The Jalen Ramsey trade to the Pittsburgh Steelers shook up the NFL not only by resolving the uncertain future of one of the league’s top players but also by reinforcing the Steelers’ clear intentions to contend with the elite in 2025.
Ramsey is just one of several veterans added by the franchise this offseason as Pittsburgh looks to return to the Super Bowl for the first time since their 2010 run. One insider doubled down on their take, stating the team isn’t making these moves randomly and the goal is to compete for a championship this season.
NFL Insider Says the Steelers Are Proving They Have an All-In Mentality for 2025
The way the last few seasons have ended for the Steelers has been all too familiar: a team with enough talent to compete, but not enough to truly contend for a Super Bowl. This has left the franchise stuck in limbo, especially within an AFC North loaded with elite quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow.
To flip that script, Pittsburgh is entering the 2025 season with a clear plan: get back to being a true contender. That vision briefly looked possible in 2024 when the team jumped out to a 10-3 start, but a four-game losing streak to close the year cost them the division title and momentum.
Insider Peter Schrager believes the franchise is going “all-in,” pushing all its chips to the center this season after opening a title window by acquiring quarterback Aaron Rodgers. According to Schrager, that plan began early in the offseason when the team traded for wide receiver DK Metcalf, even before free agency opened.
I’ve been laughed at (on TV and off) for the take, but you don’t go and acquire Jalen Ramsey, Aaron Rodgers, WR DK Metcalf, and CB Darius Slay if you DON’T have serious Super Bowl aspirations. These are “all in” moves. Whether they are or not, Pitt thinks they’re close. @ESPNNFL
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) June 30, 2025
“I’ve been laughed at (on TV and off) for the take, but you don’t go and acquire Jalen Ramsey, Aaron Rodgers, WR DK Metcalf, and CB Darius Slay if you DON’T have serious Super Bowl aspirations. These are ‘all in’ moves. Whether they are or not, Pitt thinks they’re close,” Schrager wrote on X.
Among those moves, Metcalf is the only one tied to the team long term. He signed a four-year, $132 million contract with $60 million guaranteed. Ramsey’s deal gives the team the option to release him next offseason with no guaranteed money remaining.
The Steelers gave up All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to get Ramsey, a player who had been rumored to be on the way out after a down year. Rodgers and Slay are also on one-year deals, signaling that these are win-now additions aimed at capturing a championship before a long-anticipated rebuild begins.
The Steelers open the season on the road against the New York Jets on Sept. 7, a game full of storylines and high-profile debuts, especially with Rodgers facing his former team. The success of Pittsburgh’s all-in approach will be judged quickly, and the pressure for results is now higher than ever.
