a WR3/flex with touchdown upside in 2026 fantasy drafts.

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (back) has been activated from the PUP list and is officially on the team's initial 53-man roster. Porter missed all of training camp, and prior to suffering the injury, he had been seeking a new contract. It's unclear whether those talks will continue into the regular season, but the good news is that it doesn't seem like Porter has any plans to let his contract status impact his availability. He should be on the field for the Steelers' season opener against the Falcons on September 13, lining up alongside fellow projected starting cornerbacks Jamel Dean and Jalen Ramsey.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Drew Allar completed nine of 18 pass attempts for 88 yards in a 28-27 preseason loss to the Buffalo Bills. Allar took over for second-year pro Will Howard in the second half and got off to a strong start, leading Pittsburgh on a 68-yard drive capped by an Eli Heidenreich rushing touchdown. Unfortunately, the Steelers' offense failed to score again, but that didn't stop head coach Mike McCarthy from suggesting that Allar had done enough to earn a roster spot alongside Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, and Will Howard. Following the loss, McCarthy said he felt "good about the quarterback room" and noted that "we got two veterans that we can win with, and we got two young guys that we're excited about the future." With Allar arguably showcasing the most upside of Pittsburgh's backup quarterbacks throughout the preseason, there appears to be little doubt that the rookie will make the 53-man roster heading into Week 1.

While the top of the Steelers running back depth chart has provided spirited debate among the fantasy community for much of the offseason, the team's third spot is also very much up for grabs, and during Thursday night's preseason loss to the Bills, rookie Eli Heidenreich put in a strong claim, leading the team with nine carries. Heidenreich opened up the second half scoring, capping off an 11-play, 68-yard drive by following his blockers and fighting through contact for a nine-yard touchdown run off the right side. While the exact order might still be contested, Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle are locked in as the Steelers' top two running backs, leaving Heidenreich battling with fourth-year player Lew Nichols and 2025 third-round pick Kaleb Johnson for the third spot in the room. Nichols has been the most consistent runner throughout the preseason, but after catching 90 passes across his final two seasons with Navy and adding further versatility in the return game, Heidenreich could force his way onto the team's initial 53-man roster. Even still, without a number of catastrophic injuries ahead of him, the seventh-round pick is unlikely to see fantasy relevance in 2026.