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As the Pittsburgh Steelers prepare for the second wave of 2026 NFL free agency, there are plenty of winners and losers to analyze on the roster moving forward.
Taking a look at some of the most exciting moves from the opening week of free agency and how they impact players already on the roster, here are the Steelers' biggest winners and losers.
Metcalf won't be tasked with shouldering all the receiver responsibilities any longer, as Michael Pittman has arrived in Pittsburgh and should take some of the heat off the Steelers WR1.
Signing cornerback Jamel Dean, cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., and safety Jaquan Brisker, the Steelers have completely overhauled their secondary. With Joey Porter Jr. and Jalen Ramsey already at their disposal, Pittsburgh may have a top-3 secondary following the first week of free agency.
Queen survived the initial round of trade rumors and cap casualty speculation that came with the first week of free agency, as the Steelers linebacker is seemingly here to stay, carrying a projected cap hit of $17.1 million into 2026.
Isaac Seumalo, arguably the Steelers' best offensive lineman over the past three seasons, departed as a free agent, and Pittsburgh wasn't able to find his replacement at left guard yet. It's safe to say the offensive line was the biggest loser out of all the positional units on the roster.
As difficult as it is to place the ever-talented Elliott in this category, he is coming off a serious knee and hamstring injury that forced him to miss the majority of the 2025 season. Oh, and the Steelers signed two safeties in free agency. While this could signal a return to slot cornerback for free safety Jalen Ramsey, the addition of Brisker, who's arguably an upgrade over Elliott as a physical strong safety, raises some red flags for his playing time heading into 2026.
After what many considered a dreadful rookie season, Johnson isn't likely to play a bigger role in 2026 given the addition of standout running back Rico Dowdle. Johnson struggled to see any playing time as a third-string running back and won't be pushing Dowdle or Jaylen Warren for snaps any time soon.
For up-to-date Steelers coverage, including any offseason moves, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers' biggest winners, losers after week one of NFL free agency
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Taking a look at some of the most exciting moves from the opening week of free agency and how they impact players already on the roster, here are the Steelers' biggest winners and losers.
Winners
DK Metcalf
Metcalf won't be tasked with shouldering all the receiver responsibilities any longer, as Michael Pittman has arrived in Pittsburgh and should take some of the heat off the Steelers WR1.
Secondary
Signing cornerback Jamel Dean, cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., and safety Jaquan Brisker, the Steelers have completely overhauled their secondary. With Joey Porter Jr. and Jalen Ramsey already at their disposal, Pittsburgh may have a top-3 secondary following the first week of free agency.
Patrick Queen
Queen survived the initial round of trade rumors and cap casualty speculation that came with the first week of free agency, as the Steelers linebacker is seemingly here to stay, carrying a projected cap hit of $17.1 million into 2026.
Losers
Offensive line
Isaac Seumalo, arguably the Steelers' best offensive lineman over the past three seasons, departed as a free agent, and Pittsburgh wasn't able to find his replacement at left guard yet. It's safe to say the offensive line was the biggest loser out of all the positional units on the roster.
DeShon Elliott
As difficult as it is to place the ever-talented Elliott in this category, he is coming off a serious knee and hamstring injury that forced him to miss the majority of the 2025 season. Oh, and the Steelers signed two safeties in free agency. While this could signal a return to slot cornerback for free safety Jalen Ramsey, the addition of Brisker, who's arguably an upgrade over Elliott as a physical strong safety, raises some red flags for his playing time heading into 2026.
Kaleb Johnson
After what many considered a dreadful rookie season, Johnson isn't likely to play a bigger role in 2026 given the addition of standout running back Rico Dowdle. Johnson struggled to see any playing time as a third-string running back and won't be pushing Dowdle or Jaylen Warren for snaps any time soon.
For up-to-date Steelers coverage, including any offseason moves, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers' biggest winners, losers after week one of NFL free agency
Continue reading...
