Pittsburgh Steelers DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II said on April 1 that the team will wait "not forever, but a little while longer" on free-agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers to make a decision, and he made a similar statement during the owners' meetings on Wednesday. "A little while longer. I'll say the same thing," Rooney said. So, basically, not much has changed. It remains to be seen if the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer actually wants to continue his playing career, but if he decides to play for another season, it will almost certainly be in the Steel City. If Rodgers chooses to hang up his cleats, the Steelers will be in a pretty dire situation under center with only Mason Rudolph and sixth-round rookie Will Howard as their primary options at QB. A soft deadline for Rodgers to make a decision will be in July before the start of training camp.

Free-agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers "is not under consideration" for the New Orleans Saints, according to Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com. There had been some speculation that he could be a target for the Saints after Derek Carr retired, but it sounds like the team is not currently interested in the future Hall of Famer. Rodgers went 5-12 through 17 starts in his only full season with the Jets last year. He completed 63 percent of his passes for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. The four-time MVP is heavily favored to land with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he'd have DK Metcalf and Pat Freiermuth at his disposal. However, at the moment, no deal is imminent. Meanwhile, the Saints appear satisfied with their current quarterback room of Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler, and Jake Haener.

Pittsburgh Steelers rookie third-round running back Kaleb Johnson knows he must improve his pass-blocking skills if he wants to earn the coaching staff's trust with the hope of becoming an "every-down back" sooner than later. At 6-foot-1, 225 pounds, Johnson led the Big Ten in rushing yards (1,537), rushing touchdowns (21) and all-purpose yards (1,725) at Iowa in 2024. He's a scheme fit for Pittsburgh's zone-centric offense given his efficient production, writes The Athletic's Mike DeFabo. Even if the 21-year-old doesn't catch a ton of passes, he could stand out in fantasy with his big-play ability. There's opportunity in the Steel City, too, with Najee Harris no longer in town. Johnson is likely going to share touches with Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell, but he probably has the highest fantasy upside of the trio already.

The Pittsburgh Steelers signed free-agent running back Trey Sermon to an undisclosed one-year deal on Sunday, sources told FOX Sports' Jordan Schultz. Sermon will head to the AFC North after spending the last two seasons with the Indianapolis Colts as a backup to Jonathan Taylor, where he saw 91 carries for 319 yards (3.5 yards per carry) and two touchdowns on the ground in 31 games (three starts). He added 19 receptions on 25 targets for 112 yards through the air. The 26-year-old former third-rounder (88th overall) by the San Francisco 49ers in 2021 out of Ohio State will now join a crowded backfield in Pittsburgh that includes rookie third-rounder Kaleb Johnson, Jaylen Warren and free-agent acquisition Kenneth Gainwell. Sermon only averaged 2.8 yards a carry in 2024 and will likely need an injury or two to resurface on the fantasy radar in the Steel City.

The Pittsburgh Steelers announced on Friday that they signed third-round rookie running back Kale Johnson to his four-year deal. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The Steelers took Johnson out of the University of Iowa with the 83rd overall pick. "Really explosive running back that we spent some time with on a 30 visit here," said offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. "One of the more instinctive backs that I've watched in a couple of years coming out of the draft." In 35 career games (22 starts) for the Hawkeyes, Johnson had 508 carries for 2,779 yards and 30 touchdowns, adding 29 catches for 240 yards and two touchdowns. The 21-year-old stands at 6-foot-1, 224 pounds and is a big bruising back with plenty of big-play potential. Johnson figures to eventually supplant Najee Harris as the Steelers' lead back after Harris left in free agency this offseason.