The Pittsburgh Steelers’ wide receiver group is under review as the team looks ahead to future seasons. This comes after new head coach Mike McCarthy shared his perspective on the position during his introductory press conference.
“As far as the receiver position as a whole, we were at our best in Green Bay, the Jordy Nelson era, because all those guys worked so well together,” McCarthy said. He referenced his previous success coaching Jordy Nelson with the Packers, noting that Nelson excelled when receivers could play multiple roles and complement each other.
“You know, this game is about match-ups,” McCarthy added. “Your ability to put your third receiver on the third corner, hopefully, that’s a favorable match-up, or move those guys around. You want your receivers to be able to play all three positions. Your perimeter guys being able to play multiple positions is very important.”
During the 2025 season, changes were made within the receiving corps. Veterans Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Adam Thielen joined midseason—Valdes-Scantling signed to the practice squad in November and Thielen claimed off waivers in December—and both started games before season’s end. The two combined for 21 receptions, 197 yards and one touchdown before Thielen retired in January after a 13-year NFL career.
DK Metcalf had moments of strong performance in his first season with Pittsburgh but struggled with consistency. He recorded standout games against Minnesota and Baltimore but surpassed 100 receiving yards only twice. In 15 games played, he caught 59 passes for 850 yards—a career low—and missed the final two regular-season games due to suspension following an incident involving a fan.
Calvin Austin III saw decreases across most statistical categories from 2024 to 2025 but made significant contributions with timely touchdowns that directly impacted game outcomes and helped secure wins over teams like the Jets, Patriots, and Ravens. His late-season score against Baltimore was decisive in clinching the AFC North Division title for Pittsburgh.
Roman Wilson returned from injury in 2025 to play in 13 games after missing almost all of his rookie year. He caught 12 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns but was not active for key late-season contests despite being healthy.
Ben Skowronek contributed early with a touchdown catch against the Jets and assumed special teams captain duties after Miles Killebrew was sidelined by injury.
Scotty Miller continued to serve as a dependable option both at wide receiver and on special teams throughout various roles during the season.
The Steelers are now evaluating what qualities will be needed at wide receiver moving forward under McCarthy’s leadership.
