The 2025 version of the Pittsburgh Steelers looked much different than the 2024 team. It needed to be after the way that season ended. But in an effort to revamp the roster, the Steelers certainly weren’t looking for youth. Some of it came through the draft, but most of the additions were in the form of a veteran. Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay, Jonnu Smith, and even a midseason addition, Marquez-Valdes Scantling, all came to Pittsburgh at the age of 30 or older. On Tuesday, the Steelers added to that arsenal with a 35-year-old Adam Thielen.
Acquiring aging players is something the Steelers clearly aren’t afraid to do. Steelers beat writer Ray Fittipaldo thinks they should be.
“I mean, this would have been great if this was five years ago, right?” Fittipaldo asked on Wednesday on 93.7 The Fan. “I mean, he’s 35 years old. It just seems like the Steelers continually go down this road. It’s almost like they cannot help themselves. I get it, you’re in the middle of the season. But at some point, guys, you gotta go young. You gotta stop what you’re doing with these offseason signings. What they did this year with Jalen Ramsey, Jonnu Smith, obviously Slay… This is something they felt like they had to do. But eventually, this stuff has to change.”
Jalen Ramsey wasn’t terrible at cornerback to begin the year, but there were instances in which he just couldn’t keep up. Since moving to safety, he’s been reliable. But aside from him, there aren’t any bright spots from that aforementioned group of names.
Darius Slay isn’t even on the roster anymore. He played poorly through the first several games and started to lose some playing time to Brandin Echols. Once James Pierre started to emerge, that meant even less time on the field. This week, he was waived.
Jonnu Smith was terrific in Miami in 2024, used primarily in the short passing game. The Steelers had high expectations and have tried to use Smith in a similar role. That hasn’t worked at all, even though Smith is inexplicably still getting more snaps than Pat Freiermuth.
The Steelers thought they had one more chance to make a run at a Super Bowl with their core. They brought in plenty of big-name players, emphasizing experience in big situations. As a result, that meant plenty of veterans. Now, the Super Bowl window is slammed shut, and the Steelers just have a bunch of aging veterans who are starting to lose a step. Although he’s not much of a risk, that pile gets a little bigger with the addition of Adam Thielen, the second 30+-year-old receiver the Steelers have added since November.
Next offseason will be an interesting one. The Steelers have a lot of decisions to make. Some of the bigger ones will revolve around which aging players they want to keep or shed from the roster.
