It was one of the busiest — and most transformative — offseasons the Pittsburgh Steelers have had in decades.

Under GM Omar Khan, Mike McCarthy was hired to replace Mike Tomlin, a nearly entirely new coaching staff was put in place, and nearly 30 new players joined the roster via a trade, free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft.

The team that is set to hit the field for training camp in Latrobe in late July looks a lot better — and different — than the one that walked off the field in early January after another ugly playoff loss.

So, did the Steelers have a good offseason? It depends on who you ask. For ESPN’s Seth Walder, it was a slightly above average offseason as he gave Pittsburgh at C+ grade. For Walder, the biggest move was re-signing quarterback Aaron Rodgers, while he loved the signing of veteran cornerback Jamel Dean.

“There is strength to this roster, but the reason the Steelers are a long shot to contend for the AFC crown in 2026 is their quarterback,” Walder writes. “They chose to re-sign Rodgers on a one-year, $22.5 million deal. He is one of the all-time greats, but the last time he was even an above-average NFL quarterback was five years ago (granted, he was the MVP that season).

“The chances that he comes close to his previous level of greatness are very slim.”

The Steelers aren’t banking on Rodgers getting back to his level of greatness he displayed in Green Bay. They know he’s an older quarterback and that time has passed. However, he still remains an effective, efficient quarterback, one who distributes the ball well, avoids mistakes and can get the offense into the right play time and time again at the line of scrimmage.

It’s not as if the Steelers had a ton of great options that they bypassed to re-sign Rodgers. Walder did make the case for signing Malik Willis or Kyler Murray in free agency, but the Steelers didn’t want to throw big money at an unproven commodity like Willis. And while Murray made some sense, he never really showed interest in Pittsburgh.

Where the Steelers had to improve was at receiver, especially after closing the season with the likes of Adam Thielen and Marquez Valdes-Scantling playing heavy snaps offensively.

They did just that, making a savvy trade for Michael Pittman Jr., and trading up in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft to land Alabama’s Germie Bernard. The Steelers look much better at wide receiver now behind DK Metcalf. Yet, Walder panned the Pittman move.

“The Steelers did add to Rodgers’ receiving group, trading for Pittman and drafting Germie Bernard in the second round. The Pittman trade was a mistake, though,” Walder writes. “He has $24 million due in 2026, which is more than I think he would receive on the open market. Why pay Pittman $24 million when Wan’Dale Robinson made $17.5 million per year as a free agent?

“In essence, the Steelers traded a late-round pick swap for a negative value contract.”

Why pay Pittman over someone like Wan’Dale Robinson? Because Pittman is a better receiver and fits the Steelers’ style and McCarthy’s offense much better than a guy like Robinson does.

That’s not hard to see.

The Steelers signing Pittman to a contract extension was a bit of a surprise and feels like a bit of a risk, especially without him playing a snap in Pittsburgh. But there’s a confidence there that he’s a great fit in the Steel City, on and off the field.

Along with the upgrades at receiver, the Steelers added to a high-priced defense, locking in cornerback Jamel Dean among a number of moves to shore up that side of the football. With a new defensive coordinator in Patrick Graham calling the shots, the expectation is Pittsburgh’s defense takes a step forward.

“If things break just right, the Steelers’ defense could keep them relevant in 2026. But it’s hard to see the offense having enough firepower for the team to make a serious run,” Walder writes.

The Steelers’ defense should keep them competitive and in games throughout the regular season. The unit might even steal games, too. But the offense should be much better than last season, due to McCarthy’s presence as the play caller, as well as the upgrades at receiver.

Will it be enough to get over the hump in the playoffs? We shall see. The Steelers appear better positioned to do so this time around, though.