Unpopular Opinion: The Steelers aren’t “All In” on 2025

When the Pittsburgh Steelers are in the dreaded long offseason, there are plenty of ideas to debate. As part of the triumphant trio on the Steelers Preview podcast, I’ve been known to often give a “Dave answer“ to various things as I often like to argue both sides of an issue. With this in mind, a new weekly segment has been born… Unpopular opinion.

There are plenty of arguments both for and against the Pittsburgh Steelers that might not go along with the majority of fans. Oftentimes I believe in these arguments, while other times I simply like to pose a counter argument for ones that are taking it too much to the extreme. For this reason, I’m going to offer some points about the Pittsburgh Steelers that go against the general fan narrative, or at least how I have heard things.

Next up is the question if the Steelers are putting all their eggs in one basket for this season…

The Steelers aren’t “All In” on 2025

A lot has changed for the Pittsburgh Steelers over the last week. It was one of the biggest trades in the NFL throughout the offseason, let alone coming at the end of June, when the Steelers sent Minkah Fitzpatrick back to Miami exchange for Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith. Because of this, many people are saying how the Steelers are “all in“ on the 2025 season.

I don’t like to put it this way.

The first reason I don’t think the Steelers are all in for 2025 is when you think about what the phrase “all in“ means in poker. It’s simply choosing the correct spot to make your big move to where you are “all or nothing.” If it works, you win. If it doesn’t, you are done and waiting around for the next game to start.

When it comes to the 2025 Pittsburgh Steelers, I don’t believe they fit into this category. What many who don’t follow the Steelers closely, like those in the national media, fail to realize is that the Steelers are still expected to have 12 draft picks in 2026. They have not sacrificed the future for the present. This is not the perfect hand. Instead, this is the Steelers attempting to win every hand, not just betting big on one.

Looking at the definition of “all in” where it says that “completely committed to something,“ this might accurately depict the 2025 Steelers. But is it really at any different level to any other year?

The bottom line is, this is not a “one and done“ idea behind the Steelers season. As Jeff wrote about earlier this week, the Steelers have both cap space and draft capital to continue to be competitive in 2026 and beyond. Even though they have made a lot of moves for 2025, some of which are only for one year for a number of aging players, they haven’t handcuffed themselves to where they won’t be able to continue to build based on their current decisions.

The best way to sum it up, which was already stated before, is it the Pittsburgh Steelers have not sacrificed the future for the present. Are they making big moves in the present to be a successful as possible? That’s what they’re trying to do. Have they done so where they jeopardized their future? Honestly, not really. Maybe an argument could be made on how many more years the Steelers have Jalen Ramsey and DK Metcalf under contract, but that’s really about it. And that is only if things don’t work out.

What is surprising is the Steelers are looking to win in both 2025 and 2026, but don’t plan on doing so with the majority of the same players. That is a very unique strategy for the Steelers, but one that I must highly respect.

I don’t think the Steelers are all in for 2025. The reason I don’t say it in this way is because they aren’t all in for ONLY 2025. The Pittsburgh Steelers are committed to winning every year, even when part of the fan base thinks they should reset.

To hear the latest Unpopular Opinion podcast, check it out in the player below. Be sure to check back for this podcast every Sunday morning during the Steelers offseason.