Unpopular Opinion: The Steelers have a well-constructed plan for 2025 free agency
When the Pittsburgh Steelers are in the dreaded long offseason, there are plenty of ideas to debate. As part of the triumphant trio on the Steelers Preview podcast, I’ve been known to often give a “Dave answer“ to various things as I often like to argue both sides of an issue. With this in mind, a new weekly segment has been born… Unpopular opinion.
There are plenty of arguments both for and against the Pittsburgh Steelers that might not go along with the majority of fans. Oftentimes I believe in these arguments, while other times I simply like to pose a counter argument for ones that are taking it too much to the extreme. For this reason, I’m going to offer some points about the Pittsburgh Steelers that go against the general fan narrative, or at least how I have heard things.
Next up is an opinion from SCN’s own Bryan Anthony Davis about the Steelers strategy for the 2025 offseason…
The Steelers have a well-constructed plan for 2025 free agency
Almost a week after the NFL’s legal tampering period kicked off, the Pittsburgh Steelers still do not have a clear picture of what they are doing at the quarterback position. For many criticizing the team, they say it was a “lack of a clear plan“ with their free agency period. But as Bryan Anthony Davis shared with me, it’s not that the Steelers didn’t have a plan, it’s that their plan might not have gone as hoped.
So there are several different ways to look at this. First, a plan not working out does not mean that a plan was not made. To say the Steelers didn’t have a plan would be foolish. They had a plan. If that plan was Justin Fields at a reasonable price, they simply weren’t able to get Justin Fields at the price they wanted. The plan was to get him for a certain amount and not more. The plan had to change. They either needed to pay more, or not be able to re-sign him. It looks like they stuck with their original plan.
Additionally, this doesn’t mean that it was the Steelers only plan. I’m sure the Steelers had tons of plans for various positions when it came to free agency. Perhaps the plan was to target specific players in order to make the most out of the compensatory formula. Perhaps they had certain players in certain budgets that simply did not line up. Perhaps the Steelers got exactly who they were wanting at most of their positions other than quarterback.
Just because we don’t know the plan doesn’t mean there wasn’t one.
The reason I call it a “well-constructed” plan is because it has multiple layers, multiple options, and has many things interconnected. To come up with it, the plan would have to be well-constructed. And even if it doesn’t work out in the best possible way, there are other avenues to take. While the Steelers have have been on the main path for part of it, I would guess some other avenues have already been taken.
The Steelers added two more cornerbacks. Rather than bring back two of their own linebackers, they signed one from somewhere else. They traded for a wide receiver in their biggest move of the offseason. They added a running back. They brought back some of their own players. They signed quarterback Mason Rudolph back to Pittsburgh after a year in Tennessee.
Maybe this was the plan.
I don’t know that Mason Rudolph coming back was plan a whenever free agency kicked off, but it was a plan they saw when they acted on it. Maybe the plan is for Aaron Rodgers to join the Steelers. Maybe there’s multiple other plans if he doesn’t. As I said before, being in a situation where we don’t know the plan right now doesn’t mean that one does not exist. I would argue that at least five plans are likely going on in the front office in Pittsburgh.
I know with his letter from the editor Jeff Hartman is talking about the Steelers getting caught without a plan. That is the popular opinion. This is called unpopular opinion for a reason. Specifically, Bryan Anthony Davis doesn’t go along with what Jeff Hartman is thinking in this regard and think there is always a plan, even if it doesn’t work out. Honestly, I am somewhere in the middle but I’m leaning towards Bryan. I believe there is always a plan with the Steelers. Sometimes they might not switch from one plan to another as quickly as I feel they should in order to not miss out on other things, but it’s not from a lack of plan.
The Steelers had a plan. They’ve probably had many, many plans so far. They probably still have many more. But plans not working out doesn’t mean there wasn’t a plan.
You just might not have liked it.
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I absolutely 100% believe the Steelers had a plan going into free agency. In fact, I would say that to believe otherwise is a mixture of the normal “fan know how” and fans believing the front office doesn’t understand their jobs. Of course they had a plan!
That said, I also absolutely believe their plan for the FA part of the offseason got off to a start that either caught them off guard OR that they just didn’t expect. Even saying that, I have to believe that they KNEW this was a potential outcome. Were they slow to react once the Justin Fields domino fell a way they weren’t planning on? Perhaps. From a fan perspective, they absolutely did (I mentioned in my comment on Jeff’s LTE that I was frustrated as heck!). That said, I believe the Steelers knew it was a possible outcome — particularly if they had a hard cap on what the were willing to spend on Fields.
Beyond the QB situation and the major addition of a WR1 in Metcalf, I think the rest of the additions are right in line with what they normally accomplish in free agency — meaning some quality depth pieces that don’t break the bank but have potential to add nicely to the team. So, I agree with you here Dave. I also believe they had a plan (with alternate scenario plans as well). Even if the plan veered off course from the very start.
Exactly. And I wish they would’ve veered off a little faster if it was necessary. To me, right now it appears that they have done well with everything outside of quarterback. But rather than focus on the things that have gone right, with the fan base it’s all about the thing that has gone wrong/hasn’t happened yet. And I’m not saying they’re wrong either.
The QB is the most important part of the team? Even if option A, B, C, D or E isn’t the long term solution. They have crapped the bed thus far and it isn’t just in 2025. That’s my opinion but I think there are others that feel this way.
True. This time it’s QB. Last year it was WR. It didn’t matter how the Steelers answered all the other positions, the one they did not (yet) will be the focus. And once again, I’m not saying that’s wrong either. It’s just how it is.
It can be taken too much to the extreme, like saying how the Steelers had no plan or direction in FA when they traded for a WR, signed 2 CBs, an ILB, and a RB. For those who are like this, as soon as the Steelers sign a QB they’ll likely turn to a 3rd OT or something else immediately.
Who do you believe was their first option at QB? Problem is we don’t really know. But if Fields was and it didn’t go as planned because of not wanting to pay a certain price….setting that limit. How do you justify wanting a Rodgers at plan B when his price tag is most certainly higher. Is his price tag higher because you think Rodgers is the better QB? Which is logical even at 41. Why wasn’t Rodgers plan A?
This is absolutely straight up right on! It makes ZERO sense (to me) to be willing to pay a 41 year old (to be 42 during the season) QB — even if he is a future HoF’er — as much as they would potentially have to pay and NOT willing to pay a 26 year old QB with potential upside half that number! I have NO qualms about them having a ‘hard cap’ number for Fields, but there should be an even harder cap number for a 41/42 year old QB!
Count me solidly in the ‘no thanks’ camp on Rodgers.
More good work. This site really is the best site for Steelers thought pieces.
To me, the plan at QB was fine. It appears that it was:
1. Draft a QB in the first this year if they fall to around 15th. Alternatively, plan to draft one next year.
2. Darnold, but very little guaranteed beyond the first year because he is basically a backup who had an excellent year in an offense that had crazy weapons. He also looked awful in the playoffs. Giving a guy like that long-term commitments is unwise.
3. Fields, but at back-up plus money. Despite how much other want him to be more than this, Fields has never shown that he can be a successful NFL starter. Yes, he went 4-2 for us last year. Rudy went 5-1 for us in 2020 and 3-2 in 2023. Kenny Pickett has fewer years in the league than Fields. If you’re unwilling to think KP might turn it around, then it’s an even worse idea to think Fields will.
4. The old guys who will either crash or tread water: Wilson, Rogers, Watson, anyone else. Little money beyond this year because their job is to keep the boat afloat (or not) and teach the young QB you draft next year. Positioning the team to win in that QBs years 2-4 is key. That means these guys can’t cripple the salary cap or cost us key pieces.
5. Backups and others, such as Rudy, Daniel Jones, etc. Use extra money to keep high-caliber players (Pickens, etc.) and rollover the rest for future years so the QB we draft next year has all the weapons they need to succeed.
It’s hard to say, so it’s all speculation. But speculation is what we do! As long as we realize it, it’s fine to speculate. I speculate the Steelers know whatever QB they have in 2025 will not the the answer for 2027 or beyond, so they don’t want to overpay for what isn’t ultimately the solution.
The plan seemed to be based on a quarterback signing with them at a discount because they’re the Steelers. Having watched how they’ve handled the position over the past few years, I’m not sure how or why they’d think that would work.
But the other question which needs to be asked is: Was a suitable, long term answer even possible at QB for this year?
Probably not, which is why I’d be fine with Mason and a decent backup.
Same.