Pittsburgh

Steelers

It could be a sign that the Steelers want an answer about whether Rodgers will play in 2026 sooner rather than later. The mercurial veteran once again let the NFL Draft come and go without commitment to another NFL season, and the Steelers used a third round pick on Penn State QB Drew Allar. Allar could be an insurance policy in case Rodgers retires in the coming months. The right-of-first-refusal tender will force Rodgers, 42, to “accept a 10 percent raise off last year’s salary, which would pay him about $15 million this season, and the Steeelrs also now will have the right to match any offer sheet he would sign with another team,” according to Schefter. “As another condition of the tender, Rodgers would only be able to sign with the Steelers once training camp begins.” Former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said Monday that he expects Rodgers to return to Pittsburgh for another season under center, this time in the offense of his former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy.

The deal includes a $187,500 signing bonus and appears to simply be a depth move. MVS spent time with the 49ers and Steelers last season, catching 14 passes for 120 yards and a touchdown. The veteran speedster has bounced around to four different teams since parting ways with the Chiefs after the 2023 season and hasn’t caught more than 17 passes at any of his stops. He’ll likely be battling to earn a roster spot in camp and carries little fantasy value.

Tomlin believes Rodgers remains a “capable” player and still loves the game. The positive reports regarding Rodgers’ potential return continue to trickle in. Last week, Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy said that he has confidence in Rodgers’ current abilities, and the team only added Round 3 rookie QB Drew Allar to the mix over the weekend. He joins incumbent QBs Will Howard and Mason Rudolph. Allar is an interesting prospect but likely needs time to develop. Being mentored by Rodgers would be very helpful for him.

Lowry missed the 2025 season after suffering a torn ACL in training camp. He totaled nine quarterback pressures and one sack back in 2024. Lowry, 31, will likely serve as a backup player if he sticks with the team beyond training camp.

McRee, 23, produced a career-best 30/450/4 receiving line as a redshirt senior last year, promisingly averaging 15.0 yards per reception. NFL’s Lance Zierlein and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler appreciate McRee’s toughness and fearless playing style as a receiver and blocker, but note that it can lead to unnecessary physical exposure. He tore his left ACL in high school, his right ACL in December 2023 and missed three games in 2024 due to a nonspecific left knee sprain. McRee stands 6’4/243 and ran a 4.79-second 40 at USC’s Pro Day. McRee has a chance to make an the Steelers’ roster but is unlikely to be relevant in fantasy.

The former Navy Midshipmen lined up all over the formation as a receiving weapon out of the backfield, out wide, in the slot and even in line. Heidenreich stands 6’/198. He outright led or tied for the team-high in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in each of the last three seasons, and now holds Navy records for the most all-time receiving yards (1,994), single-season receiving yards (941), receiving yards in a game (243) and ties for the most single-season receiving touchdowns (six). In his final college season, Heidenreich posted a 77/499/3 rushing line, a 51/941/6 receiving line, produced a 12.6-yard aDOT and earned second-team All-American Athletic Conference honors. He averaged an exceptional 4.36 yards per route run over the course of his career and gained substantial hype in the fantasy world during the pre-draft process. Keep tabs on him this summer in the Steelers running back room.

Spears-Jennings (6’2/205) played a backup role for the Sooner as an underclassmen. He opened his junior season as a backup but took over as a full-time starter in his third game. RSJ proved to be a great find for Oklahoma as he racked up 2.5 sacks, one interception, and an SEC-leading four forced fumbles. Spears-Jennings couldn’t sustain the big plays in his final season and was limited to one forced fumble, one pick, and no sacks. Spears-Jennings doesn’t have a great feel for zone coverage and looks a bit stiff when matched up with receivers in man coverage. Despite the down season, Spears-Jennings kept his draft stock afloat at the NFL Combine with a blazing 4.32 40-yard dash. He may be best suited for a two-down role in the pros, but his 2024 production and straight-line speed should be enough to earn that gig in the long run. He also has nearly 500 career special teams snaps to his name, meaning his team won’t have any issues finding work for him as a rookie.

Rubio (6'5/321) was a four-star recruit for the Fighting Irish in 2021. He spent the first three years of his career as a backup before working his way into a rotational role in 2024, when he amassed 2.5 TFLs and one sack. His 2025 season ended after just six games because of an elbow injury. Gabriel is a solid run-defender who doesn’t bring much to the table as a pass-rusher. Given his limited body of work, he will likely be considered a developmental piece for the Steelers.

Nowakowski will enter a tight end room with Darnell Washington and Pat Freiermuth. He’s unlikely to see consistent playing time behind the veterans. Nowakowski (6’2/250) spent six years in the Big 10, with the first five coming at Wisconsin. He transferred to eventual national champion Indiana for 2025, where he proceeded to nearly double his previous career receptions total. He enters the pros with just 50 grabs across 50 college appearances, though the 32 he posted in 2025 provide hope he could eventually be more than just a blocker. But “just a blocker” is what he is at the moment, and not a particularly big one at that. Built much more like a fullback than tight end, Nowakowski will have to learn to ply his trade on special teams before getting a shot on offense.

Spending a fourth round pick on a kick returner is certainly a choice. Wetjen, 24, is a decorated return specialist whose elite traits should earn him an NFL roster spot. He spent two seasons at Iowa Western Community College before transferring to Iowa in 2022. In each of the past two seasons, Wetjen won the Jet Award, given to college football’s best return specialist, was named Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year and earned first-team All-Big Ten honors. He was a first-team All-American in 2024 and a Consensus All-American in 2025. Among P4 return specialists with 20-plus returns, Wetjen’s 28.5 yards per kick return ranks second, and he tops the charts with 26.8 yards per punt return and a 1.1 missed tackles forced average.