Jan 12, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin talks to linebacker T.J. Watt (90) during the first half of an AFC Wild Card Round against the Houston Texans game at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Steelers Must Keep Two Untouchable Players

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Noah Strackbein | Last updated Jan 18, 2026 9:30 AM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers can't clean house. In the midst of so much change, the Steelers need to be cautious about the direction they go in 2016. But one thing is for sure, they cannot ditch key pieces to this franchise and expect to succeed.

After the Steelers let their entire coaching staff go, everyone's attention turned to the roster. Could the players be the next chop that happens?

"I think it's too early to say what effect it's going to have on the roster. The new coach obviously is going to have a lot today in that," Team President Art Rooney II said on roster turnover. "We'll have that discussion when the time comes."

That's not very affirming. And truthfully, it sure makes it sound like everyone could be gone. Players like T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward included.

Aaron Rodgers already seems to be gone, even if the players are pushing for him to return.

“Aaron came here to play for Mike,” Rooney said. "I think it will affect his decision."

Michael Longo/For USA Today Network-PA / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Things Can't Go Too Far

If Rodgers is gone, it's understandable. He's a free agent who's been on the team for one season and that season ended with a blowout loss in the Wild Card round, where Rodgers didn't play that well.

If the Steelers are moving on from players who aren't cornerstone pieces to the roster, fine, that happens. There are a ton of them on this roster that could be gone if that's the case, and as long as they're replaced well, the team will be fine.

Replacing Watt and Heyward aren't the same. Right now, the Steelers need leadership. They need players to keep the locker room together during change they haven't seen in 19 years.

Then, when a new coach comes in, you'll want those veterans to help the transition. Players who know the culture and the group around them. Veterans who understand the organization much deeper than a roster standpoint, who know Omar Khan and Rooney better than most. Who's voices matter in tough decisions.

Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

The future of the Steelers is exciting. One of the rarest positions in the NFL is now open and the fourth head coach in almost 60 years, but it's no guarantee that the team is going to go four for four on successful head coaches.

They need faces the locker room can trust. That players can turn to as they adjust to change.

T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward should be two untouchables because of that.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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