Analysis: This comes as somewhat of a surprise after Harris has posted three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons since being selected 24th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. Most impressively, Harris has never missed a game at a position that sees so many injuries. He's been a model of toughness and durability, even if the stats haven't particularly jumped off the page with a career 3.9 yards-per-carry average. Harris, however, did rush for a career-best eight touchdowns last season, averaging a three year-best 4.1 yards per carry. Harris is now tentatively schedule to hit free agency next March, though Adam Schefter of ESPN notes that the Steelers aren't ruling out reaching a deal with the 26-year-old running back before then.

Analysis: It perhaps goes without saying, given that Fields is coming in as the second QB on the depth chart and would be guaranteed around $25.66 million in 2025 if the Steelers were to pick up his option before the May 2 deadline. While the team may have interest in keeping him around beyond the upcoming season, it won't be at that price before he's ever put on a Steelers uniform. Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports that fellow offseason acquisition Russell Wilson will enter offseason workouts in "pole position" at quarterback, with Fields then getting a chance to compete at some point in the future, according to coach Mike Tomlin. Fields is on track to be a free agent next spring, and his playing time between now and then seems largely dependent on Wilson struggling.

Analysis: Pruitt has consistently worked as a backup tight end, primarily as a blocker. He'll take on a similar role with the Steelers and should pair well with Darnell Washington to aid the run game. Pruitt is reunited with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith after also playing under him in Tennessee and Atlanta.

Analysis: The tight end is in a contract year, following a down 2023 season in which a hamstring injury cost him five games and may have limited his playing time in a few others. He caught nine passes for 120 yards in a Week 12 win over the Bengals and had five catches for 76 yards in a playoff loss to Buffalo, but otherwise Freiermuth had just 23 receptions for 188 yards and two TDs in 11 appearances. He was far more active in the passing game as a rookie (60-497-7) and again in 2022 (63-732-2), and he could be Option B behind WR George Pickens in 2024 after the Steelers hired OC Arthur Smith and traded WR Diontae Johnson to the Panthers. While Smith figures to prioritize the running game, his affinity for multi-TE formations could put Freiermuth in a near-every-down role for the first time (he averaged 42.7 snaps per game in 2021, 46.4 in 2022 and 39.5 in 2023).

Analysis: With this move to Pittsburgh, Patterson reunites with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, with whom he worked under the past three seasons in Atlanta. Patterson reeled off 1,313 rushing yards, 670 receiving yards and 19 total touchdowns in 29 games between 2021 and 2022, but he fell off almost completely working behind Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier in the most recent campaign (219 yards from scrimmage, one TD in 14 contests). Upon joining the Steelers, Patterson will be in a similar spot as the No. 3 RB behind Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, but the 33-year-old's ability as a kick returner likely will be where he makes his mark with his new squad.

Analysis: Allen lands in a quarterback room that just brought in new faces Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Currently, Wilson looks to be the favorite to start, though coach Mike Tomlin has stated that Fields will get opportunities to compete. Allen, meanwhile, looks firmly comfortable as the No. 3 option on the depth chart. He served as the backup to the Bills' Josh Allen in 2023.

Analysis: A 2020 sixth-round pick, Watkins made 25 starts for Philadelphia over the past four seasons but never saw more than 62 targets in a year. His 4.35 speed is his best trait, and he'll now join a Steelers team with only George Pickens entrenched as a starting wide receiver. Pittsburgh's other options at the position include Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin, Denzel Mims and Marquez Callaway, with more help possibly coming during the 2024 NFL Draft.

Analysis: It's still not quite clear if the Steelers' two new quarterbacks will compete for the starting job this spring/summer, as Tomlin's comments also could be interpreted as a suggestion that Wilson will be the No. 1 but without any assurances of staying in the spot if he struggles in practice (and eventually games). Reports shortly after Fields was traded suggested he'd be coming in as a clear backup, though it's probably worth noting that the QB-related reporting out of Pittsburgh this offseason has been rather unreliable. In any case, the team did well to acquire Wilson on a one-year, $1.21 million contract, later adding Fields in exchange for a sixth-round pick (that can become a fourth-rounder if he plays more than half the snaps in 2024). Neither QB is signed beyond the upcoming season, and the Steelers are unlikely to pick up the fifth-year option on Fields' rookie contract before the May 2 deadline.

Analysis: Though Fields is due a larger salary in the final year of his rookie deal in 2024 than Wilson will earn on his one-year, $1.21 million contract, the Steelers are inclined to have Fields learn from Wilson rather than looking for the 25-year-old to directly challenge the nine-time Pro Bowler for the top spot on the depth chart. While Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes that the Steelers are expected to decline Fields' pricey $25.66 million player option for 2025 prior to the May 2 deadline to do so, such a move wouldn't necessarily preclude Pittsburgh from re-signing the signal-caller next offseason if they're satisfied with his work in practices or in any action he might see in place of Wilson during his first season in the organization. Given that the 2025 sixth-round pick the Steelers gave up to acquire Fields would turn into a fourth-round pick if he plays more than 51 percent of the team's snaps this season, Pittsburgh has some extra incentive to stay committed to Wilson, at least for the early part of the campaign. Fields' fantasy outlook could brighten in 2025 if the Steelers commit to him as a starter or if he lands a more favorable opportunity elsewhere in free agency next spring, but at least for the upcoming season, he doesn't look as though he'll be anything more than a luxury stash in most redraft leagues.

Analysis: The Steelers acquired Fields one day after officially inking Wilson to a one-year contract, but the addition of Fields doesn't look as though it'll affect Wilson's standing as the team's projected starting quarterback during the upcoming season. As such, the 25-year-old Fields is slated to serve in a backup role to the 35-year-old Wilson, who is coming off a pair of underwhelming campaigns with Denver. The acquisition of Fields could still influence Pittsburgh's quarterback plans beyond 2024, and at a minimum, the Steelers would have a talented and experienced signal-caller waiting in the wings should Wilson suffer an injury or struggle early on in the season to ignite the team's passing game.

Analysis: According to Schefter, the 2025 pick can become a fourth-round pick if Fields reaches an unspecified playing-time threshold with the Steelers in 2024. The trade sets up an interesting quarterback situation for the Steelers, who signed Russell Wilson to a low-cost one-year deal in free agency after he was waived by the Broncos earlier in the week. The Bears, meanwhile, have cleared the deck to draft a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which in all likelihood will be USC's Caleb Williams.

Analysis: Jefferson has a 50-802-6 line on 89 targets in 17 regular-season games from 2021 with the Rams on his resume, but the 2020 second-round pick otherwise has put together 63 catches, 798 yards and four touchdowns in his other three campaigns between L.A. and Atlanta. With his new squad, he'll be a part of a Pittsburgh receiving corps that lost Diontae Johnson via a trade with Carolina, meaning Jefferson currently slots in as the Steelers' No. 2 WR behind George Pickens. Ultimately, Jefferson's place in the pecking order for passes from quarterback Russell Wilson will depend on other additions made this offseason.

Analysis: The move leaves Wilson as Pittsburgh's only QB under contract, at least temporarily. Pickett reportedly expressed displeasure with the decision to sign Wilson, likely figuring he'd be a long shot to beat out the 35-year-old for a starting job. Wilson was a strong favorite for the Week 1 start even with Pickett on the team, and none of the available free agents would seem to pose any threat to Wilson's standing atop the depth chart if signed. The only potential hurdles at this point are a trade for Justin Fields or an early draft pick coming in at the position -- and even in those scenarios Wilson would still have a good chance to make the Week 1 start.

Analysis: Wilson was officially released by the Broncos on Wednesday with a post-June 1 designation, paving the way for the 35-year-old to ink a deal with Pittsburgh on Friday. With Mason Rudolph having signed on with the Titans, Wilson and 2022 first-rounder Kenny Pickett are currently the only two signal-callers on the Steelers' roster. The two are thus in line to compete for the team's starting job in the coming months, though at this stage, Wilson profiles as the favorite to land the assignment, per Mike DeFabo of the Athletic. Meanwhile, in the wake of the departures of Diontae Johnson and Allen Robinson, the pass-catching duo of WR George Pickens and TE Pat Freiermuth, along with RB Jaylen Warren, are Pittsburgh's top returning pass-catching options.

Analysis: The Steelers presumably aren't one of those teams, considering they recently reached an agreement with QB Russell Wilson and have 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett under contract for at least two more years. Rudolph stepped in for an injured Pickett at the end of 2023 and continued to start once Pickett was healthy, leading Pittsburgh to three straight wins at the end of the regular season before a loss at Buffalo in the first round of the playoffs. The 2018 third-round pick went 8-4-1 as a starter in his six years with the Steelers, completing 63.5 percent of his passes for 6.7 YPA with 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions (on 458 career pass attempts). Rudolph won't add much on the ground (93 career rushing yards, zero TDs), but his career passing numbers are at least toward the high end of what's expected for a backup quarterback, with other positives including a low sack rate (4.6 percent) and just one lost fumble.

Analysis: Wilson may be past his prime but nonetheless became a strong favorite for the Week 1 start when his decision to sign with the Steelers was announced Sunday night. GM Omar Khan said a week earlier that he had "full faith" in Pickett, a 2022 first-round pick (20th overall) with more regular-season wins (14) than TD passes (13). A good defense and strong record in one-score games has allowed the Steelers to stick in the playoff hunt the past two years, but Wilson should give the offense some actual upside in what likely will be a run-first system under new coordinator Arthur Smith. Meanwhile, QB Mason Rudolph now seems likely to sign with a new team, leaving Wilson and Pickett as the experienced QBs in Pittsburgh.

Analysis: Kaboly and Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via 93.7 The Fan) both have suggested that the Steelers prefer to re-sign Rudolph and move forward with him and Kenny Pickett as the quarterbacks for 2024, though Khan didn't rule out the possibility of acquiring a veteran starter or drafting a QB. It sounds like Rudolph would get the chance to compete for a starting job if he re-signs, as Khan said Thursday that Picket will be subject to competition even though the Steelers believe in him. The team is sending mixed signals, but it does at least seem clear that Rudolph and the Steelers have already discussed a contract extension. The 28-year-old replaced an injured Pickett late last season and then kept the starting job even after Pickett was healthy, leading Pittsburgh to three straight wins at the end of the regular season before falling to the Bills in the first round of the playoffs.

Analysis: Robinson technically has one year remaining on his contract but was always a long shot to actually see the money. That's especially true after he somehow managed to produce just 280 receiving yards and no TDs despite starting all 17 games in 2017 and playing 72 percent of Pittsburgh's snaps on offense. If Robinson does stick around, it'll be with a renegotiated contract that puts him much closer to the veteran's minimum than to his currently scheduled salary of $10 million. Even in that scenario, he's unlikely to be assured of a top-three role under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.

Analysis: The 2022 first-round pick has thrown 13 touchdown passes in 24 NFL games but went 7-5 as a starter in both of his first two pro seasons. While it's safe to say Pickett won't ever be a top quarterback, the Steelers apparently hope he can become a competent starter under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Dulac suggests the Steelers are unlikely to pursue QBs that definitely would expect to be starters (e.g. Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins) but could end up re-signing impending free agent Mason Rudolph, who replaced an injured Pickett in December and then continued to start once his teammate was medically cleared. It's certainly worth noting that not all of the Pittsburgh beat reporters are as confident as Dulac about the Steelers wanting to give Pickett another shot rather than replacing him with someone like Fields/Cousins/Wilson.

Analysis: Callaway joined the Saints' practice squad in November and he appeared in three games down the stretch with the team, failing to garner a target over 27 offensive snaps. He'll now look to impress the Steelers this offseason in an attempt to earn an active roster spot in 2024.