There have now been several credible sources reporting that the Pittsburgh Steelers are interested in the Davante Adams trade sweepstakes. Now we have Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac confirming that the Steelers have inquired about Adams with the Las Vegas Raiders, though there are “many questions to be resolved,” according to Dulac on X.
“Chief among them — does he want to come here and be willing to re-do his massive contract,” Dulac wrote. “Adams said to prefer Jets and Saints b/c of his former QBs.”
Some of those questions include whether or not Adams wants to be traded to the Steelers and if he would be willing to re-work his contract to fit into the Steelers’ financial picture. Our Dave Bryan went through the financial aspect of a trade involving the Steelers and Adams last week, so be sure to check that out for further details. Long story short, the Steelers can make it happen in a variety of different ways. Adams could be asked to restructure his contract to reduce the 2024 cap hit to be very low while pushing potential dead cap space into the future.
The Steelers could also tack on some voidable contract years or at least years with no guarantees that they can use to further spread out the cap hits.
Probably the biggest hurdle is whether Adams would be willing to play for the Steelers. He seems to want to play with Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets or Derek Carr and the New Orleans Saints, though the Steelers appear to be better than both of those teams right now.
There is no doubt that Adams would boost the Steelers’ offense. The wide receiver group other than George Pickens have provided very little outside of a couple big plays by Calvin Austin III.
With Adams’ hamstring issue clearing up, it seems likely that there will be movement on the various trade possibilities this week. Will the Steelers end up making a strong offer that both the Raiders and Adams are okay with? One insider has suggested they already have.
