Steelers free agency tracker: Live rumors, news, updates on signings as Aaron Rodgers decision looms originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers are in position to be very active in the 2026 edition of NFL free agency.

Why? They have tons of cap space. According to Over The Cap, the Steelers have more than $46 million in space above the salary cap.

There will be plenty to keep an eye on with Pittsburgh.

For one, there’s the Aaron Rodgers decision. Does he retire? And if not, does he return to play for the Steelers? Technically, he’s a free agent, so he’s got all options available to him.

MORE: Check out our full NFL free agency tracker here

Speaking of offense: Do the Steelers sign a WR to complement DK Metcalf? And does Kenneth Gainwell stay or go?

The defense already got good news on Monday when Asante Samuel Jr. re-signed, but there’s plenty of improvements to made there, too.

It’s all part of the post-Mike Tomlin era. After 19 seasons, the head coach stepped down, and he has been replaced by Mike McCarthy. That adds another layer of intrigue as Pittsburgh tries to win a playoff game for the first time in a decade.

We’ll be keeping track of all the latest news here.

MORE: Steelers have a QB plan B if Aaron Rodgers retires

Steelers free agency rumors, news, live updates

Refresh for the latest. Times in ET.

THURSDAY

6:30 p.m.: Kyler Murray has signed with the Vikings, so he’s off the table for Pittsburgh.

6 p.m.: The New York Giants have signed Calvin Austin in free agency on a one-year deal for $4.5 million, ending the wideout’s time with the Steelers, per Adam Schefter. 

3:50 p.m.: The Steelers lose former All-Pro special teams player Miles Killebrew to a contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have Danny Smith in from the Steelers as their special teams coach. Deal reported by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

2:20 p.m.: The implication on Wednesday was that Kyler Murray’s decision on team could be known by Thursday night. The Steelers may not have been the favorite but were probably in the picture, so stay tuned for new info there.

11:50 a.m.: One quarterback who appears to be available if the Steelers want to consider another move is Anthony Richardson from the Indianapolis Colts.

8:35 a.m.: Any team looking for a veteran defensive lineman with lots of history of success has at least two options left in free agency: Joey Bosa and Cameron Jordan.

6:45 a.m.: Over The Cap lists updated salary cap space for every team in the NFL — although it’s a moving target and hasn’t necessarily accounted for every free agent signing or release yet. But for what it’s worth, the Steelers have $13.9 million in space as the site stands at the start of Thursday.

WEDNESDAY

11:45 p.m.: As things wind down on the first day of free agency officially being open, there are still a lot of big-name free agents out there. The likes of Kyler Murray, Jauan Jennings, Stefon Diggs, Joel Bitonio, Joey Bosa, Jaquan Brisker, Dallas Goedert and more are still out there. 

10:45 p.m.: The latest rumors indicate the Steelers may sign Calvin Austin back to be their WR3.

10 p.m.: Isaac Seumalo told reporters why he chose the Cardinals: “I want to win, and I want to win with a team that wants me here.” Steelers fans, take that as you will.

8 p.m.: Offensive lineman Jack Driscoll is back on a one-year deal after spending most of 2025 on the Steelers’ practice squad, according to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor.

5:05 p.m.: The previously reported Cameron Heyward contract maneuvering was made official by the Steelers when the new league year started. Pittsburgh is working on its salary cap space, and Heyward won’t be going anywhere for the rest of his career, you wouldn’t think.

3 p.m.: The Steelers apparently have a plan B for if Aaron Rodgers retires. You can read more about that report here.

2:30 p.m.: The Steelers may be in the running for Kyler Murray. His decision would reveal a lot about Aaron Rodgers.

1:20 p.m.: A good reminder on X from NFL analyst Kevin Massare: “Apparently another reminder needed on NFL Free Agency. It doesn’t END at 4pm. It STARTS then. There’s a large list of players who are currently unsigned that will greatly help good football teams this year.”

11:45 a.m.: The Steelers still need a left guard, and PennLive’s Nick Farabaugh has suggested that Chris Paul (from the Commanders) would be a good fit. You can learn a bit more about Paul and his name at this link.

11:30 a.m.: The Steelers were almost certainly never going to make a contract offer to Daniel Jones as a free agent on a transition tag from the Colts. But now they can’t, because Jones has signed a two-year, $100 million deal to stay in Indy.

9:30 a.m.: Well, the crazy turn happened. The Ravens backed out of the Maxx Crosby trade, and now they’ve signed Trey Hendrickson, a big move for the AFC North going forward.

8:40 a.m.: A follow-up on the Maxx Crosby trade and the Ravens — they appear to be pursuing Trey Hendrickson now, which would add an odd flavor to their choice to pull out of the Crosby deal. Hendrickson, from the Bengals, would move elsewhere in the AFC North if that went down.

7 a.m.: A report from Cowboys beat writer Nick Harris says that Brock Hoffman, who the Steelers were reported to have signed, hasn’t actually agreed to a deal with anyone.

6:50 a.m.: The Steelers made a signing overnight: The veteran safety Darnell Savage has come aboard on a one-year deal, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

6:45 a.m.: It’s a big day in the NFL free agent process. No deals are actually official yet. At 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT) on Wednesday, contracts can become official and players can fully join their new teams. That’s when teams will start making lots of announcements on social media. This is also the day many releases can become official across the league, which could create the potential for more deals.

TUESDAY

11 p.m.: One thing worth noting is that the Steelers could have more moves coming soon because certain releases don’t actually process until the league year begins on Wednesday. That’ll impact available players and cap room.

9:40 p.m.: The Steelers are signing interior offensive lineman Brock Hoffman from the Cowboys for one year and $2.5 million, per Jordan Schultz.

8:10 p.m.: A shocker elsewhere in the AFC North: The Ravens have pulled out of their trade to get Maxx Crosby from the Raiders, seemingly for medical reasons.

7:20 p.m.: From beat writer Gerry Dulac: “The Steelers have added a year to DE Cam Heyward’s contract, creating nearly $5.5 million in cap space. His new deal is worth $32.25 million over two years with the first year guaranteed.”

5:20 p.m.: If any team wanted to get weird with a running back addition, Devonta Freeman wants to make an NFL comeback. But he’s 34, so that would be quite the thing.

4:45 p.m.: The Steelers have signed Cam Johnston to be their punter. Pittsburgh announced the signing.

4:40 p.m.: Elsewhere in the AFC North, Bengals free agent Trey Hendrickson is lingering. It appears he can’t find a deal he wants. It’s even brought the Bills into play, and they don’t have much cap space. Apparently the pursuit of Hendrickson is wide open.

2:25 p.m.: This morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Steelers would be OK with Mason Rudolph and Will Howard as its QB options if Rodgers doesn’t return.

10:45 a.m.: ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky provided a very good update on Aaron Rodgers — read more about it here.

10:15 a.m.: This is a list of the top remaining free agent QBs, something the Steelers might end up needing to look into.

8:30 a.m.: It’ll be interesting to see if any noise starts to emerge about the Steelers and Kyler Murray. They’ll likely need some kind of alternative if Aaron Rodgers decides not to return. Still a lot of unknown at QB.

7:25 a.m.: We also broke down the bad news for Kaleb Johnson. Read more at this link.

7:15 a.m.: We broke down how Rico Dowdle’s signing impacts Jaylen Warren, which you can read about at this link.

6:45 a.m.: A couple key things to note as Tuesday gets underway. Free agency operates much the same way today as it did Monday. It’s still the “legal tampering” period. Deals can’t be made official until Wednesday. There are still a good chunk of free agents on the board, so more news should emerge throughout the day.

MONDAY

11:30 p.m.: As the week goes on, more and more Steelers fans will start to wonder what is happening with Aaron Rodgers. There weren’t really any updates on Monday, so there’s still more to come for sure.

11 p.m.: The latest rumors suggest Patrick Queen may leave Pittsburgh, potentially to sign with the Dallas Cowboys.

10:30 p.m.: Steelers beat writer Gerry Dulac reports: “The Steelers next move in free agency is expected to be a starting veteran guard to replace Isaac Seumalo.”

10 p.m.: Earlier this evening, the Steelers landed their new RB2. Rico Dowdle signs from the Carolina Panthers, according to Jordan Schultz.

6:40 p.m.: The Steelers lose lineman Isaac Seumalo to a contract with the Arizona Cardinals, per Ian Rapoport.

4:26 p.m.: It’s been a quiet day overall for Pittsburgh, which is still awaiting a decision from Aaron Rodgers on what the QB plans to do for next season.

2:31 p.m.: The Steelers have signed a cornerback, Jamel Dean. Ian Rapoport reports it’s a three-year deal for $36 million.

2:20 p.m.: News that Mike Evans is leaving the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to sign with the San Francisco 49ers is shocking. It also officially removes Pittsburgh from possibly ending up with Evans.

1:10 p.m.: The Steelers have lost Kenneth Gainwell. He’s signing a two-year deal with the Buccaneers, according to insider Jordan Schultz. It’ll pay him $7 million per year.

12:45 p.m.: The Steelers have made a trade with the Colts: Michael Pittman is coming to Pittsburgh, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

12:30 p.m.: A slow first half hour, with the highlights being Alec Pierce getting $116 million to return to the Colts, and Kenneth Walker signing with the Chiefs. Lots still to be done.

12 noon: The NFL’s legal tampering period opens. Reports from insiders will come soon about agreed-upon signings. Nothing can be officially signed until Wednesday.

11:10 a.m.: One to watch for Pittsburgh: Mike Evans. Reports indicate he may leave the Buccaneers, and he’d make the perfect WR2 for the Steelers.

10:45 a.m.: The official negotiating window opens at 12 noon on Monday, so that’s when to start expecting rumors to start humming.

10:40 a.m.: The expectation in recent weeks has been that Aaron Rodgers won’t drag his decision out as long as last year, but it’s not clear whether that means anything will happen this week with the future Hall of Fame QB.

8 a.m.: The Steelers signed Asante Samuel Jr. to a one-year, $4 million contract to prevent him from reaching free agency at all.

Steelers free agent signings

• Jack Driscoll returns after spending most of the 2025 season as an offensive lineman on the Pittsburgh practice squad.
• Darnell Savage has signed on a one-year deal to bolster the secondary.
• Cam Johnston was the Steelers’ punter in 2024, and now he’s back for 2026 after a year split between the Bills and Giants.
• A hugely exciting pickup in the backfield: Rico Dowdle joins from the Panthers to join Jaylen Warren after the loss of Kenneth Gainwell.
• The Steelers have signed a cornerback, Jamel Dean, for three years and $36 million.
• The Steelers have their WR2, via trade: Michael Pittman Jr. from the Colts.
• The Steelers agreed with Asante Samuel Jr. before free agency to return to Pittsburgh after six games in 2025 following his midseason addition.

Steelers free agent losses

• Kenneth Gainwell is gone, signing a two-year deal with the Buccaneers.
• The cornerback James Pierre has signed with the Minnesota Vikings.
• Isaac Seumalo leaves to play for the Arizona Cardinals.

More NFL news:

• Cowboys shunned by Eagles’ free agent for AFC West
• Panthers shell out $165 million for 2 free agent stars
• This is why the Cowboys failed in trading for Maxx Crosby
• Ravens’ former 1st-round pick retires after 8 NFL seasons
• Jets trade rumor would mean major WR upgrade
• Ravens have a $38 million last-gasp Lamar Jackson solution to contract problem