Five unanswered Steelers questions: Who will claim remaining starting jobs?

They might call it the offseason, but the last several months have been anything but a vacation for Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan.

During a pivotal period of roster building, the Steelers transformed the quarterback room by signing Russell Wilson, trading for Justin Fields and dumping Kenny Pickett. They shook up the locker room dynamics — and created a big question mark at wide receiver — by dealing Diontae Johnson.

In free agency, Khan was once again active, fortifying the inside linebacker position with a big-name signing in Patrick Queen. And perhaps most significantly, the organization handed Mike Tomlin, who hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016, a three-year extension that will likely allow him to surpass Chuck Noll as the franchise’s all-time leader in regular-season wins.

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Although Khan checked many boxes and shored up several areas on the roster, there’s still some work to do before the season kicks off Sept. 8. Let’s take a look at the five most significant unanswered questions.

1. When will Troy Fautanu take over at right tackle?

Because Fautanu played left tackle last season at Washington (albeit in front of left-handed QB Michael Penix) and Broderick Jones earned a starting role on the right during his rookie season, some speculated that the Steelers might keep both first-round tackles at those positions. However, after three weeks of OTAs and a week of minicamp, that doesn’t seem to be the initial plan.

On Day 1 of training camp, the Steelers’ first-team offensive line might look quite similar to the way it finished last year, with Dan Moore Jr. at left tackle and Jones at right. From there, the natural evolution, based on what Khan has said and the Steelers have shown, is that Fautanu will eventually step in at right tackle, bumping Jones over to the left side. It appears it’s a matter of when, not if, Fautanu will get his chance on the right side, but as we saw with Jones last season, that could take time.

Steelers OL working at OTAs pic.twitter.com/Xq3XZOlUYH

— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) May 21, 2024

2. Who gets a new contract?

Tomlin put pen to paper to end any contract drama there, but the Steelers have reached a crossroads with several others.

The 35-year-old Cameron Heyward, who is coming off of two surgeries, believes he can once again be a top-five player at his position — and wants to be paid like it. He’s in the final year of his contract and skipped the start of OTAs to bring attention to his situation.

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At running back, the Steelers repeatedly praised Najee Harris when asked about his fifth-year option, and then, in a somewhat surprising move, declined it. Khan said on 93.7 The Fan that the door is still open to work out a new deal and that he hopes Harris will have a long career as a Steeler. It remains to be seen if that was simply PR to keep Harris happy or if the GM is serious about giving an extension to a running back who has often voiced his frustrations about the way the league pays the position.

Meanwhile, Pat Freiermuth has quietly been turning himself into Wilson’s favorite target in Arthur Smith’s tight end friendly offense. He’s also in line for a new contract as he enters the final year of his rookie deal.

In addition to those three, could the Steelers extend one of their two quarterbacks before the season? The team has a policy to not negotiate new deals during the season, which has been beneficial in many cases. But when it comes to the QBs, the Steelers run the risk of losing both signal callers next offseason if they don’t extend one or both before the season. They could have to make that decision before seeing how successfully Wilson and Fields navigate the new offense.

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3. Is an addition coming to the receiving corps or will someone step up?

George Pickens has the potential to be a star if he can continue to take another step forward and capitalize on Wilson’s trademark deep ball. But behind him? There are just so many question marks.

Will rookie Roman Wilson be up to speed in time to be a difference-maker, especially early? Can Calvin Austin III take a meaningful leap as he enters a pivotal third season? What will they get from low-cost additions like Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins and Scotty Miller?

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There’s also been rampant speculation that Khan might add a receiver via trade. Just like the Steelers were constantly in quarterback rumors before free agency, the team has been connected to just about every receiver you can imagine. We’ll see at some point if there’s any truth to the noise.

4. Can Justin Fields make this a competition?

Because right now, it’s not. Wilson has taken the overwhelming majority of meaningful reps, including on the final day of minicamp, when almost every veteran took off on what felt like the last day of school. Really, it’s hard to argue with this decision right now because Wilson has clearly been the better quarterback and has begun to take hold of the leadership aspects of the position.

The major opportunity for Fields lies in preseason games. Because he’s still working on processing the game more quickly and his accuracy can be spotty, the former Bears QB doesn’t often shine in seven-on-seven situations. But once the pads come on and he can showcase his speed and athleticism, he’s a difference-maker. Although he’ll face an uphill climb to challenge Wilson for the QB1 spot on the depth chart, at least early, it’s worth remembering Fields might also be auditioning for his next job in the preseason.

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5. Who wins key position battles?

Cameron Sutton’s signing adds numerous variables to the Steelers’ secondary and complicates several position battles. The defensive back, who was released by the Lions after a warrant was issued for his arrest on alleged domestic battery charges, is the most likely candidate to start at slot corner in sub packages. Eventually, he might also challenge Donte Jackson as the starting outside corner in the base defense … at least when he’s eligible to play.

And that’s the question: Will the NFL suspend Sutton, and for how long? If Sutton misses the beginning of the season, there would be a strong competition in the slot between former Eagle Josiah Scott and Beanie Bishop, an undrafted rookie out of West Virginia who led the nation in pass breakups (20) and passes defended (24) to earn consensus All-American honors.

There could also be some competition on the outside. While Jackson remains the odds-on favorite to win the starting job, Cory Trice Jr. is set to return for his first live action since tearing up his knee last training camp. Darius Rush could also be part of that conversation.

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Meanwhile, on the offense line, there are questions about when the newcomers will take over, especially Zach Frazier in the middle. At receiver, there are multiple battles. And in the backfield, it will be worth watching how Smith splits up the reps.

(Top photos of Justin Fields and Troy Fautanu: Joe Sargent / Getty Images)