Though the Pittsburgh Steelers are staring down a short week getting prepared for a Thursday Night Football game against the Tennessee Titans at Acrisure Stadium, the franchise remains “open for business” ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline, according to Head Coach Mike Tomlin.
Speaking with reporters Monday ahead of the Week Nine matchup with the Titans, Tomlin was asked if the Steelers were looking at anything in particular on the trade market, especially with the Steelers currently dealing with a banged-up secondary with star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick out with a hamstring injury and veteran cornerback Levi Wallace having missed Week Seven against the Jacksonville Jaguars with a foot injury.
While Tomlin didn’t directly answer the question (and why would he?) he made it clear the Steelers are ready for the deadline.
“We’re always open for business,” Tomlin said, according to video via the Steelers’ YouTube page.
With GM Omar Khan now in charge of the roster, there is a sense of aggressiveness and willingness to make trades. Since taking over as GM in May 2022, Khan has made seven trades. On top of that, the Steelers have made trades at the deadline three straight seasons, trading for linebacker Avery Williamson in a move with the Jets in 2020, sending Melvin Ingram in 2021 to the Kansas City Chiefs and then last season sending wide receiver Chase Claypool to the Chicago Bears for a second-round pick, which ended up being cornerback Joey Porter Jr.
As the Steelers are on a short week, it makes it a bit difficult to make a move for a player on the market on Tuesday and then hoping they can come in and provide some help on Thursday night against the Titans, but that shouldn’t — and likely won’t — preclude a move by Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl.
That said, it’s unlikely to be a needle-moving move, should the Steelers make one at the deadline.
NFL Insider Adam Caplan reported Monday morning for Pro Football Network that it’s unlikely the Steelers make a move, reporting that “they’re not likely to make many in-season trade deadline deals.”
In recent weeks the Steelers have been speculated as potential landing spots for Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and running back Derrick Henry, Jets running back Dalvin Cook, and even Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II. Don’t count on the Steelers making those type of impact moves.
Should Khan and Weidl make a move, it would be a depth one, and would make the most sense to come in the secondary at corner or safety with the Steelers dealing with a handful of injuries there that is limiting them from a roster standpoint.
Heading into the deadline on Tuesday, the Steelers sit with just 51 players on the 53-man roster, though players like running back Anthony McFarland Jr. and defensive lineman Cameron Heyward could be activated off the Reserve/Injured list to fill those two spots as early as this week. We’ll see what Khan and Weidl have up their sleeves though.
The Steelers have been rather aggressive under the new front office leadership. That could be the case again on Tuesday.
