Steelers receivers prepared for more change to come to position room

As a newcomer to the offense, veteran wide receiver Robert Woods is an example of the ever-changing nature at his position on the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Signed six weeks ago to help fortify the roster, Woods was speaking with reporters after the conclusion of organized team activities last Thursday while the Steelers were hosting another veteran to possibly fill out the position.

Standing about a Mason Rudolph deep ball from the offices at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, Woods was being interviewed while the Steelers were meeting with wideout Gabe Davis.

The former Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars receiver left without a contract, but Davis’ appearance was another indication the Steelers aren’t done tinkering at the position after trading George Pickens to Dallas in early May.

“We look at the plays, we come out and practice and whoever is at practice, that’s who we go against,” Woods said. “Whoever is on the team, we welcome them. We don’t look at who is coming in, who they are bringing in for tryouts. It doesn’t matter. It’s the offseason. It’s part of the game. Guys are going to come and go.”

Woods knows the process better than most. At 33 years old, Woods is on his fifth NFL team and fourth in the past five seasons. The Steelers added him late in free agency, signing Woods to a one-year, $2 million contract April 29.

Woods is among a handful of players brought in by general manager Omar Khan after he acquired No. 1 receiver DK Metcalf from Seattle in March. Earlier in free agency, Khan re-signed Scotty Miller and Ben Skowronek, adding them to a room that includes Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson.

“Omar is going to try to build the best roster he can,” Woods said. “That’s challenging guys and always making the room competitive. At this point in my career, I don’t look at that, and I hope the young guys aren’t looking at that, either. We’ve got a job to earn, and we have to come out and earn it.”

The search for a dependable No. 2 receiver has been endless since former No. 1 threat Diontae Johnson was traded to Carolina in March 2024. The Steelers nearly acquired Brandon Aiyuk from the San Francisco 49ers and looked like they might add Jacksonville’s Christian Kirk before he broke his collarbone in midseason. Khan traded for Mike Williams, who left for the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency.

Davis, Keenan Allen and Amari Cooper are among the remaining options on the free-agent market. With quarterback Aaron Rodgers signing his one-year contract over the weekend, the Steelers could try to find him another target.

“After dealing with what we did last year, it was so much speculation from March through September, at this point nothing is going to be as extreme as that,” Austin said. “We’ve dealt with that before.”

Wilson laughed when Austin’s words regarding the possible addition of Davis to his position room were relayed to him.

“I’m going to say the same thing,” Wilson said. “I’ll welcome him with open arms, but I can’t speak on it.”

Wilson missed nearly all his rookie season because of injuries, but as a third-round pick, he isn’t in much danger of losing his roster spot to a veteran wide receiver. Still, he doesn’t view a potential signing or trade as motivation.

“Not at all,” he said. “My biggest motivation is myself. I don’t really care.”

By trading Pickens, the Steelers rid the locker room of a volatile yet productive receiver. He totaled 1,140 receiving yards in his second season and led the Steelers with 900 in 2024. Metcalf never has totaled fewer than 900 yards in his six NFL seasons, making him the unquestioned leader of the group.

Woods had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with the Los Angeles Rams in 2018-19, but he has totaled just 1,712 yards in his past four seasons. In 2024, he caught just 20 passes for 203 yards for the Houston Texans.

“I feel good about the offense,” Woods said. “It’s a lot like what I’ve been in in previous years. Same concepts, different terminology. It’s getting the language down.”

Austin is the only wide receiver on the roster who predates Arthur Smith’s arrival as offensive coordinator last year. His 36 receptions and 548 yards each were second among receivers on the Steelers in 2025.

“We’ve talked very openly in offensive meetings about what we did last year, things we didn’t do last year and things we want to incorporate because of the skill set of the guys we have,” Austin said. “We know we have to be better.”