Few franchises in football embody resilience just like Pittsburgh’s Steelers. Year after year, regardless of injuries, alignment turnover or quarter instability, Mike Tomlin’s team finds a way to remain relevant. In 2025, the Steelers tried again to reorganize their identity. This time, they have a legendary quarter at the helm. The addition of Aaron Rodgers at the age of 41 is equally exciting and scary. However, he points out the intention of the deductible to put pressure for immediate assertion. Surrounded by a solid defense, new game leaders and the constant leadership of Tomlin, the Steelers aim to return to the playoffs in what could be one of the most unpredictable campaigns of the AFC.
Overview of the Steelers 2025 season
The Steelers finished their pre-season in 2025 with a victory over the Panthers of Caroline. When writing these lines, the team finalized his list of 53 menSeparate from several veterans, including Chuck Clark, James Pierre, Max Scharping, Trey Sermon and Robert Woods. Their pre-season performance aroused cautious optimism, although some have suggested that a slight drop in victories could be ahead this year.
However, the list is radically different from what it did only two months ago. The main additions of Rodgers, the corner half of Jalen Ramsey and the tight winger Jonnu Smith give the Steelers a proven talent to key positions. Even at 41, Rodgers should guide this disciplined and well trained team towards another season of two -digit victories. With a single opponent in the playoff series last year on the calendar during their first six games, the new Pittsburgh Look list should have ample time to build chemistry and settle in the pace.
Here, we will try to watch and discuss the three daring predictions for Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2025 NFL season.
Mike Tomlin has another winning season
Looks like each year, the same question persists on Pittsburgh: will he finally be Tomlin’s first losing season? And every year, he responds with another winning campaign. The sequence should remain intact in 2025. The Steelers built their defense in one of the most expensive and effective units in the league, giving them a high floor. With Ramsey and Darius kill the corners and the choice of first round Derrick Harmon fortify the front, this group has the talent to push towards the status of the first five.
The real variable will be the offense. Rodgers is obviously no longer at its peak. However, there remains one of the net quarters of the game. His arrival has brought stability to a position that has been prey to uncertainty for years. Rodgers will not make Pittsburgh a favorite from the Super Bowl, but associated with the consistency of Tomlin and the defense force, the Steelers are likely to find their way to another season of 9 to 11 victory. This is enough to stay alive in the pursuit in the playoffs and keep the remarkable sequence of Tomlin alive.
Mason Rudolph will start at least three games
Steelers fans hoping that Rodgers will be able to remain healthy for the 17 games may need to temper expectations. At 41, even the most sustainable quarters are vulnerable to harassed or worse injuries. Rodgers is no exception. He will start the season, but the story and the logic suggest that he will not finish each match. This is where Mason Rudolph comes into play.
Rudolph, now a veteran seasoned replacement, has proven to be able to keep a offense afloat when it is called. He will not balance and his limits are well documented. That said, he can manage the game, protect football and rely on a strong defense to grind victories. The daring prediction here is not that Rudolph takes care of work, but that he called for at least three departures during the year. In a league where the depth in the quarter-arre is more critical than ever, the role of Rudolph could be quietly essential to maintain the hopes of the Steelers alive of the Steelers.
Pat Freiermuth leads the Steelers in catches
A large part of the intersane buzz has revolved around the Rodgers-to-Dk Metcalf connection. Metcalf, acquired to be the threat of big game, will certainly extend the defenses vertically and will open opportunities. However, the player most likely to become the most reliable target in Rodgers is the tight end of Pat Freiermuth.
Freiermuth is not flashy. It does not stretch the field or does not dominate the boils of highlighting. However, it thrives in the areas that Rodgers are worth the most: the reliability, the precision of the route and the capacity to exploit the soft areas. With the Pittsburgh offensive line still in progress, Rodgers will seek to take out the ball quickly. The talent of Freiermuth to find space in the middle makes him the perfect safety valve. Yes, it is even with the entrance to Smith in the depth table. Freiermuth will not publish garish numbers, its ceiling probably exceeding around 75 catches. However, this should be enough to get ahead of Metcalf during receptions. In a season when Rodgers chemistry with his weapons will be examined, Freiermuth could quietly become the glue of the offense.
Ahead
The Steelers entered 2025 with daring changes and familiar expectations. Aaron Rodgers is the title, but it is always the culture of Tomlin and the investment of La Défense which offer Pittsburgh its competitive advantage. Rodgers may not last all season under the center, but the presence of Rudolph gives them insurance. And while Metcalf will deliver fireworks, Pat Freiermuth can be quietly the most productive passes of the team.
These predictions highlight what has long been true for Pittsburgh: it’s not always pretty, but it’s always competitive. In an AFC brutal, the steelers may not reach the upper level, but they will be in hunting again, proving the consistency of Tomlin and the resilience of the franchise.
