The Pittsburgh Steelers will enter a new era next season, and the changes won’t stop at the head coaching position. After nearly two decades of stability under Mike Tomlin, the franchise turned the page and hired Mike McCarthy to lead the way. But even as the coaching staff begins to take shape in Pittsburgh, former Steelers cornerback Joe Haden just warned the team that the real challenge for them is filling out the roster.

“I think, we have the picks,” Joe Haden said recently on his Deebo & Joe podcast. “I think Omar, this is gonna be the time for them to show, what we gonna do? How good are they at picking talent? Sometimes it hasn’t been, like you said, that good. We haven’t resigned a lot of our guys.”

“But now, this is gonna be a big one for McCarthy, and for Omar, showing what they gonna do moving forward,” Haden added. “’Cause this is young, you have a lot of picks. Just hitting on your draft picks is the main thing.”

Haden made it clear that this offseason will define the direction of the Steelers’ franchise. He pointed directly at the Steelers’ general manager, Omar Khan, to question whether the franchise can truly trust his draft process. Haden also pointed out that even with the scouting combine just around the corner, there are still a few players whose future with the Steelers remains uncertain. 

So, according to Haden, drafting well isn’t just helpful—it’s essential for the Steelers as they hold 12 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, including five in the first two days. That’s premium ammunition for Mike McCarthy to build a roster for the next season, but having picks and hitting on picks are two very different things.

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Before the draft even arrives, though, the Steelers face a major question at their quarterback position. Veteran QB Aaron Rodgers is once again at the center of uncertainty. While playing for the Steelers in 16 games last season, Rodgers threw for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. 

But now, as his one-year deal with the Steelers has expired, it remains unclear whether he will return to Pittsburgh or walk away. Recent reports suggest that patience may once again be required from the Steelers when it comes to waiting for Rodgers’ decision.

“The Steelers remain open to a potential Aaron Rodgers reunion, but they’ve got to figure out if he wants to play or not yet,” NFL insider Jeremy Fowler reported during his recent appearance on ESPN’s Get Up. “That could take months.”

That timeline of Rodgers’ decision should make the Steelers uneasy. Can Mike McCarthy afford to wait months for the QB while free agency approaches and the draft looms? Last year, the Steelers waited until June for Rodgers to sign, but doing that again this time could leave the team scrambling for alternatives.

Behind Rodgers, the Steelers have Will Howard and Mason Rudolph under contract, but are they realistic long-term answers? It’s hard to make that case since neither Rudolph nor Howard played meaningful football last season. That leaves Mike McCarthy with a few paths to take with the QB position: draft a quarterback, sign one in free agency, or explore the trade market. 

Yet the 2026 quarterback class reportedly lacks elite depth, even though the Steelers have shown interest in Alabama’s QB Ty Simpson. Is reaching for a QB at the No. 21 overall pick worth it, or should the Steelers prioritize other premium positions and address quarterback later? That isn’t the only uncertainty the Steelers will face on their roster before the 2026 NFL Draft. 

How will Mike McCarthy deal with the uncertainties on the Steelers’ roster before the 2026 NFL Draft?

The Steelers could lose left guard Isaac Seumalo, wide receiver Calvin Austin III, and running back Kenneth Gainwell in free agency next month. All three contributed significantly in their respective positions for the Steelers last season. So, replacing them won’t be easy for Mike McCarthy, and retaining them won’t be cheap for the Steelers. Ultimately, much of this offseason circles back to the Steelers’ 12 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, but Joe Haden believes that the team shouldn’t limit itself to just those picks.

“We can make it 12, sounds good,” Haden said recently on his Deebo & Joe podcast. “But a good eight is better than just 12. If we could trade two of those to get a good one. Don’t just be getting just people to have people. If we see that we could make eight of those picks be really, really good. Don’t just get 12 guys. Let’s figure it out, let’s make it work, let’s make it make sense. Let’s get the best players, get what we need.”

According to Haden, the Steelers must sacrifice some of those 12 picks to move up rather than having 12 average contributors or eight potential difference-makers. If elite receivers or cornerbacks start disappearing early in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, trading up will certainly become tempting for the Steelers. While the Steelers must wait 32 picks between their first- and second-round selections, it makes strategic movement even more appealing for the team.

However, moving into the top 10 would demand serious draft capital from the Steelers. So, there is also the possibility that Mike McCarthy and Omar Khan will just trust their ability to develop talent across multiple picks.

Moreover, with five selections in the first three rounds, the Steelers can land impact players without overpaying to move up. But even before that happens, free agency will shape the Steelers’ roster. If the team can secure clarity at quarterback and retain key players, they can approach the draft aggressively but smartly. Ultimately, the Steelers have resources, but as the 2026 NFL Draft approaches, the team must prove that it knows how to use them.