Steelers Have 1 Main Concern With Odd Roster Construction

The Pittsburgh Steelers took two very different approaches to free agency in the previous two offseasons. In 2025, they loaded up on aging rentals that were near the end of their careers. That strategy did not work very well, as Darius Slay got released in the middle of the season for poor performance and Jalen Ramsey had to switch positions entirely just to have a spot on the field. Meanwhile, most of Pittsburgh's acquisitions in 2026 were players between the ages of 26 and 30, which is typically when players are in their primes. 

The Steelers did get younger in 2026, but how much younger? While making a recent appearance on Monday Morning Quarterback, NFL insider Albert Breer picked the Steelers to be the most likely team to go through a regression, and he explained how age is a major factor with his decision.

"I just look at the age of the roster, and that makes me nervous..." Breer said. "What happens if a bunch of these guys hit a wall at once? That's what I'd be concerned with."

There are quite a few players in Pittsburgh that are at least 30 years old. Of all of those guys, it would not be shocking to see a few of them possibly hit a wall due to a variety of factors. There are some that are very obvious, like Aaron Rodgers being 42 years old and showing visible signs of regression in recent years. The hope is that his high football IQ helps keep him playing at a starting-caliber level.

Some people may say that defensive captain Cameron Heyward will hit a wall just because it has to happen eventually. He has completely defied Father Time with back-to-back All-Pro seasons in his mid-30s. If he does regress, the run defense is in big trouble. If not, that defensive line will be more than solid. Until he starts to slow down, there is no reason to believe that his production will fall off a cliff like most at his position do.

On the other hand, however, TJ Watt's name has been all over trade rumors. He had a down year in 2025, and there are reasonable questions about whether he's done or not. The hope is that having a new defensive scheme that focuses less on stubborn desires will allow him to turn the clock back a few years and go back to being the relentless game-wrecker that he once was. If not, at least the outside linebacker group is exceptionally deep.

Steelers' Don't Have As Big Of An Issue With Age As Before

The one issue with Breer's take is that many of these older players from 2025 are not on the team anymore, and the ones that are either have lots of depth behind them, like Watt, or will be in limited roles anyways. The Steelers did an amazing job of loading up at each position. Most of them are very deep and can handle one or more starters being out for long periods of time, which is exactly what they need to thrive. 

Ramsey is expected to go back to rotating around every defensive back position, but that's partially because he is not needed at any one spot specifically. There are more than enough starting-caliber cornerbacks on the team to go along with DeShon Elliott and new acquisition Jaquan Brisker at safety. Odds are he will play most of his reps at safety or slot cornerback, but anything can happen once the season begins and injuries take a toll on the defense.