Pittsburgh Steelers DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Donald Parham Jr. (Achilles) suffered a torn Achilles tendon on Tuesday and is in danger of missing the entirety of the 2025 season. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the injury. News came through earlier today that the Steelers removed themselves from conversations with the Miami Dolphins for tight end Jonnu Smith, but their tune quickly changed, and now we know why. It's unfortunate news for the 27-year-old, as he's now set for a lengthy recovery process. It's no secret that Pittsburgh has a glaring need at quarterback, though the lack of weapons on the offense is quickly becoming an understated issue. It's unlikely that Parham Jr. would have made a massive impact in 2025. Still, the team's skill players are relatively thin behind wideout DK Metcalf, tight end Pat Freiermuth, and running back Jaylen Warren.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had preliminary conversations with multiple teams about potentially adding another playmaker on offense to complement wide receiver DK Metcalf, multiple sources tell FOX Sports' Jordan Schultz. The Steelers are believed to be motivated to get something done at some point, even though there's still plenty of time before the Week 1 regular-season opener. Pittsburgh could have up to 12 picks in the 2026 NFL draft, so they have plenty of draft capital to get something done. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported earlier on Thursday that the Steelers and Miami Dolphins are involved in talks surrounding tight end Jonnu Smith, even though Pittsburgh already has Pat Freiermuth at the position. The Steelers traded receiver George Pickens to Dallas three weeks ago and are now looking for a pass-catcher to fill the void next to Metcalf. Perhaps they are trying to sweeten things for free-agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who has yet to commit to playing in the Steel City in 2025.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph opened OTAs with the first-team offense on Tuesday, according to Brooke Pryor of ESPN. This news isn't much of a surprise, but it does confirm head coach Mike Tomlin's vision as full-team practices get underway this summer. Presumably, the starting quarterback job is Rudolph's to lose, barring an external quarterback addition such as Aaron Rodgers or Kirk Cousins. Rudolph's internal competition comes from Skylar Thompson and rookie Will Howard. Thompson has completed just 58.7 percent of his career passes with one touchdown, three interceptions, and two fumbles. He primarily served as a backup over three seasons in Miami. Meanwhile, Howard is a rookie who impressed at Ohio State, but he has suboptimal draft capital as a sixth-round pick. On the other hand, Rudolph has shown flashes of potential during his time with the Steelers (2018-2023) and Titans (2024). In Tennessee last year, he completed 64 percent of his passes for 1,530 yards, nine touchdowns, and nine interceptions.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard recently gave some thoughts on his new organization. Howard said that the Steelers need a new gritty guy like they had with Ben Roethlisberger. It sounds like Howard wants to be that guy, but it's unclear if he'll get the chance. There has been plenty of speculation throughout the offseason that the Steelers are going to sign Aaron Rodgers. Currently, the Steelers have Mason Rudolph, Skylar Thompson, and Howard as their quarterback room. They certainly need to add another accomplished quarterback to the mix. Howard has mentioned that he wouldn't mind learning behind Rodgers in Pittsburgh. Sadly, Rodgers is taking an extremely long time to make up his mind on what he wants to do.

Free-agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers continues to be vague about where he wants to play, but at least addressed it on Saturday. A fan asked Rodgers if he would consider playing for the Chicago Bears, which he said no. The long-time Green Bay Packers quarterback has no interest in backing up Caleb Williams. However, Rodgers said there is a team that he might play in Chicago this year. Both the Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers play in Chicago this upcoming season. The Steelers remain the most obvious choice, but for some reason the two sides still haven't come to an agreement.