Barring another summer surprise, Omar Khan’s heavy lifting appears to be finished ahead of the 2026 season. Between a complete coaching overhaul, splashy veteran additions, contract extensions, and another draft class, the Steelers reshaped their present and future prospects considerably over a few short months.

Some moves were obvious home runs. Others are far more debatable, with the story to be told over the next several years. With the dust mostly settled, it’s a good time to look back and rank every significant move Khan made this offseason, weighing both the impact on the 2026 season and on the franchise’s future.

As always, this is subjective. Feel free to tell me where I’m wrong in the comments.

18. Signing Darnell Savage

S Darnell Savage will either be an important depth addition or a non-factor who doesn’t make the roster. That all depends on the health of the veterans in front of him. If Jalen Ramsey, Jaquan Brisker, and DeShon Elliott are all healthy entering the season, Savage’s lack of special teams will make him harder to keep around. Perhaps he could stick around on the practice squad as insurance.

17. Punter change

I received pushback when I called for a change from Corliss Waitman. He is statistically one of the best in team history, after all. The problem is, that’s an extremely low bar. He always seemed to have his worst punts in the absolute worst moments. Just look how important punting was for the Seahawks last year. The Super Bowl was a great example. But is 34-year-old Cameron Johnston coming off injuries in back-to-back seasons the solution?

16. Rebuilding Special Teams

With Connor Heyward, Miles Killebrew, James Pierre, and Calvin Austin III leaving the team, special teams needed an injection of talent. Travis Homer was a good veteran addition to the group, but will he make the roster? Kaden Wetjen could boost the return units, but other additions like Eli Heidenreich and Robert Spears-Jennings need to make the team before they can be counted as part of the solution. I have some concerns here, especially with ST coach Danny Crossman leading the way.

15. Extending Chris Boswell

People love K Chris Boswell, and so do I. That doesn’t mean I love paying a kicker an average of $7 million per season, especially one who is 35 years old. If he’s like Adam Vinatieri and plays well into his 40s, then money well spent. He’s obviously a crucial part of the team’s present success.

14. Cutting Jonnu Smith

Given how poor his 2025 season was, cutting TE Jonnu Smith was addition by subtraction. But that means you have to question the decision to trade for him. This move will create additional opportunities for more efficient players like Darnell Washington and Pat Freiermuth.

13. Finishing O-line Rebuild

If all goes well, this will end up much higher on the list. Right now my concerns lie in the process. They drafted a right tackle in the first round, requiring both Troy Fautanu and Mason McCormick to move from right to left. Will Max Iheanachor crack the starting lineup immediately or in the middle of the season?

Guard was the biggest immediate need, but they waited until the end of the third round to address it. Currently, it doesn’t seem like Gennings Dunker is in the plans at right guard. The future is bright, but I have significant concerns about the present.

12. 2026 Draft Class

Entering with 12 picks, I felt that Omar Khan could have done a little more. I like some of the individual selections, but I wonder how much impact the group will have this season. How many of the 10 picks will they be able to keep on the 53-man roster? On the other hand, if they truly finished rebuilding the OL, found a future starting quarterback, a return ace, and a starting corner in one class, then it’s a complete home run.

11. Drafting Drew Allar

It’s important to take swings at quarterback until they get it right, but will they learn enough before potentially drafting a first-round QB next year? I don’t hate drafting for the potential, but No. 76 overall probably could have been used on a player that could make an impact in 2026. I liked OG Emmanuel Pregnon, WR Ted Hurst, and DT Domonique Orange, to name a few.

10. Ensuring CB Depth

Re-signing Asante Samuel Jr. for cheap was smart, as was drafting Daylen Everette in the third round. The early returns on the rookie are good from spring practices, which means Pittsburgh could have its deepest CB room in decades. CB depth was a real issue in 2025. It would take a lot for that to happen again.

9. Signing Sebastian Joseph-Day

Cameron Heyward’s dominance can’t last forever. Joseph-Day is the veteran DL depth option Pittsburgh has been searching for over the last several offseasons. His versatility is key, ensuring depth at every position along the line. And he can be another great mentor to Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black.

8. Signing Jamel Dean

Am I the only one who’s a little gun-shy about signing 30-year-old corners to three-year deals? He has potential to be a huge factor in 2026, so perhaps ranking him this low is unfair. But Darius Slay, Patrick Peterson, and others have conditioned me to worry. Dean does a lot of things well, but his 4.3 speed is a big part of his game. Will that start to fall off a cliff as he ages?

7. Signing Rico Dowdle

Reuniting Dowdle with McCarthy was a great idea, especially on an affordable two-year contract. He can become the first player ever to rush for 1,000 yards in three straight seasons with three different teams. There was a stretch during the 2025 season in Carolina where Dowdle was running like prime Marshawn Lynch. He forms the perfect one-two punch with Jaylen Warren.

6. Signing Jaquan Brisker

Pittsburgh was fortunate to sign Brisker for just $5.5 million. He instantly upgrades the secondary and unlocks Jalen Ramsey and DeShon Elliott to each maximize their skill set. The only downsides are the one-year deal and his rough concussion history.

5. Extending Nick Herbig

I am glad he’s sticking around, and he has a chance to make his lofty price tag look like a bargain. But with T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith under contract for the next two years, how will they find him ample reps? Highsmith was arguably the best of the bunch when healthy last season, and Watt and his $41 million salary won’t ride the bench. Perhaps Patrick Graham’s 3OLB packages will surprise. Herbig also has durability concerns and has yet to play 70 percent of the team’s snaps for a full season.

4. Re-Signing Aaron Rodgers

Plenty will disagree with the deja vu of another wasted season on old, washed-up quarterbacks. I get it, but there’s value in continuity, and Pittsburgh has it at quarterback for the first time since Ben Roethlisberger retired. Did it make sense to go all-in on the current roster by bringing him back? Perhaps not.

But Rodgers brings value beyond his one-year deal for the 2026 season. Will Howard and Drew Allar aren’t ready, and they now have one of the best possible teachers and mentors ahead of them on the depth chart. Rodgers is a force multiplier for all the young developing pieces around him.

3. Extending Darnell Washington

Washington is Pittsburgh’s secret weapon. Omar Khan said if he could have 10 Darnell Washingtons on the team, he would take them. He’s the one-of-a-kind type of player so many teams are now looking for. He blocks better than some offensive linemen, and he’s an absolute force with the ball in his hands. It sounds like he is cutting weight to the sub-300 range. If they can make him even more of a receiving threat, look out.

2. Trading For Michael Pittman Jr.

Pittman isn’t the flashiest receiver, but he is a high-volume target who can move the chains and produce in the red zone. Pittsburgh didn’t have a WR2 last season; now they have two players who have been WR1s for most of their careers. He will bring leadership, experience, and proven production to Pittsburgh over the next three years. Omar Khan has been striking out at WR2 for the last couple of years. Now the position should be set.

1. Hiring Mike McCarthy

Almost everybody wanted a young candidate to usher in the next two decades of Steelers football. I get it: I wanted that as well. But I’ve come all the way around on the idea of McCarthy leading this franchise for the next five seasons. He’s already made positive changes, like maximizing every last minute of practice time. And he’s undeniably the best man to identify and develop the next long-term starting quarterback in Pittsburgh.

He has five years to make it happen. If he can do that, it’ll be viewed as a perfect transitional hire for Omar Khan. He also has a track record of top-10 offenses — 13 of them in 18 years, to be exact. That can help right now during this all-in 2026 window.