Steelers Found Their New WR Core, And Can't Change Now

Adam Thielen and Marquez Valdes-Scantling didn't exactly light up the statsheet in their debuts for the Pittsburgh Steelers during a monumental Week 14 victory over the Baltimore Ravens, but they may have helped unlock the team's passing offense.

DK Metcalf, who recorded a combined 144 yards over Pittsburgh's last five games entering this week, topped that total vs. Baltimore with a season-high mark of 148 on seven catches. That number was also his most in a single game since Week 4 of the 2022 campaign while he was still a member of the Seattle Seahawks.

Pittsburgh completely rearranged its receiver room in hopes of providing a spark for an offense that had been sputtering recently, and it appears it finally found a solution.

Dec 7, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Adam Thielen (16) makes a catch against Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (44) during the first half at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

How Thielen and Valdes-Scantling Changed Steelers' Air Attack

With both Thielen and Valdes-Scantling active, the Steelers had some tough decisions to make in regards to deploying the rest of their receivers outside of Metcalf.

They made the surprising choice to list Roman Wilson, who had essentially been their most productive option after Metcalf following their Week 5 with 159 yards and two touchdowns, among their inactives while still carrying Scotty Miller, who has just one reception for nine yards this season.

With that said, though, Miller logged just three reps against the Ravens. Additionally, both Ben Skowronek and Calvin Austin III played a season-low nine and 16 snaps, respectively.

Thielen and Valdes-Scantling, on the other hand, garnered 25 and 16 reps, respectively. The pair was targeted a combined two times on the day, with each player getting one, and Thielen came down with the lone reception for four yards after being claimed off waivers earlier in the week from the Minnesota Vikings.

Is This the New Norm for Pittsburgh?

Rodgers has appeared visually frustrated on the field at times throughout the season when failing to get on the same page as some of the Steelers' skill position players.

He made it clear, however, that the additions of Thielen and Valdes-Scantling increased the offense's professionalism, per ESPN's Brooke Pryor, which he valued in a must-win situation against the Ravens as the two teams fought it out for first place in the AFC North.

Though Pittsburgh's offense went three-and-out on its final three drives of the game, the unit looked far more formidable and dangerous for a majority of the contest in a hostile road environment.

The Steelers hadn't pushed the ball down the field with any sort of success this season, yet Rodgers connected with Metcalf for multiple chunk plays as a more conscious effort was made to do so, particularly early in the game.

While Thielen and Valdes-Scantling didn't contribute much in terms of receiving yards or big plays, they clearly still made an impact in Rodgers' mind.

If having them on the field helped get Metcalf and the rest of the offense as a whole going, there's no reason for them to take on lesser roles moving forward.

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