The Steelers sit at 3-1 as the bye week arrives, with their 2025 rookie class already making noise. Derrick Harmon has become a steady force on the defensive line, while Jack Sawyer and Yahya Black have flashed in limited action. Two late-round rookies look to rejoin the fold soon—Will Howard and Donte Kent—ahead of Week 6 against the Browns. Howard’s return could lock in the third quarterback role, and Kent would bolster a secondary in need as Ramsey heals.

Meanwhile, Cory Trice Jr. looms as a potentially disruptive outside corner when healthy. The bye buys Pittsburgh time to reintegrate key pieces and sharpen the defense around a developing group that includes Harmon, Sawyer, and Black, with Rodgers and Rudolph mentoring Howard as the rookie QB eyeing a larger role. The coming weeks will test how these rookies reshape Pittsburgh’s ceiling late in the season.

Pittsburgh surged to the AFC North summit four games in, riding a revitalized attack led by Rodgers and a swarming defense that forced six sacks and two takeaways in a 24-21 win over Minnesota in Dublin. The run game showed life (131 yards), and the bye comes with a real shot at a 5-1 stretch after a favorable slate—home vs Cleveland, road vs a Joe Burrow–less Cincinnati. Tomlin’s streak remains intact as the young offense grows behind an improving line.

The broader mood: Pittsburgh might be for real. Rodgers has steadied the offense, the defense has punch, and the division looks winnable if the O-line keeps coming together and the running game sustains momentum. It’s early, but the Steelers are sending a message far beyond their traditional ground game and defense.