The Pittsburgh Steelers have officially entered a new era, but the honeymoon phase for new head coach Mike McCarthy might be short-lived. Fresh off his hiring as the successor to Mike Tomlin in late January, the new head coach is already staring down a total roster transformation with 22 contracts set to expire before he even coaches his first training camp. 

The Steelers are facing a situation where nearly half of their active roster could vanish. A total of 22 players are set to hit the market as unrestricted free agents once free agency begins in the spring. What’s concerning for Pittsburgh is that the list includes players like Aaron Rodgers, Kyler Dugger, Isaac Seumalo, Kenneth Gainwell, and Cole Holcomb. 

The Steelers enter 2026 with a mix of veteran names and mid-tier talent hitting free agency, and the value swings tell the story. Kyle Dugger’s projected market value cratered from $14.5M to under $6M, signaling risk despite his talent, while Aaron Rodgers, 42, remains expensive on paper but largely replaceable given age and cap hit.

Isaac Seumalo’s value ticked up above $9.6M, making him a candidate to retain for stability up front, while Kenneth Gainwell’s modest $2.9M valuation shows upside at a low cost. The real gains, however, come with younger contributors like Calvin Austin, whose jump to nearly $4.9M underlines a rising star the Steelers would be wise to prioritize. Veteran depth like Adam Thielen, Miles Killebrew, and Dean Lowry may be cut, leaving Pittsburgh’s front office to balance experience with cap flexibility.

As per Spotrac, the breakdown of the players McCarthy is at risk of losing is:

To avoid a complete collapse, the front office would be focused on securing three foundation pieces: Gainwell, Dugger, and Seumalo. 

While Pittsburgh doesn’t have a history of showering running backs with expensive contracts, it ought to retain Gainwell. He’s among those few players who still managed to produce positive yardage in the playoff loss against Houston. The player also ranked first for AP yards on his team in the regular season with over 1,600 yards.

Gainwell came in a one-year “prove-it” deal at $1.79 million, but his market value has increased to nearly $3 million. 

The same goes for Dugger, who brought the hammer back to the Steelers’ secondary. His physicality and versatility helped star cornerback Jalen Ramsey take more risks and play more aggressively. If McCarthy lets him walk away while already trying to fix the rest of the secondary, it would create a hole that’ll be almost impossible to fill. 

Lastly, the veteran Seumalo remains an impressive player. Whether Rodgers takes over the starting position or they bring in a young quarterback, McCarthy will need the offensive tackle, who appeared in 15 games last season.

As for wide receiver Thielen, they don’t need to worry about retaining him. His time with the Steelers may have been short, but it gave him a space to play the last of his career games. Shortly after Tomlin walked away following the playoff demise, Thielen also bid his farewell to a 13-year career. 

It remains to be seen who the Steelers prioritize to retain their free agents. The franchise is projected to have around $50 million in cap space (given that the 2026 Salary Cap is at least $301.2 million), without making any roster moves. So, Omar Khan and Co. have the room to be aggressive. 

But before Khan’s math is put to the ultimate test, they have the biggest looming question about Rodgers’ future in Black and Gold. 

Will Aaron Rodgers return in 2026?

The biggest domino to fall is undoubtedly the 42-year-old Rodgers. After a 2025 season that saw the Steelers clinching the AFC North before stumbling in a 30-6 Wild-Card loss to the Texans, Rodgers’ future has once again come under the spotlight. 

Last year, Rodgers was the oldest quarterback in the NFL (until Philip Rivers announced his unretirement), and this year, he’d likely be the oldest again if he continues.

Previously, whenever the veteran quarterback has addressed the inevitable question of his retirement, he has expressed a desire to win a Super Bowl. After his failed experiment in New York, his tenure brought hope to that dream. Since he’s yet to declare his retirement, he’s widely expected to start for the Steelers once again. 

“I think he will be their starting quarterback, unless he comes to some kind of decision over the next month that he’s just done with football 100 percent,” believes Steelers Insider Mark Kaboly in his clear update on the veteran’s future.

Interestingly, the hiring of McCarthy (Rodgers’ former coach in Green Bay) was widely seen as a lure to keep the four-time MVP in black and gold. McCarthy, too, has addressed the quarterback’s future, hinting that he will return next season. 

However, until a contract is signed, the Steelers’ quarterback room remains a massive question mark. If he retires, McCarthy is expected to shift his focus immediately to Will Howard and Mason Ruldolph.