Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown publicly criticized the franchise’s approach to building its current roster, expressing his disapproval on social media. Brown took issue with what he described as the team’s failure to successfully build through the draft and referenced late owner Dan Rooney in his remarks.
“Steelers can not build in the draft no more they done wrong too many players I know Dan Rooney turning in his grave looking at a roster with a bunch of old guys who haven’t gotten it done,” Brown wrote. “Random guys from all over the league.”
According to Spotrac, the average age of the Steelers’ 90-man roster is 27.1 years, making it one of the oldest lineups currently in the National Football League.
The team has struggled to find consistent success at quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger retired. After selecting Kenny Pickett as their first-round pick in 2022 and moving on from him, Pittsburgh has relied on veteran free agents such as Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, and Aaron Rodgers.
Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinee Terry Bradshaw has also been critical of Pittsburgh’s player development strategy this offseason. “You draft a quarterback in the first round. He is going to be successful,” Bradshaw said. “But you’ve gotta surround him with the kind of talent he had in college. And they don’t do it, and they call him a bust.”
The Steelers did not select another quarterback until taking Will Howard in the sixth round during this year’s NFL Draft—a decision that some fans believe does not address longstanding concerns under coach Mike Tomlin.
As Pittsburgh continues to chase postseason relevance with its current core led by Rodgers, speculation persists about potential changes ahead of or during 2026 when the team is projected to have up to twelve draft picks including estimated compensatory selections.
