There was no word from Aaron Rodgers, and (again) no concrete plans for the Pittsburgh Steelers at quarterback a day into free agency.
But that doesn’t mean the Steelers weren’t busy in the hours after the so-called “legal tampering period” opened Monday. And amid a flurry of comings and goings, the Steelers — finally — fulfilled their seemingly never-ending quest for a No. 2 wide receiver.
As of noon Monday, Rodgers joined the hundreds of other unrestricted free agents throughout the NFL whose representation were cleared talk with teams to hammer out deals that cannot be official until the NFL’s new league year begins at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
While the wait for the 42-year-old Rodgers to make his decision to play a 22nd NFL season for the Steelers drags on — he waited until June last year to join the team — it took less than an hour after the noon starting gun for word to break via ESPN that the Steelers acquired two-time 1,000-yard receiver Michael Pittman Jr.
Pittman joined the Steelers, however, not via free agency but via trade with the Indianapolis Colts. And in conjunction with the swap of late-round draft picks, the Steelers agreed to a three-year, $59 million contract with Pittman (per the NFL Network) that replaced what had been the $24 million he was owed in 2026 on an expiring deal.
Michael Pittman Jr. 80 REC, 784 YDS, 7 TDs 2025 Season Highlights.
Pittman joins the Steelers.pic.twitter.com/cYCIJOnwGShttps://t.co/geFHJ1Ix7u
— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) March 9, 2026
Pittman joins DK Metcalf in giving the Steelers a pair of 28-year-old, 6-foot-4 receivers who have combined for more than 12,000 receiving yards and 79 touchdowns over their careers.
The Steelers also Monday went a more traditional route — free agency — in adding a pair of accomplished starters in running back Rico Dowdle and cornerback Jamel Dean.
The 29-year-old Dean agreed to a three-year, $36.75 million pact (perNFL Network) after spending each of his first seven seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He will start on the outside opposite Joey Porter Jr.
Dowdle had 1,000 rushing yards each of the previous two seasons for the Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers. He replaces Kenneth Gainwell (who left Monday as a free agent for Tampa Bay) as the complement to Jaylen Warren in the Steelers’ backfield. Word of his signing first emerged via a report by The Schultz Report.
The Steelers opened Monday by re-signing inside linebacker Cole Holcomb and cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., a pair of veterans with plenty of starting experience the NFL expected to fill reserve roles in 2026.
Starting left guard Isaac Seumalo and cornerback/special-teamer James Pierre joined Gainwell as free agents who left the Steelers within the first eight hours of when free agency began in earnest Monday.
Pittman has 485 career receptions for 5,254 yards and 25 touchdowns and has played in 95 of Indianapolis’ 101 games since the Colts made him a second-round pick in 2019.
In all five of his seasons since an injury-affected rookie year, Pittman has led the Colts in either receptions, receiving yards or both — despite Indianapolis having a different primary starting quarterback for each of his six NFL seasons.
Pittman, though, was expendable to the Colts because they have Josh Downs and Alec Pierce at receiver in addition to burgeoning star tight end Tyler Warren. As free agency was getting underway Monday, Pierce re-signed with Indianapolis for a reported $116 million over four years in a transaction that compelled the Colts to shed Pittman’s salary cap hit.
Metcalf has four years remaining on a deal that averages $30 million annually. But aside from him, the only receivers the Steelers had under contract for 2026 were Ben Skowronek and Roman Wilson. Wilson has 12 career catches in two seasons, and Skowronek is better known for his special teams prowess.
After Metcalf, the other six wide receivers who played for the Steelers last season — Wilson, Skowronek, Calvin Austin III, Adam Thielen, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Scotty Miller — had a combined 77 catches for 866 yards, seven touchdowns.
By himself, Pittman — in an off year by his standards — produced a rough equivalent: 80 catches, 784 yards, seven touchdowns.
The Steelers believe Pittman’s acquisition ends their pursuit of a legitimate No. 2 wide receiver that dates to March 2024 when they traded Diontae Johnson. The March 2025 trade for Metcalf seemed to suffice … until the Steelers traded George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys two months later.
Even with the towering duo of almost 500 pounds between them in Pittman and Metcalf as starting outside receivers, the Steelers surely aren’t done adding to the position. With new coach Mike McCarthy fond of three-receiver sets, another veteran free agent and/or an early-round draft pick are still to come.
And that goes for whoever is at quarterback for the Steelers when the season begins. Like last year, all signs are pointing to Rodgers.
Monday, two of the highest-profile alternatives among the slim pickings at quarterback — Malik Willis and Tua Tagovailoa — joined new teams.
Tagovailoa signed with the Atlanta Falcons just hours after word broke of his release from the Miami Dolphins. Willis signed a three-year, $67.5 million deal with Miami as Tagovailoa’s replacement.
The Steelers have only Mason Rudolph and Will Howard under contract at quarterback.