We all knew the NFL’s legal tampering window was going to be a wild ride! But Steelers fans were not prepared to see QB Justin Fields get snatched by the New York Jets. They still don’t have a QB and while they search, their options are limited. Daniel Jones is now on the Indianapolis Colts’ side, the two names worth trying would be Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson. But the QB position isn’t the only part where the Steelers are lagging behind. There is a hole in their team that they need to fix.

You see, bringing in receiver DK Metcalf was a nice move on their part. But let us go back to the Combine where general manager Omar Khan had stated that they could first look for a QB and then look for receivers who would fit in. Now, by changing the order of the operations, they are still benefitting from it. The team’s offense looks better for the next quarterback to take charge of. So Metcalf’s entry was supposed to have a ripple effect. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like that’s the case.

NFL reporter Mark Kaboly has come up with some stats. In an X post, he wrote: “Steelers have lost Najee Harris, Justin Fields, Dan Moore, Donte Jackson and James Daniels on first day of tampering period and cut Larry Ogunjobi. That’s 27% of their opening day starters last year.”

Well, it looks like the Pittsburgh Steelers will look quite different next season. Interestingly, apart from the Metcalf deal, the Steelers were pretty quiet on the first day of the legal tampering window. But it also means they will have some key holes to fill on their roster before time runs out. However, some of these moves weren’t surprising at all.

Let’s start with Najee Harris, shall we? 68 straight regular season games—four straight 1,000 rushing yards campaign, but still the Steelers didn’t keep him. Why? Harris was more of a pedestrian than a runner in Pittsburgh. Only averaging 3.9 yards per carry. So, him signing a new one-year deal with the Chargers worth up to $9.5M won’t upset a lot of fans in Steel City.

Then it’s, of course, Justin Fields whom the Steelers contemplated till the last minute whether to sign him or not. Seeing a lack of trust from Mike Tomlin, Fields was happy to move on when the Jets came flying. 2-year, $40M deal on the table—just like that Fields is off to New York.

Next up is Dan Moore Jr, who leaves for Music City on a blockbuster deal worth $82M for over four years, with $50M in guarantees. Well, this move was long overdue as the Steelers were already trying to replace him. For two straight seasons, they used consecutive first-round picks on tackles Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu. So, with the Steelers already having replacements lined up, they probably weren’t too upset seeing Moore land a big deal elsewhere.

Staying on the defense, the Steelers allowed CB Donte Jackson to move to the Chargers after just one season in black and gold. I mean, this move comes as a surprise considering that he had a career-high of 5 INTs last season. But I guess the Steelers didn’t see a future for him in the Steel Curtain and are happy to move ahead.

Now the last two cuts were kind of given. James Daniels ruptured his ACL early into the season and missed the remainder of his campaign. As for defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi—it was more of a financial thing. Steelers cutting him off saves them $7M in cap space. So, every one of those starters who left Steel City—either didn’t perform or wasn’t part of Tomlin’s plans next season. Actually, there’s another name who could soon join this list.

Is Russell Wilson off to Nashville?

See, Justin Fields’ exit could mean the Steelers are probably going to stick with Wilson. But SNY reporter Conner Hughes feels otherwise. He thinks Wilson is getting traction from the Titans, who are looking to target him in free agency. In a tweet, he wrote: “Most league sources I touch base with believe Rodgers is headed to the Steelers, which would lead the Giants to Russell Wilson. The problem: The Titans, and others, are interested in Wilson, too.” You might be thinking about how this could be possible. Don’t they have the No.1 overall?

Well, you are right. They can easily go in and draft either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders to solve their QB problems. But you can’t expect them to start strongly from the first week itself. But if they are the second coming of Jayden Daniels, then there’s nothing to worry about. It’s all good.

However, the Titans are not willing to take any chances whatsoever. They are probably interested in Wilson as a backup QB or maybe a bridge starter. He could most certainly be useful in grooming the young franchise signal-caller whom the Titans settle for. And coming off a 10th Pro Bowl campaign racking up 2,482 yards with 16 TDs, Wilson still has a lot to offer. Yes, he is 36 and doesn’t have that flair anymore. But it’s the experience that counts right now.

As for the Titans, they could be more than happy to welcome him to Music City—of course, if the Steelers let him leave. What do you think?