Happy Halloween! For the Pittsburgh Steelers, we have seen a healthy mix of tricks and treats from this team in 2026. At times, this team looks like one of the best in the league . At other times, Pittsburgh feels like a poorly coached high school squad.
As kids all around the country prepare to take to the streets and consume an unimaginable amount of candy, let's take a look at the Steelers players who have been pure treats to the team as well as those who have tricked them.
Let's start with a name that doesn't receive a lot of accolades despite his strong play. Zach Frazier has been a steady presence along the offensive line since the moment he was drafted. Despite that strong play, he doesn't have a Pro Bowl or All-Pro mention to his name.
That needs to change in 2026.
It took a few games for this line to get its footing, but the unit is gelling now. Frazier has been at the head of this group through this development. His run blocking is second to none, and he has been stout in pass protection.
He currently owns a 78.0 PFF grade and is the highest-rated center in the NFL. He is playing at an elite level, and no one is talking about it. He certainly has been a wonderful treat for the Steelers' offense.
DK Metcalf has returned to form in some of the recent weeks. He finally seems to be on the same page with Aaron Rodgers, and he has established a level of consistency that you need from your top wide receiver.
However, the overall play hasn't been worth the cost to acquire Metcalf.
Trading a second-round pick and then paying Metcalf $33 million a year was steep, but the hope was that the Steelers would finally have a truly dominant top receiver. That hasn't materialized. Instead, Metcalf has struggled in an admirably poor Pittsburgh offense.
The team around him isn't the only issue, though. We saw Metcalf struggle early in 2026 with poor routes, bad drops, and a complete lack of chemistry with the offense.
Things have gotten better, but this deal still doesn't feel like a win for the Steelers. Metcalf needs to right this ship and fast if he wants to prove his worth.
How about this rookie? No one gave Robert Spears-Jennings the time of day after the Steelers drafted him in the seventh round of the draft. His strong play and injuries have forced him onto the field, and the results have been excellent.
While we haven't gotten Spear-Jennings to play at an elite level, the fact that one of your last draft picks is contributing as he has is positive. PFF gives him a defensive grade of 77.0 , good for 11th among all safeties.
While his play may begin to dip as Deshon Elliott returns from injury, the Steelers clearly have something here. I expect him to continue to play well this season, and a starting gig in 2027 seems like a real possibility.
Jalen Ramsey is one of the biggest names on the Steelers roster. Unfortunately, he is also one of the most overrated.
Brought in from the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade, the goal was for the Steelers to have a trio of great cornerbacks in 2025. Darius Slay failed; Joey Porter Jr. was traded this year, and Ramsey has been forced into a safety/slot defender role due to his declining play.
Look, he isn't bad by any means. He plays the run well and at times can still do well in coverage. But his skills are clearly trending down, which has forced the Steelers to hide him some instead of relying on him.
His contract is also extremely high, making him an obvious overpay. No, he isn't a bad player by any means, but he isn't giving this team enough to warrant his contract.
A bit of a cop out here, but the entire defensive line is playing at a tremendous level right now. From the starters to the rookie backups, no one is missing a beat.
The run defense has been superb, and that is largely due to the push that the defensive line has gotten. Yahya Black stands out as having had a breakout in that regard. He is clearly someone who should have been drafted much earlier than where he went.
Keeanu Benton is also having a great season. The stats don't always show it, but he is getting off the line quickly, beating his blocks, and disrupting things in the backfield.
We also need to show some love to Gabriel Rubio and Kevin Jobity. Both have been called upon as depth, and neither has faltered.
This group is playing at a high level now and has a young core to continue building around. This whole group is smashing expectations.
I have so many people defending Aaron Rodgers, citing him as a core reason this team is 5-2. He hasn't played horrible football, but if you think he is anything more than a middling game manager at this point, you are kidding yourself.
His deep ball is shot at this point. I have no confidence in his accuracy beyond about five yards downfield. Sure, he still hits some great passes, but it feels like he has zoned in on checkdowns and relies on his receivers making plays after the catch.
This can win you games against mediocre teams, but it won't allow you to truly compete with the best teams in the NFL.
In addition to these issues, Rodgers' pocket presence has been horrible this season. He clearly doesn't feel comfortable back there, and defenses know it.
Like Ramsey, Rodgers hasn't been horrible. That said, his brand of football is still hampering this team.
Who else could it be?
Like the king-sized candy bars that all the neighborhood kids target, Jaylen Warren has proven to be a truly dynamic threat this season. Finally given the opportunity to shine as a lead back, he hasn't disappointed.
Warren has 855 total yards through seven games, good for fourth-best in the NFL. He is also averaging an incredible 5.5 yards per carry. Anytime he touches the ball, good things seem to happen.
At this point, there is little question about whether Warren will have a career year. In reality, he could be contending for the league lead in total yards. Warren was finally given the chance to shine, and he is making it count for the offense.
This article was originally published on www.stillcurtain.com as 4 treats (and 3 tricks) from the first half of the Steelers season .
