Steelers OTAs are just around the corner, meaning football is getting closer — as is another staple of the season: contract drama.

A whopping 44 Steelers — around half of the team’s current roster — are entering the last year of their respective contracts entering the new season. Of course, a good number of those players are one-year signings on the roster bubble, but the list of 2026 free agents is headlined by none other than one of the top defenders in the NFL: outside linebacker T.J. Watt.

There’s a chance the Steelers will sign a name or two to an extension ahead of the regular season, much like the Cam Heyward and Pat Freiermuth situations last year. The remaining players who make the roster will be hoping for healthy, productive seasons on their contract year.

Player statuses via Spotrac.

Steelers 2026 unrestricted free agents

Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Per NFL.com: Any player with four or more accrued seasons and an expired contract; free to negotiate and sign with any team.

OLB T.J. Watt
G Isaac Seumalo
WR Calvin Austin III
RB Jaylen Warren
S Miles Killebrew
S DeShon Elliott
CB Darius Slay
LB Cole Holcomb
RB Cordarrelle Patterson
P Corliss Waitman
TE Connor Heyward
ILB Mark Robinson
DT Daniel Ekuale
DE Dean Lowry
WR Robert Woods
RB Kenneth Gainwell
CB James Pierre
DE Isaiahh Loudermilk
WR Scotty Miller
G Max Scharping
DE DeMarvin Leal
RB Jonathan Ward
TE Donald Parham
QB Skylar Thompson
WR Brandon Johnson
RB Trey Sermon

Steelers 2026 restricted free agents

Photo by Jordon Kelly/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Per NFL.com: A player with three accrued seasons and an expired contract. RFAs are free to negotiate and sign with any team, but their original team can offer them one of various qualifying offers (“tenders”) that come with the Right of First Refusal and/or draft-pick compensation. If the tender is withdrawn by a team, the RFA becomes an unrestricted free agent.

C Ryan McCollum
OLB Jeremiah Moon
OLB Eku Leota
DE Esezi Otomewo
G Lecitus Smith
ILB Devin Harper

Steelers 2026 exclusive rights free agents

Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images

Per NFL.com: Any player with fewer than three accrued seasons and an expired contract. If his original team offers him a one-year contract at the league minimum (based on his credited seasons), the player cannot negotiate with other teams.

OT Dylan Cook
LT Doug Nester
DT Jacob Slade
OLB Julius Welschof
S Joshuah Bledsoe
RB Evan Hull
CB D’Shawn Jamison
WR Lance McCutcheon
DT Domenique Davis
G Steven Jones
CB Kyler McMichael
CB Cameron McCutcheon

Who should the Steelers extend ahead of the 2025 season?

Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

T.J. Watt is the obvious name here. The veteran pass-rusher will be on the wrong side of 30 in 2026 and is coming off a 2024 season where he recorded “only” 11.5 sacks, but he’s a foundational player on defense and still among the best at his position. While his sack numbers were low by his standards last season, Watt still finished second in the league in tackles for loss and first in forced fumbles.

A five-time team MVP, Watt is a key cog on the Pittsburgh defense.

An extension won’t be cheap. But the Steelers aren’t paying a franchise quarterback and have $109.8 million in cap space waiting in 2026, per Spotrac.

Watt could ask for a deal close to Myles Garrett’s league-leading $40 million average for a defender, which would certainly hold up negotiations. But this feels like a deal the Steelers should, and will, figure out ahead of the regular season.

Outside of Watt, the list of 2025 extension candidates gets much thinner. Players slated to be RFAs or ERFAs aren’t a priority for an early payday. There aren’t many among the upcoming unrestricted free agents, either.

Guard Isaac Seumalo is 31 years old. If anything, the Steelers might want to get younger at the position next offseason. The same could be said of 32-year-old special teams ace Miles Killebrew.

Young offensive weapons Jaylen Warren and Calvin Austin III could be candidates for cheap extensions hoping to get ahead of career-best performances in 2025. However, with the Steelers’ running back and receiver rooms changing so much over the offseason, it might be best for Pittsburgh to remain in wait-and-see mode until next year when it comes to new contracts.

The top name to extend in 2025 besides Watt might be safety DeShon Elliott, who was a big surprise on defense last year for Pittsburgh, now entering the last season of his two-year, $6 million deal. Elliott was a difference-maker near the line of scrimmage, with his box safety play being among the best in the league.

Holes in Elliott’s coverage ability did become apparent as the season went on, but in the right role, he was a star in the Pittsburgh defense. Depending on the price, Elliott could be a worthwhile name to lock up for future seasons.

Outside of Watt, there aren’t many names the Steelers need to prioritize extending ahead of the 2025 regular season. For now, the team looks like it will see how the upcoming year plays out ahead of what appears to be an important offseason in 2026.

Should the Steelers extend any players in 2025? Join the BTSC community and share your thoughts in the comments below!