Who Is Steelers’ Most Important Player After Aaron Rodgers? Surprising Answer

By this time next week, training camp will be up and running for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Captain Obvious will tell you the Steelers’ most important player this season is quarterback Aaron Rodgers. After all, the NFL is a QB-driven league, and Rodgers has already said this will be his last season in the NFL. That pushed Pittsburgh to be all-in on the four-time NFL MVP.

The Steelers’ signal-caller carries on his shoulders the weight of a franchise looking for its first playoff win in nine seasons. It has surrounded Rodgers with a win-now roster that could be boom or bust.

So let’s ask a different question: Who is the second-most important player on the Steelers? CBS Sports’ Jared Dubin provided an answer: Jalen Ramsey. Pittsburgh acquired the cornerback last month in that blockbuster trade with the Miami Dolphins.

“Pittsburgh gave up Minkah Fitzpatrick in order to bring in Ramsey and Jonnu Smith,” Dubin wrote Monday. “That’s a major, major change for what has been one of the NFL’s premier defenses for as long as Fitzpatrick was patrolling the back end.

“We’ve seen what it looks like when Ramsey is at his best. The Steelers need him to be at his best,” Dubin concluded.

Yes, Ramsey is a three-time All-Pro. And yes, he’s a seven-time Pro Bowl selection. But a compelling argument could be made for wide receiver DK Metcalf as the second-most important Steelers player.

Pittsburgh traded for Metcalf in March, getting him from the Seattle Seahawks in a deal giving the Steelers a legitimate WR1. Then the front office signed Metcalf to a five-year, $150 million contract extension. His importance soared when the Steelers traded wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys.

It’s not an overstatement to say the Steelers’ success this year depends on the Rodgers-Metcalf connection. That will be on display next week when Pittsburgh reports to training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa.

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