It's that time of the month, Pittsburgh Steelers fans: the monthly mailbag is here. With winter fast on our heels, not only are the holidays on deck, but so is playoff football! For that, we can all rejoice. As always, I appreciate the thoughtful questions submitted via various platforms. This iteration hits on topics such as Pittsburgh's passing game, reasons for optimism and 2026 NFL Draft prospects worth paying attention to.
Without further ado, here we go!
Q: Why did it take the Steelers until Week 14 to start throwing the ball down the field more? Do you foresee this approach continuing or was this merely a mirage?
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and receivers DK Metcalf and Adam Thielen in a game against the Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 7, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
A: From the opening snap of the contest, it became pretty clear that Aaron Rodgers wanted to be aggressive in attacking the Ravens secondary overtop and some of that was definitely dictated by the coverage. Unlike other opponents this season, Baltimore elected not to provide their cornerbacks with as much help on DK Metcalf and he made them pay for it, consistently stacking guys vertically versus press coverage with his quarterback showcasing pinpoint accuracy all day long.
Being able to take advantage of what the defense is presenting you is the definition of a balanced offense more so than the run/pass split. Pittsburgh needs to continually search for ways to generate more explosive plays down the stretch, even if it's just low-risk go-balls down the sideline against single-high coverages. Hopefully they're heating up at the right time, but I'm going to need to see it again to believe in that.
Q: Can you explain why the Steelers benched Roman Wilson in favor of Adam Thielen and Marquez Valdes-Scantling when they likely won't even be on the roster next season?
A: The easiest way to explain it is that they are trying to win games and maximize their aging roster's potential this season instead of prioritizing the development of young players. Do I believe that those recent additions are going to move the needle for them offensively? Nope, but it's understandable for them to turn over every stone to find a spark on that side of the ball considering they're still very much in the playoff hunt.
To his credit, Wilson has been open, particularly down the field, a little more than the box score indicates and it's been rather frustrating to see how little they've leaned into the things that he did well in college, such as crossing routes in the intermediate area. At the same time, this has been one of the worst receiver rooms in the league for two years running and the fact that he hasn't been able to seize the opportunity is definitely concerning for his outlook moving forward.
Q: Would you draft Alabama QB Ty Simpson in the mid-first round range?
Ty Simpson, Alabama Athletics
A: So, this is one of the more fascinating quarterback evaluations that I can really ever remember because we just don't see guys wait their turn for three years in today's college football landscape. Because of that, Simpson would be one of the most inexperienced quarterbacks to declare in years. Alabama puts a ton on his plate operationally and the flashes of anticipation over the middle of the field along with his toughness were key reasons for his rise this season. The accuracy is concerning, though, especially when you're talking about a guy that doesn't have overwhelming physical tools for the NFL level. Personally, I think he's more of a day two prospect, but a resurgence in play throughout the playoffs would make me feel a lot better about investing in him come April. That journey begins against a familiar SEC opponent in Oklahoma.
Q: Why should Steelers fans believe that this team could win a playoff game this season and if they do fall short, what would you consider a positive takeaway from 2025?
Pittsburgh Steelers head caoch Mike Tomlin during a game against the Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 7, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
A: I understand the skepticism surrounding the postseason, but it's important to recognize just how disappointing the AFC has been as a whole. Many of the top quarterbacks look like they'll be on the couch come January, meaning the field feels more wide open than ever before under Mike Tomlin. It's going to come down to matchups and while Pittsburgh doesn't have a dominant side of the ball that they can necessarily lean on, they do create consistent chaos in the form of turnovers. Plus, the winner of the North is guaranteed a home playoff game. Anything can happen, but first, they have to get into the dance.
As far as the second part of your question goes, the primary source of optimism has to revolve around the development of this young offensive line. Currently, this is a unit that has allowed the second lowest pressure rate on throws that occur after 2.5 seconds. I strongly believe that the Steelers have two dudes up in center Zach Frazier and right tackle Troy Fautanu . Even finding a competent starting guard such as Mason McCormick on day three should be considered a nice win for the scouting department, front office and coaching staff. Left tackle is the big question mark and the run blocking as a whole is a work in progress, but you shouldn't feel uneasy about dropping a young quarterback into the equation in 2026. That's a positive development in my eyes.
Q: What is a sneaky position that the Steelers could address early based on the strength of the class?
A: This is a great question. This may come as a shock, but my answer to this is linebacker for a few reasons. Let me explain.
1) Patrick Queen , who I value more than the fan base seems to, has a $17.1M cap hit in the final year of his deal.
2) Payton Wilson is uber talented but the team clearly doesn't view him as an every down player at this stage of the proceedings.
3) This off-ball backer class is pretty loaded and that's something that we don't see very often.
One hypothetical scenario that was running through my head recently was perhaps snagging one of the Ohio State guys (Sonny Styles/Arvell Reese) in the first round if the quarterback landscape doesn't materialize the way that the franchise had hoped. Pittsburgh's run defense has been abysmal to date and while it's entirely unfair to pin that solely on the second-level, it wouldn't shock me to see them place a heavy emphasis on the defensive front. Crazier things have happened and it beats reaching on a signal caller like they did in 2022.
Q: Coming off an emotional victory in Baltimore, does this Dolphins matchup not scream like a typical trap game, especially without T.J. Watt in the fold?
A: The Steelers are only three-point home favorites on Monday night, so I'm not sure that would constitute as a trap game necessarily given that Vegas views these teams as pretty even matches. Knowing that they're 1-11 when Watt doesn't suit up over the course of his career is concerning, but they've also never had a player as special as Nick Herbig off the bench.
The key to coming out on top will be slowing down Miami 's ground attack spearheaded by former Texas A&M product De'Von Achane and an extremely athletic offensive line. The Dolphins have the most explosive run game in the league to this point and have really leaned into that as the identity of their team. Forcing Tua Tagovailoa into more pure dropback situations would be huge given how often he's put the ball in harm's way thus far.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : DB's Steelers Mailbag: Roman Wilson's Future, 2025 Takeaways
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