Mike Tomlin had his eyes on Nate Hobbs, hoping to lock him in the early free agency period. But Green Bay beat them to it – signing him on Day 1. They awarded Hobbs a four-year, $48 million contract, leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers to somehow go for Darius Slay for a one-year deal. Slay would now be helping the franchise at their cornerback position, but this doesn’t extinguish the real problem of CB in the team.

Hence, to strengthen the position, Mike Tomlin might now pick a corner who Pete Carroll’s Las Vegas Raiders rejected recently. We are talking about Jack Jones. According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport on X, “The #Raiders are releasing CB Jack Jones, sources say, after Las Vegas attempted to trade him. An intriguing option for a CB-needy team.” So, does that mean the CB-needing team could be the Steelers?

As per journalist Michael Beck’s speculation, “This is definitely an option in Pittsburgh.” Although Mike Tomlin’s team indeed wants to add a solid cornerback, they aren’t that desperate. But anyway, they perhaps won’t mind adding depth to their corner. And here’s where it gets interesting.

There’s already a connection that could work in Mike Tomlin’s favor. Jack Jones played under Gerald Alexander in 2024, who’s now the Steelers’ new secondary coach. So, that could matter. Under Alexander’s guidance, Jones had the best season of his career. He started 16 games for the Raiders, grabbed three interceptions, returned one for a touchdown, defended 16 passes, and racked up 69 tackles.

A reunion is not far-fetched, indeed. It could even be a smart move for Mike Tomlin and the team. Besides this, after filling up the corner with more depth, the Steel City could also fetch a reliable and solid quarterback in the NFL Draft.

Who is Mike Tomlin planning to get in 2025?

Mike Tomlin and the Steelers are still holding out hope for Aaron Rodgers. But while that’s still up in the air, they’ve got a huge decision to make. We know that the draft’s coming fast. And according to Adam Schefter, there’s only one quarterback who might make them pull the trigger in round one. Is it Shedeur Sanders? Well, let’s be honest – there’s almost no way he drops to pick No. 21. Now the question becomes: do the Steelers trade up to get him?

Aaron Rodgers would be their win-now guy. No doubt about it. But deep down, they know they need someone who can carry this team for the next decade. Someone who can fill Big Ben’s shoes. And that answer isn’t Mason Rudolph, of course—because he’s arguably more of a just-in-case. Besides Sanders, other names are floating around, like Jaxson Dart and Jalen Milroe. But most folks don’t see them as the right QB, except a few who think Milroe could be the one, given his new draft update of round 1 from round 2. So, all eyes are on the future.

However, let us tell you one thing. The 2026 draft class is stacked. And at the top, it’s QB Arch Manning. He’s the dream pick. So maybe that’s what Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin are really doing – Stockpiling picks – Laying the groundwork, and quietly getting ready to make their move when the time is right. Pittsburgh isn’t just thinking about 2025. They’re thinking about forever.